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Jere Whitson Elementary School

Q: Is Jere Whitson Elementary School a good school?

Jere Whitson Elementary School ranks 651 st of 1019 Tennessee elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-4

651^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,019 Tennessee Elementary Schools

Better than 36% of Tennessee elementary schools

Summary

Jere Whitson Elementary School serves 339 students in grades PK–4 in Cookeville, TN, as part of Putnam County Schools. The school has historically ranked below the district average but has shown meaningful improvement, rising from the 14th percentile in 2020–2021 to the 36th percentile (651st out of 1,019 Tennessee elementary schools) in 2025–2026. However, it remains the lowest-ranked elementary school in its immediate Putnam County cluster, with the lowest test proficiency in every subject tested among comparable nearby schools.

In 2025–2026, Jere Whitson posted proficiency rates of 50.9% in math, 30.7% in English language arts, and 36.8% in science — all below district averages of 56.8%, 44.3%, and 48.9%. The ELA gap is especially large at roughly 14 points below the district. Nearby Sycamore Elementary School (ranked 359th) and Cane Creek Elementary School (ranked 450th) outperform Jere Whitson across nearly all subjects. However, there is a notable bright spot: low-income students at Jere Whitson ranked in the 81st percentile statewide in 2025–2026, up from the 47th percentile just two years earlier.

Chronic absenteeism at 14.2% is better than the district rate of 17.3% and the state rate of 18.3%, though higher than several high-performing neighbors like Algood Elementary School (5.1%) and Capshaw Elementary School (6.8%). The school spends $14,550 per student — more than several schools that outperform it, including Prescott South Elementary School ($12,811). A major concern is English learner performance, which fell from the 49th percentile in 2022–2023 to the 3rd percentile in 2024–2025. Math proficiency has improved dramatically from 30.8% to 50.9% over that same period, but ELA has stalled between 26% and 32% since 2022–2023, pointing to literacy as the central focus for continued improvement.

339

Students ?

11.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$14,550

Per pupil spending ?

66.4%

Directly certified for free meals (2024-25) ?

178 East Jere Whitson Road
Cookeville, TN 38501

(931) 526-6575

District: Putnam County Schools

Students who attend Jere Whitson Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Avery Trace Middle School
High:	Cookeville High School
	Putnam County Adult High School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

65.8%

White:

28.6%

African American:

3.2%

See top rated Tennessee elementary schools

Compare Jere Whitson Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 20th percentile in 2014 → 36th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 16 percentile points since 2014

✓Small classes — about 12 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

!Science scores 10 pts below the Tennessee average

!Near the bottom of Putnam County Schools's ranking

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school39%

District avg50%

Tennessee avg43%

651^st of 1,019

Tennessee public elementary schools ?

Bottom 36%▲ up 19 pts since 2018

From bottom 17% (2018) to bottom 36% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Tennessee Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

10^th of 10Elementary Schools in the Putnam County Schools

56^th of 141Putnam County Schools among Tennessee districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	38.4	651 of 1019	36.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	35.5	671 of 1009	33.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	24.0	799 of 1018	21.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	23.4	793 of 1020	22.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	22.3	788 of 1000	21.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	14.7	849 of 983	13.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	24.7	777 of 985	21.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	20.6	829 of 997	16.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	31.2	686 of 855	19.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	28.9	681 of 853	20.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	42.7	631 of 846	25.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	41.6	531 of 820	35.2%	★★☆☆☆
2011	19.5	722 of 818	11.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	22.2	683 of 809	15.6%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2025	19.3	205 of 211	2.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	21.0	168 of 178	5.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	42.3	84 of 164	48.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	41.1	84 of 165	49.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	28.1	55 of 66	16.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	45.6	43 of 95	54.7%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2025	40.1	597 of 986	39.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	20.6	804 of 990	18.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	17.4	838 of 989	15.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	19.7	799 of 975	18.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	13.9	828 of 945	12.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	17.8	809 of 926	12.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	51.4	199 of 458	56.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	37.1	267 of 424	37.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	24.8	342 of 415	17.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	29.0	297 of 387	23.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	30.8	270 of 363	25.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	23.2	276 of 324	14.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	35.0	158 of 250	36.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	26.3	266 of 319	16.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	70.5	157 of 823	80.9%	★★★★☆
2025	53.7	347 of 843	58.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	45.2	455 of 853	46.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	53.0	361 of 865	58.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	47.5	415 of 858	51.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	37.6	501 of 823	39.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	40.3	510 of 821	37.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	35.2	606 of 877	30.9%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2025	30.6	716 of 984	27.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	31.6	697 of 991	29.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	31.1	693 of 987	29.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	37.1	603 of 980	38.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	15.4	818 of 941	13.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	39.6	553 of 916	39.6%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2022	32.3	302 of 447	32.4%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	33.5	587 of 849	30.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	55.5	332 of 840	60.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	45.0	445 of 847	47.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	37.8	539 of 852	36.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	21.4	731 of 844	13.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	30.2	617 of 844	26.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	21.3	739 of 841	12.1%	★☆☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)81st percentile+45 vs school

Hispanic (2026)57th percentile+20 vs school

Female (2025)39th percentile+6 vs school

Special Education (2022)32nd percentile+11 vs school

White (2026)31st percentile-5 vs school

Male (2025)27th percentile-6 vs school

English Language Learner (2025)3rd percentile-31 vs school

By subject vs Tennessee (2025-2026) ?

Mathematics51%+8 vs state

Science37%-10 vs state

English Language Arts31%-10 vs state

★

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Schools Near Jere Whitson Elementary School

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				TNReady Mathematics (2026)			TNReady English Language Arts (2026)			TNReady Science (2026)			Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Directly certified (2024-25)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	TNReady Mathematics 3rd Grade	TNReady Mathematics 4th Grade	TNReady Mathematics All Grades	TNReady English Language Arts 3rd Grade	TNReady English Language Arts 4th Grade	TNReady English Language Arts All Grades	TNReady Science 3rd Grade	TNReady Science 4th Grade	TNReady Science All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Jere Whitson Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	178 East Jere Whitson Road	Cookeville	38501	Putnam County	Putnam County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(931) 526-6575	317	27	11.5	66.4%	92 (29.0%)	10 (3.2%)	208 (65.6%)	5 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	38.4	651^st of 1019 public elementary schools	36.1%		35.5	671^st of 1009 public elementary schools	33.5%	20	36.4	64.4	50.9	29.1	32.2	30.7	29.1	44.1	36.8	$14,550	$1,537	$11,687
Sycamore Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	452 Ellis Avenue	Cookeville	38501	Putnam County	Putnam County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(931) 526-9322	310	24	12.9	56.7%	205 (66.1%)	17 (5.5%)	69 (22.3%)	5 (1.6%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (4.2%)	60.9	359^th of 1019 public elementary schools	64.8%		37.4	636^th of 1009 public elementary schools	37.0%	277	51.8	54.7	53.3	53.6	50.0	51.7	46.4	45.3	45.8	$15,570	$1,784	$12,760
Capshaw Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	1 Cougar Lane	Cookeville	38501	Putnam County	Putnam County Schools	No	No	No	No	(931) 526-2414	522	34	15.5	29.3%	440 (84.3%)	8 (1.5%)	43 (8.2%)	24 (4.6%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.1%)	93.5	60^th of 1019 public elementary schools	94.1%		96.3	37^th of 1009 public elementary schools	96.3%	23	70.1	88.5	79.3	68.0	78.1	73.1	63.9	77.1	70.5	$13,284	$390	$12,098
Cane Creek Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	1500 West Jackson Street	Cookeville	38501	Putnam County	Putnam County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(931) 520-1173	432	32	13.7	53.5%	345 (79.9%)	9 (2.1%)	70 (16.2%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.4%)	54	450^th of 1019 public elementary schools	55.8%		57.3	390^th of 1009 public elementary schools	61.3%	60	50.7	64.8	57.9	37.7	40.8	39.3	33.3	56.3	45.0	$14,481	$1,424	$11,767
Northeast Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	575 N Old Kentucky Road	Cookeville	38501	Putnam County	Putnam County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(931) 526-2978	453	31	14.7	53.6%	327 (72.2%)	10 (2.2%)	103 (22.7%)	5 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (1.8%)	70.2	250^th of 1019 public elementary schools	75.5%		68.7	251^st of 1009 public elementary schools	75.1%	1	55.6	70.6	63.7	41.7	61.2	52.2	40.3	63.5	52.9	$13,119	$831	$11,384
Algood Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	2525 Old Walton Road	Cookeville	38506	Putnam County	Putnam County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(931) 303-0362	507	38	13.2	46.7%	435 (85.8%)	15 (3.0%)	45 (8.9%)	10 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	82.9	135^th of 1019 public elementary schools	86.8%		82.3	140^th of 1009 public elementary schools	86.1%	5	77.9	72.3	75.0	50.5	71.3	61.2	52.6	65.3	59.2	$14,165	$745	$12,499
Park View School	Public	PK, KG-4	2000 Lee Seminary Road	Cookeville	38506	Putnam County	Putnam County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(931) 526-2516	422	29	14.5	51.9%	317 (75.1%)	18 (4.3%)	79 (18.7%)	5 (1.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	62.5	340^th of 1019 public elementary schools	66.6%		57	396^th of 1009 public elementary schools	60.8%	56	67.7	44.8	56.1	49.2	47.8	48.5	50.8	50.7	50.8	$15,140	$1,144	$12,933
Prescott South Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	115 W. Cemetery Road	Cookeville	38506	Putnam County	Putnam County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(931) 526-2275	545	35	15.5	37.6%	477 (87.5%)	5 (0.9%)	43 (7.9%)	4 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (2.9%)	84.4	123^rd of 1019 public elementary schools	87.9%		86.2	114^th of 1009 public elementary schools	88.7%	9	63.1	74.3	68.4	60.4	66.0	63.0	56.8	64.4	60.4	$12,811	$897	$11,192
Cornerstone Elementary School	Public	2-4	371 First Avenue South	Baxter	38544	Putnam County	Putnam County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(931) 858-9190	367	26	14.3	54.2%	339 (92.4%)	5 (1.4%)	14 (3.8%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	7 (1.9%)	77.1	179^th of 1019 public elementary schools	82.4%		57.2	392^nd of 1009 public elementary schools	61.1%	213	65.7	70.0	67.6	56.7	53.6	55.3	56.4	53.6	55.1	$13,480	$998	$11,709
Baxter Primary School	Public	PK, KG-1	125 Elmore Town Road	Baxter	38544	Putnam County	Putnam County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(931) 858-3110	352	22	16.3	47.7%	317 (90.1%)	11 (3.1%)	15 (4.3%)	3 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	5 (1.4%)								(n/a)										$16,234	$756	$14,058

Frequently Asked Questions about Jere Whitson Elementary School

What schools do graduates of Jere Whitson Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Jere Whitson Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Avery Trace Middle School
High : Cookeville High School
High : Putnam County Adult High School

How many students attend Jere Whitson Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 339 students attended Jere Whitson Elementary School.

What district is Jere Whitson Elementary School in?

Putnam County Schools

Is Jere Whitson Elementary School a good school?

Jere Whitson Elementary School ranks 651^st of 1019 Tennessee elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Jere Whitson Elementary School?

Students at Jere Whitson Elementary School are 66% Hispanic, 29% White, 3% African American, 2% Asian.

Rate Jere Whitson Elementary School!

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Latest Tennessee data All new data »

2025–26 TNReady test scoresAug 25, 2026

2024–25 dropout ratesApr 2, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataFeb 27, 2026

2024–25 attendance dataDec 18, 2025

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Tennessee Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.