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Whitworth-Buchanan Middle School

Q: Is Whitworth-Buchanan Middle School a good school?

Whitworth-Buchanan Middle School ranks 125 th of 594 Tennessee middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

125^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 594 Tennessee Middle Schools

Better than 79% of Tennessee middle schools

Summary

Whitworth-Buchanan Middle School in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, serves 755 students in grades 6–8 and is part of Rutherford County Schools, a district ranked 44th out of 141 Tennessee districts. The school has emerged as a genuine turnaround story: after ranking in the 23rd percentile just a few years ago (one star in 2018–19), it now holds a 4-star rating and ranks 125th of 594 Tennessee middle schools, placing it in the 79th percentile. This improvement has been sustained since 2022–23, with the school consistently ranking in the 74th percentile or higher.

Mathematics is the school's clearest academic strength. In 2025–26, 56.1% of students were proficient in math, comfortably above the district rate of 53.6% and the state rate of 43.0%. Sixth graders were especially strong, with 66.3% proficiency in math and 62.7% in English language arts. However, ELA is the school's primary weakness overall, with just 42.3% proficiency compared to the district's 47.0%. The 7th and 8th grade ELA rates are particularly concerning—37.8% and 34.4%, respectively. When compared to nearby schools, Whitworth-Buchanan trails top-tier peers like Stewarts Creek Middle School (55.9% ELA) and Rockvale Middle School (52.6% ELA), but outranks schools such as Smyrna Middle School and Cannon County Middle School.

The school's most impressive results come from its work with low-income students, ranking in the 90th percentile statewide for that group. Whitworth-Buchanan also spends more per student ($14,325) than any comparison school, including Siegel Middle School and Blackman Middle School. Two areas warrant attention: the chronic absenteeism rate of 14.3% is above the district average of 11.3%, and the school has room to grow in supporting special education and English learner students. Overall, this is a solidly above-average middle school with strong math instruction and notable equity results—one that could break into the top tier if it can extend its 6th-grade success to the upper grades.

755

Students ?

13.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$14,325

Per pupil spending ?

57.4%

Free/discounted lunch ?

555 Manchester Highway
Murfreesboro, TN 37127

(615) 904-6765

District: Rutherford County Schools

Students who attend Whitworth-Buchanan Middle School usually attend:

High:

Riverdale High School

Feeder schools for Whitworth-Buchanan Middle School:

Elementary:	Buchanan Elementary School
	Kittrell Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

White:

39.3%

Hispanic:

29.9%

African American:

20.1%

See top rated Tennessee middle schools

Compare Whitworth-Buchanan Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 50th percentile in 2015 → 79th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Tennessee average (53% vs 44% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 21% of Tennessee middle schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 29 percentile points since 2015

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school53%

District avg52%

Tennessee avg44%

125^th of 594

Tennessee public middle schools ?

Top 21%▲ up 31 pts since 2017

From bottom 48% (2017) to top 21% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Tennessee Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

6^th of 11Middle Schools in the Rutherford County Schools

44^th of 141Rutherford 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	73.1	125 of 594	79.0%	★★★★☆
2025	68.7	151 of 583	74.1%	★★★★☆
2024	68.0	150 of 587	74.4%	★★★★☆
2023	67.7	157 of 594	73.6%	★★★★☆
2022	58.3	201 of 569	64.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	55.0	216 of 576	62.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	27.2	440 of 574	23.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	42.2	332 of 563	41.0%	★★☆☆☆
2017	49.1	189 of 362	47.8%	★★☆☆☆
2015	55.2	246 of 492	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2014	53.8	226 of 485	53.4%	★★★☆☆
2013	72.9	115 of 475	75.8%	★★★★☆
2012	50.9	254 of 466	45.5%	★★☆☆☆
2011	46.5	271 of 462	41.3%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	72.2	67 of 328	79.6%	★★★★☆
2025	68.2	73 of 312	76.6%	★★★★☆
2024	66.6	72 of 318	77.4%	★★★★☆
2023	58.8	98 of 316	69.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	51.1	103 of 299	65.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	47.8	114 of 277	58.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	23.6	232 of 293	20.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	34.0	176 of 284	38.0%	★★☆☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	16.6	53 of 57	7.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	34.8	49 of 63	22.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	17.4	55 of 62	11.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	13.3	55 of 62	11.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	10.9	52 of 55	5.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	15.2	52 of 58	10.3%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2025	42.8	49 of 100	51.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	46.2	30 of 73	58.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	41.3	25 of 42	40.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	44.7	20 of 39	48.7%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2025	65.4	162 of 546	70.3%	★★★★☆
2024	66.9	145 of 554	73.8%	★★★★☆
2023	69.4	137 of 560	75.5%	★★★★☆
2022	54.6	211 of 552	61.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	56.3	191 of 538	64.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	29.7	400 of 529	24.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2023	36.8	11 of 17	35.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	36.3	29 of 35	17.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	62.8	87 of 302	71.2%	★★★★☆
2025	59.1	99 of 286	65.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	53.7	118 of 285	58.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	67.3	75 of 285	73.7%	★★★★☆
2022	57.3	85 of 275	69.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	59.3	69 of 261	73.6%	★★★★☆
2019	23.0	195 of 228	14.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	37.0	134 of 219	38.8%	★★☆☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2025	57.0	13 of 31	58.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	83.4	3 of 23	87.0%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	77.7	49 of 478	89.7%	★★★★☆
2025	64.4	129 of 490	73.7%	★★★★☆
2024	69.5	87 of 510	82.9%	★★★★☆
2023	62.1	131 of 514	74.5%	★★★★☆
2022	52.9	189 of 495	61.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	49.9	188 of 483	61.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	25.9	392 of 490	20.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	42.8	282 of 481	41.4%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2025	68.0	138 of 550	74.9%	★★★★☆
2024	66.2	149 of 560	73.4%	★★★★☆
2023	63.4	160 of 557	71.3%	★★★★☆
2022	59.0	191 of 540	64.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	50.8	225 of 529	57.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	26.6	400 of 523	23.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	36.5	195 of 349	44.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	30.0	226 of 332	31.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	45.8	119 of 299	60.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	40.2	129 of 288	55.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	31.3	190 of 260	26.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	46.1	92 of 238	61.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	22.8	206 of 222	7.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	54.1	72 of 279	74.2%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	84.0	62 of 494	87.4%	★★★★☆
2025	77.9	79 of 492	83.9%	★★★★☆
2024	79.7	79 of 504	84.3%	★★★★☆
2023	75.1	95 of 503	81.1%	★★★★☆
2022	66.2	122 of 500	75.6%	★★★★☆
2021	64.3	135 of 496	72.8%	★★★★☆
2019	37.3	306 of 484	36.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	49.6	228 of 481	52.6%	★★★☆☆

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)90th percentile+11 vs school

White (2026)87th percentile+8 vs school

African American (2026)80th percentile~ school

Male (2025)75th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2026)71st percentile-8 vs school

Female (2025)70th percentile-4 vs school

Homeless (2025)58th percentile-16 vs school

English Language Learner (2025)51st percentile-23 vs school

Special Education (2026)44th percentile-35 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2023)35th percentile-38 vs school

Asian (2026)7th percentile-72 vs school

By subject vs Tennessee (2025-2026) ?

Social Studies61%+9 vs state

Mathematics56%+13 vs state

Science51%+4 vs state

English Language Arts42%~ state avg

1.8

4 ratings · 2 written reviews

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2★0

1★3

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What people are saying

by a parent
Tuesday, September 11, 2018

horrible authority at that school!!! definitely does not put the childs best interest into consideration... Will cause life long detrimental outcome to these students. Close Quote

by a parent
Friday, February 26, 2016

worse staff ever Close Quote

Schools Near Whitworth-Buchanan Middle 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 Algebra I (2026)		TNReady Geometry (2026)			TNReady Science (2026)				TNReady Social Studies (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	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients (2020)	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 6th Grade	TNReady Mathematics 7th Grade	TNReady Mathematics 8th Grade	TNReady Mathematics All Grades	TNReady English Language Arts 6th Grade	TNReady English Language Arts 7th Grade	TNReady English Language Arts 8th Grade	TNReady English Language Arts All Grades	TNReady Algebra I 8th Grade	TNReady Algebra I All Grades	TNReady Geometry 7th Grade	TNReady Geometry 8th Grade	TNReady Geometry All Grades	TNReady Science 6th Grade	TNReady Science 7th Grade	TNReady Science 8th Grade	TNReady Science All Grades	TNReady Social Studies 6th Grade	TNReady Social Studies 7th Grade	TNReady Social Studies 8th Grade	TNReady Social Studies All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Whitworth-Buchanan Middle School	Public	6-8	555 Manchester Highway	Murfreesboro	37127	Rutherford County	Rutherford County Schools	No	No	No	No	(615) 904-6765	762	58	13.0	57.4%	328 (43.0%)	162 (21.3%)	213 (28.0%)	17 (2.2%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	41 (5.4%)	73.1	125^th of 594 public middle schools	79.0%		68.7	151^st of 583 public middle schools	74.1%	26	66.3	54.2	51.1	56.1	62.7	37.8	34.4	42.3	≥ 95%	≥ 95%				67.5	40.9	52.8	51.4	70.4	65.4	49.4	60.7	$14,325	$565	$13,071
Christiana Middle School	Public	6-8	4675 Shelbyville PIKE	Christiana	37037	Rutherford County	Rutherford County Schools	No	No	No	No	(615) 904-3885	1,080	64	16.8	28.0%	660 (61.1%)	179 (16.6%)	134 (12.4%)	31 (2.9%)	1 (0.1%)	3 (0.3%)	72 (6.7%)	78.6	87^th of 594 public middle schools	85.4%		80.8	80^th of 583 public middle schools	86.3%	7	62.3	51.8	46.2	53.8	46.2	42.9	37.2	42.1	≥ 95%	≥ 95%				60.5	59.1	55.2	58.3	67.8	71.5	56.4	65.3	$11,401	$457	$10,408
Oakland Middle School	Public	6-8	853 DeJarnette Lane	Murfreesboro	37130	Rutherford County	Rutherford County Schools	No	No	No	No	(615) 904-6760	1,151	77	14.9	38.3%	604 (52.5%)	280 (24.3%)	177 (15.4%)	14 (1.2%)	4 (0.3%)	7 (0.6%)	65 (5.6%)	72	138^th of 594 public middle schools	76.8%		73.8	118^th of 583 public middle schools	79.8%	20	54.8	57.9	50.0	54.3	41.5	41.1	37.4	39.8	91.7	91.7				57.3	54.1	53.4	54.7	53.2	59.9	49.1	54.0	$11,712	$349	$10,870
Rockvale Middle School	Public	6-8	6543 Hwy 99	Rockvale	37153	Rutherford County	Rutherford County Schools	No	No	No	No	(615) 904-6745	1,524	83	18.4	29.5%	824 (54.1%)	277 (18.2%)	258 (16.9%)	55 (3.6%)	2 (0.1%)	3 (0.2%)	105 (6.9%)	84.9	61^st of 594 public middle schools	89.7%		83.8	65^th of 583 public middle schools	88.9%	4	44.9	58.1	54.5	52.6	56.8	53.8	46.9	52.6	≥ 95%	≥ 95%				62.9	64.2	58.5	62.0	70.1	74.9	60.3	68.7	$10,400	$297	$9,644
Blackman Middle School	Public	6-8	3945 Blaze Drive	Murfreesboro	37128	Rutherford County	Rutherford County Schools	No	No	No	No	(615) 904-3860	1,661	96	17.3	27.8%	852 (51.3%)	325 (19.6%)	272 (16.4%)	101 (6.1%)	7 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	104 (6.3%)	74.5	112^th of 594 public middle schools	81.1%		77.3	92^nd of 583 public middle schools	84.2%	20	57.6	53.5	44.0	52.1	53.4	46.1	41.0	46.9	≥ 95%	≥ 95%				53.0	54.3	53.5	53.6	57.3	64.2	45.9	55.9	$10,532	$379	$9,732
Siegel Middle School	Public	6-8	355 West Thompson Lane	Murfreesboro	37129	Rutherford County	Rutherford County Schools	No	No	No	No	(615) 904-3830	1,191	68	17.5	26.1%	798 (67.0%)	144 (12.1%)	148 (12.4%)	30 (2.5%)	3 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	68 (5.7%)	83.8	65^th of 594 public middle schools	89.1%		84.8	57^th of 583 public middle schools	90.2%	8	56.7	59.2	53.3	56.5	60.0	52.5	44.5	52.2	≥ 95%	≥ 95%				61.5	61.2	56.8	59.8	67.9	66.7	55.8	63.3	$11,091	$387	$10,224
Cascade Middle School	Public	6-8	1165 Bell Buckle Wartrace Road	Wartrace	37183	Bedford County	Bedford County Schools	No	No	No	No	(931) 389-9389	379	29	12.9		295 (77.8%)	11 (2.9%)	50 (13.2%)	4 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (5.0%)	75.6	108^th of 594 public middle schools	81.8%		75.4	105^th of 583 public middle schools	82.0%	3	60.5	53.3	64.5	59.0	43.5	39.3	34.3	39.2						56.1	57.0	47.7	54.0	54.1	74.8	57.0	62.6	$12,553	$1,218	$10,504
Cannon County Middle School	Public	6-8	511 Annie Cox Drive	Woodbury	37190	Cannon County	Cannon County Schools	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(629) 218-3220	405	22	18.6		362 (89.4%)	5 (1.2%)	19 (4.7%)	3 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	14 (3.5%)	34.9	406^th of 594 public middle schools	31.6%		18.1	488^th of 583 public middle schools	16.3%	82	30.2	27.0	22.7	26.4	38.7	27.0	20.3	28.1						49.1	37.3	20.3	34.7	46.2	42.9	35.2	41.1	$10,233	$1,070	$8,682
Stewarts Creek Middle School	Public	6-8	400 Red Hawk Parkway	Smyrna	37167	Rutherford County	Rutherford County Schools	No	No	No	No	(615) 904-6700	1,010	62	16.4	29.1%	634 (62.8%)	114 (11.3%)	164 (16.2%)	46 (4.6%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.2%)	49 (4.9%)	90.4	41^st of 594 public middle schools	93.1%		91.4	38^th of 583 public middle schools	93.5%	3	71.5	66.5	65.3	68.0	58.9	55.3	53.4	55.9	≥ 95%	≥ 95%				66.1	65.6	59.1	63.7	72.6	75.3	59.4	69.2	$11,239	$325	$10,375
Smyrna Middle School	Public	6-8	712 Hazelwood Drive	Smyrna	37167	Rutherford County	Rutherford County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(615) 904-3845	877	80	10.9	65.3%	251 (28.6%)	126 (14.4%)	407 (46.4%)	54 (6.2%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.3%)	36 (4.1%)	47	309^th of 594 public middle schools	48.0%		43.4	330^th of 583 public middle schools	43.4%	21	41.3	33.5	32.0	36.0	30.0	23.7	31.0	28.3	≥ 95%	≥ 95%				38.8	30.2	45.9	38.2	54.2	55.2	47.9	52.6	$13,487	$699	$12,069

Frequently Asked Questions about Whitworth-Buchanan Middle School

How many students attend Whitworth-Buchanan Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 755 students attended Whitworth-Buchanan Middle School.

What district is Whitworth-Buchanan Middle School in?

Rutherford County Schools

What high school do graduates of Whitworth-Buchanan Middle School attend?

Students who attend Whitworth-Buchanan Middle School usually go on to attend Riverdale High School

Is Whitworth-Buchanan Middle School a good school?

Whitworth-Buchanan Middle School ranks 125^th of 594 Tennessee middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Whitworth-Buchanan Middle School?

Students at Whitworth-Buchanan Middle School are 39% White, 30% Hispanic, 20% African American, 7% Two or more races, 3% Asian.

Rate Whitworth-Buchanan Middle 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.