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Carthage Elementary School

Q: Is Carthage Elementary School a good school?

Carthage Elementary School ranks 737 th of 1019 Tennessee elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-4

737^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,019 Tennessee Elementary Schools

Better than 28% of Tennessee elementary schools

Summary

Carthage Elementary School serves 465 students in grades PK–4 in Carthage, Tennessee, within the Smith County Schools district. The school earned a 1-star rating for 2025–2026, ranking 737th out of 1,019 Tennessee elementary schools — a notable decline from earlier years when it typically placed in the 40th–60th percentile range.

Academically, Carthage trails its district and state on nearly every measure. Math proficiency is 37.8% (district: 47.7%), English language arts is 33.6% (district: 41.2%), and science fell sharply from 49.1% to 36.4% in just one year. Third-grade reading is a particular worry, with only 29.0% of students reading proficiently compared to the district's 44.0%. By 4th grade, ELA improves to 37.8% but still lags significantly, suggesting students are not gaining momentum as they move through the early grades.

There are important positives: chronic absenteeism is just 8.8%, well below the state average of 18.3%, and per-pupil spending is high at $13,775. Interestingly, nearby schools like Gordonsville Elementary School and Defeated Elementary School achieve well above 50% proficiency in all core subjects while spending less, all within the same district. That gap shows that strong outcomes are possible in this community, and Carthage's low absenteeism and solid funding provide a foundation for a turnaround.

465

Students ?

15.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$13,775

Per pupil spending ?

29.5%

Directly certified for free meals (2024-25) ?

149 Skyline Drive
Carthage, TN 37030

(615) 735-0433

District: Smith County Schools

Students who attend Carthage Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Smith County Middle School
High:	Gordonsville High School
	Smith County High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

81.1%

Two or more races:

8.6%

Hispanic:

6.9%

See top rated Tennessee elementary schools

Compare Carthage Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 41st percentile in 2015 → 28th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Tennessee average (36% vs 43% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped — down 13 percentile points since 2015

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school36%

District avg47%

Tennessee avg43%

737^th of 1,019

Tennessee public elementary schools ?

Bottom 28%▼ down 22 pts since 2017

From top 50% (2017) to bottom 28% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Tennessee Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

5^th of 5Elementary Schools in the Smith County Schools

45^th of 141Smith 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	31.9	737 of 1019	27.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	45.5	534 of 1009	47.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	41.1	601 of 1018	41.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	53.4	432 of 1020	57.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	50.9	451 of 1000	54.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	46.4	482 of 983	51.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	58.9	327 of 985	66.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	57.0	360 of 997	63.9%	★★★☆☆
2017	47.6	324 of 646	49.8%	★★★☆☆
2015	47.9	505 of 855	40.9%	★★☆☆☆
2014	53.3	390 of 853	54.3%	★★★☆☆
2013	46.0	587 of 846	30.6%	★★☆☆☆
2012	24.6	696 of 820	15.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	45.0	494 of 818	39.6%	★★☆☆☆
2010	49.3	436 of 809	46.1%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2025	32.5	693 of 986	29.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	33.5	677 of 990	31.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	41.0	568 of 989	42.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	48.9	461 of 975	52.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	44.6	491 of 945	48.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	49.9	423 of 926	54.3%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	29.0	638 of 823	22.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	48.1	428 of 843	49.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	45.6	445 of 853	47.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	54.4	336 of 865	61.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	68.0	186 of 858	78.3%	★★★★☆
2021	71.5	121 of 823	85.3%	★★★★☆
2019	63.4	196 of 821	76.1%	★★★★☆
2018	65.4	200 of 877	77.2%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2025	58.3	356 of 984	63.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	49.2	480 of 991	51.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	64.6	271 of 987	72.5%	★★★★☆
2022	50.7	430 of 980	56.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	45.9	456 of 941	51.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	62.7	261 of 916	71.5%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	32.1	440 of 641	31.4%	★★☆☆☆
2025	47.8	242 of 618	60.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	28.9	432 of 582	25.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	53.6	164 of 528	68.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	25.9	360 of 447	19.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	43.8	178 of 369	51.8%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	22.4	726 of 849	14.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	34.5	557 of 840	33.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	31.3	609 of 847	28.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	39.0	518 of 852	39.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	43.5	451 of 844	46.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	35.0	561 of 844	33.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	47.5	386 of 812	52.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	41.8	478 of 841	43.2%	★★☆☆☆

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)

Male (2025)64th percentile+17 vs school

Special Education (2026)31st percentile+4 vs school

Female (2025)30th percentile-17 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)22nd percentile-5 vs school

White (2026)14th percentile-13 vs school

By subject vs Tennessee (2025-2026) ?

Mathematics38%-5 vs state

Science36%-10 vs state

English Language Arts34%-7 vs state

★

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Schools Near Carthage 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 Algebra I (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	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 5th Grade	TNReady Mathematics 6th Grade	TNReady Mathematics 7th Grade	TNReady Mathematics 8th Grade	TNReady Mathematics All Grades	TNReady English Language Arts 3rd Grade	TNReady English Language Arts 4th Grade	TNReady English Language Arts 5th Grade	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 Science 3rd Grade	TNReady Science 4th Grade	TNReady Science 5th Grade	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
Carthage Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	149 Skyline Drive	Carthage	37030	Smith County	Smith County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(615) 735-0433	424	27	15.4	29.5%	350 (82.5%)	11 (2.6%)	25 (5.9%)	5 (1.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (7.5%)	31.9	737^th of 1019 public elementary schools	27.7%		45.5	534^th of 1009 public elementary schools	47.1%	203	37.7	37.8					37.8	29.0	37.8					33.6			34.8	37.8					36.4					$13,775	$1,236	$11,486
Forks River Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	611 Cookeville Highway	Elmwood	38560	Smith County	Smith County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(615) 897-2676	220	16	13.9	21.6%	205 (93.2%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (3.6%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.7%)	39.8	635^th of 1019 public elementary schools	37.7%		54.6	423^rd of 1009 public elementary schools	58.1%	212	22.7	31.8	38.1	43.8	62.1	70.6	44.9	40.9	36.4	33.3	43.8	65.5	17.6	41.7			54.5	45.5	47.6	25.0	62.1	52.9	49.6	6.3	82.8	58.8	56.5	$12,818	$880	$10,841
Gordonsville Elementary School	Public	3-6	104 Main Street East	Gordonsville	38563	Smith County	Smith County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(615) 683-8252	312	18	17.3	22.2%	281 (90.1%)	3 (1.0%)	15 (4.8%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	10 (3.2%)	75.4	194^th of 1019 public elementary schools	81.0%		74.7	196^th of 1009 public elementary schools	80.6%	2	53.3	64.3	68.3	42.1			54.8	58.7	67.1	45.0	36.4			50.3			60.0	75.7	55.0	57.9			61.9	66.4			66.4	$11,865	$691	$10,249
Defeated Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	451 Defeated Creek Highway	Carthage	37030	Smith County	Smith County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(615) 774-3150	260	20	13.2	12.8%	242 (93.1%)	2 (0.8%)	8 (3.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (3.1%)	58.3	391^st of 1019 public elementary schools	61.6%		88.1	98^th of 1009 public elementary schools	90.3%	293	40.7	40.0	37.5	50.0	57.1	54.8	47.0	59.3	50.0	37.5	57.7	60.7	38.7	50.6			51.9	33.3	41.7	65.4	64.3	48.4	50.6	53.8	71.4	64.5	63.5	$12,018	$675	$10,452
New Middleton Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-2	402 New Middleton Highway	Gordonsville	38563	Smith County	Smith County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(615) 683-8411	237	16	14.8	20.0%	203 (85.7%)	3 (1.3%)	7 (3.0%)	4 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (8.4%)								(n/a)																												$13,655	$796	$11,733
Union Heights Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	663 Lebanon Highway	Carthage	37030	Smith County	Smith County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(615) 735-1975	242	18	13.6	18.3%	208 (86.0%)	3 (1.2%)	21 (8.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (4.1%)	45.5	558^th of 1019 public elementary schools	45.2%		54.3	427^th of 1009 public elementary schools	57.7%	131	25.0	37.5	50.0	61.9	42.1	46.4	42.6	31.3	41.7	25.0	33.3	31.6	28.6	31.8			34.4	54.2	45.8	57.1	31.6	35.7	42.6	52.4	36.8	28.6	38.2	$11,589	$604	$9,957
Tuckers Crossroads Elementary School	Public	K-8	5905 Trousdale Ferry PIKE	Lebanon	37087	Wilson County	Wilson County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(615) 444-3956	368	32	11.5	17.6%	291 (79.1%)	9 (2.4%)	52 (14.1%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (3.8%)	67.5	283^rd of 1019 public elementary schools	72.2%		69.9	237^th of 1009 public elementary schools	76.5%	46	27.5	62.5	65.4	59.1	59.0	77.8	55.5	45.1	53.8	57.7	56.8	41.0	43.3	49.3			33.3	70.0	61.5	59.1	59.0	70.0	57.0	54.5	76.9	66.7	65.5	$14,776	$1,125	$12,849
Trousdale County Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	115 Lock Six Road	Hartsville	37074	Trousdale County	Trousdale County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(615) 374-3752	693	46	14.9	24.7%	564 (81.4%)	46 (6.6%)	52 (7.5%)	1 (0.1%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (3.9%)	63	328^th of 1019 public elementary schools	67.8%		63.5	322^nd of 1009 public elementary schools	68.1%	6	56.2	62.1	40.7				53.2	53.3	62.1	38.9				51.7			44.8	61.2	37.0				48.0					$11,448	$985	$9,525
Watertown Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	741 West Main Street	Watertown	37184	Wilson County	Wilson County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(615) 237-3821	565	38	14.8	20.6%	480 (85.0%)	15 (2.7%)	37 (6.5%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	28 (5.0%)	69.9	254^th of 1019 public elementary schools	75.1%		57.1	394^th of 1009 public elementary schools	61.0%	140	57.7	59.6	57.1				58.1	44.3	57.3	51.2				50.7			51.5	56.2	52.4				53.3					$12,021	$869	$10,507
Gainesboro Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-3	611 Main Street	Gainesboro	38562	Jackson County	Jackson County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(931) 268-9775	331	24	13.7	35.9%	312 (94.3%)	4 (1.2%)	9 (2.7%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	1 (0.3%)	3 (0.9%)	74	205^th of 1019 public elementary schools	79.9%		64.3	312^th of 1009 public elementary schools	69.1%	107	62.5						62.5	50.0						50.0			52.4						52.4					$12,948	$1,390	$10,536

Frequently Asked Questions about Carthage Elementary School

What district is Carthage Elementary School in?

Smith County Schools

What is the racial makeup of Carthage Elementary School?

Students at Carthage Elementary School are 81% White, 9% Two or more races, 7% Hispanic, 2% African American.

How many students attend Carthage Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 465 students attended Carthage Elementary School.

What schools do graduates of Carthage Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Carthage Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Smith County Middle School
High : Gordonsville High School
High : Smith County High School

Is Carthage Elementary School a good school?

Carthage Elementary School ranks 737^th of 1019 Tennessee elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Rate Carthage 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.