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Defeated Elementary School

Q: Is Defeated Elementary School a good school?

Defeated Elementary School ranks 391 st of 1019 Tennessee elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-8

391^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,019 Tennessee Elementary Schools

Better than 62% of Tennessee elementary schools

Summary

Defeated Elementary School is a small rural PK-8 school in Carthage, TN, serving 288 students as part of Smith County Schools, a solidly above-average Tennessee district. The school has followed a volatile but generally upward path over the past decade, peaking as a top-100 school statewide with a 5-star rating in 2024-25 before dropping to a 3-star rating and the 62nd percentile in 2025-26. Even after that decline, Defeated remains above state averages in all four tested subjects — math, English language arts, science, and social studies — with ELA proficiency at 50.6% (vs. 40.6% statewide) and social studies at 63.5% (vs. 51.4%).

Attendance is one of the school's standout strengths: only 5.6% of students were chronically absent in 2024-25, far better than the 18.3% statewide rate and even the 14.3% rate at nearby Trousdale County Elementary School. Defeated also leads its fellow Smith County PK-8 schools, outperforming Union Heights Elementary School and Forks River Elementary School in every subject at the all-grades level. The middle grades are especially strong — 7th graders exceed state averages by wide margins in math, ELA, science, and social studies. The school even outperformed Gordonsville Elementary School, the county's current top-rated elementary school, across all subjects in 2024-25.

The clearest area for improvement is early-elementary math and science. In grades 3-5, Defeated falls below state averages in both subjects — 4th grade science is 33.3% vs. 50.1% statewide — before jumping well above state averages in grades 6-8. The school also has an equity gap: its economically disadvantaged students have historically ranked below the state median even as overall outcomes stayed strong. Given its small enrollment, year-to-year ranking swings are inevitable, but Defeated delivers solid results for its spending level ($12,018 per student, below several nearby schools). The next step is stabilizing performance by strengthening grades 3-5 math and science and ensuring all students share equally in the school's success.

288

Students ?

13.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$12,018

Per pupil spending ?

48.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

451 Defeated Creek Highway
Carthage, TN 37030

(615) 774-3150

District: Smith County Schools

Students who attend Defeated Elementary School usually attend:

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

Racial breakdown:

White:

92.4%

Two or more races:

4.2%

Hispanic:

2.1%

See top rated Tennessee elementary schools

Compare Defeated Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Recently slipping — 90th percentile in 2025 → 62nd in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Tennessee average (51% vs 45% meeting standards)

✓Above the Tennessee median (62nd percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped from its 90th-percentile peak (2025) to 62nd (2026)

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school51%

District avg49%

Tennessee avg45%

Elementary school

391^st of 1,019

Tennessee public elementary schools ?

Top 38%▲ up 16 pts since 2018

From bottom 46% (2018) to top 38% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Tennessee Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

76^th of 594

Tennessee public middle schools ?

Top 13%▲ up 24 pts since 2018

From top 37% (2018) to top 13% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Tennessee Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd 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)

Elementary school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	58.3	391 of 1019	61.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	88.1	98 of 1009	90.3%	★★★★★
2024	74.8	194 of 1018	80.9%	★★★★☆
2023	68.5	248 of 1020	75.7%	★★★★☆
2022	55.8	387 of 1000	61.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	62.6	276 of 983	71.9%	★★★★☆
2019	58.9	328 of 985	66.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	43.9	541 of 997	45.7%	★★☆☆☆
2015	40.5	600 of 855	29.8%	★★☆☆☆
2014	49.6	443 of 853	48.1%	★★☆☆☆
2013	68.8	263 of 846	68.9%	★★★☆☆
2012	30.2	646 of 820	21.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	60.2	343 of 818	58.1%	★★★☆☆
2010	84.6	108 of 809	86.7%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2025	93.3	48 of 986	95.1%	★★★★★
2024	62.3	306 of 990	69.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	60.0	333 of 989	66.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	44.2	514 of 975	47.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	46.5	462 of 945	51.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	38.9	565 of 926	39.0%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2023	36.8	559 of 865	35.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	29.4	606 of 823	26.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	36.9	584 of 877	33.4%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2025	85.7	106 of 984	89.2%	★★★★☆
2024	79.1	151 of 991	84.8%	★★★★☆
2023	72.7	198 of 987	79.9%	★★★★☆
2022	66.8	238 of 980	75.7%	★★★★☆
2021	76.8	159 of 941	83.1%	★★★★☆
2019	84.4	103 of 916	88.8%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	47.2	424 of 849	50.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	84.2	111 of 840	86.8%	★★★★☆
2024	64.3	242 of 847	71.4%	★★★★☆
2023	59.4	267 of 852	68.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	46.8	407 of 844	51.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	52.8	332 of 844	60.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	46.1	400 of 812	50.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	35.2	566 of 841	32.7%	★★☆☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	81.6	76 of 594	87.2%	★★★★☆
2025	82.8	70 of 583	88.0%	★★★★☆
2024	70.4	133 of 587	77.3%	★★★★☆
2023	69.7	141 of 594	76.3%	★★★★☆
2022	67.3	142 of 569	75.0%	★★★★☆
2021	55.5	212 of 576	63.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	53.8	216 of 574	62.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	56.4	208 of 563	63.1%	★★★☆☆
2015	47.8	304 of 492	38.2%	★★☆☆☆
2014	60.5	175 of 485	63.9%	★★★☆☆
2013	81.9	48 of 475	89.9%	★★★★★
2012	90.1	31 of 466	93.3%	★★★★★
2011	53.6	229 of 462	50.4%	★★★☆☆
2010	66.7	131 of 435	69.9%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2025	74.7	98 of 546	82.1%	★★★★☆
2024	45.9	290 of 554	47.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	48.1	274 of 560	51.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	43.2	309 of 552	44.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	25.8	401 of 538	25.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	42.4	312 of 529	41.0%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2023	36.8	313 of 514	39.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	46.2	254 of 481	47.2%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2025	87.0	48 of 550	91.3%	★★★★★
2024	82.9	62 of 560	88.9%	★★★★☆
2023	78.6	76 of 557	86.4%	★★★★☆
2022	81.1	62 of 540	88.5%	★★★★☆
2021	67.4	112 of 529	78.8%	★★★★☆
2019	54.6	196 of 523	62.5%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	72.1	105 of 494	78.7%	★★★★☆
2025	75.5	91 of 492	81.5%	★★★★☆
2024	61.2	161 of 504	68.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	62.2	158 of 503	68.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	61.4	149 of 500	70.2%	★★★★☆
2021	47.4	235 of 496	52.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	44.6	245 of 484	49.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	50.3	219 of 481	54.5%	★★★☆☆

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)

Elementary school

Female (2025)95th percentile+5 vs school

Male (2025)89th percentile~ school

White (2026)50th percentile-12 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2023)35th percentile-40 vs school

Middle school

Male (2025)91st percentile+3 vs school

Female (2025)82nd percentile-6 vs school

White (2026)79th percentile-8 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2023)39th percentile-37 vs school

By subject vs Tennessee (2025-2026) ?

Social Studies64%+12 vs state

English Language Arts51%+10 vs state

Science51%+4 vs state

Mathematics47%+4 vs state

3.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a parent
Thursday, May 5, 2022

Every other year there is a HUGE class. Instead of splitting the class and putting 16 or 17 students with 1 teacher, they'll have a class of 34 in one room with 2 teachers. The teachers take on teaching different subjects, but each teaches the entire class of 34 students at once. Students get less one-on-one time and teachers don't have time to really get to know each student. So if your student starts Kindergarten in an even number year, a big class is guaranteed until they leave in 8th grade. But if your student starts in an odd number year, they're guaranteed a smaller class through 8th grade. So the kids in the big classes are guaranteed to NEVER get the small group experience. Close Quote

Schools Near Defeated 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)							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 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 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
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	48.1%	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
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	61.3%	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	56.0%	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
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	51.9%	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
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	45.3%	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
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	52.5%	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
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		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
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		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
Red Boiling Springs Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	417 Hillcrest Drive	Red Boiling Springs	37150	Macon County	Macon County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(615) 699-2222	361	21	16.8		312 (86.4%)	3 (0.8%)	37 (10.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.5%)	49.1	505^th of 1019 public elementary schools	50.4%		45.3	536^th of 1009 public elementary schools	46.9%	31	44.4	63.3	47.3				50.9	39.7	49.0	40.0				42.5	34.9	51.0	27.3				37.1					$13,297	$1,626	$10,925
Fairlane Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-1	305 Fairlane Drive	Lafayette	37083	Macon County	Macon County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(615) 666-2970	509	27	18.5		405 (79.6%)	6 (1.2%)	86 (16.9%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	9 (1.8%)								(n/a)																										$13,061	$1,484	$10,722

Frequently Asked Questions about Defeated Elementary School

How many students attend Defeated Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 288 students attended Defeated Elementary School.

Is Defeated Elementary School a good school?

Defeated Elementary School ranks 391^st of 1019 Tennessee elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Defeated Elementary School?

Students at Defeated Elementary School are 92% White, 4% Two or more races, 2% Hispanic.

What district is Defeated Elementary School in?

Smith County Schools

What schools do graduates of Defeated Elementary School attend?

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

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