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Sullivan Heights Middle School

Q: Is Sullivan Heights Middle School a good school?

Sullivan Heights Middle School ranks 303 rd of 594 Tennessee middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

303^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 594 Tennessee Middle Schools

Better than 49% of Tennessee middle schools

Summary

Sullivan Heights Middle School is a public school in Kingsport, TN, serving 630 students in grades 6–8 as part of Sullivan County Schools. Overall, the school sits slightly below the state average in most subjects, with a state ranking that has bounced around from the 53rd percentile in 2022–2023 to the 49th percentile in 2025–2026, earning 2 stars this past year. While it spends a relatively high amount per student (over $13,000), its academic results lag many nearby schools, especially those in the adjacent city districts.

The school has some clear bright spots, particularly in advanced math. In 2025–2026, 84.4% of students taking Algebra I scored proficient—far above the district and state averages—but this stands in stark contrast to 8th grade math, where only 9.7% of students scored proficient versus 38.3% statewide. That divide suggests a strong accelerated program for a select group while many other 8th graders struggle. There are also notable strengths in 6th grade math (42.4% proficient) and 7th grade science, ELA, and social studies. However, chronic absenteeism is a persistent issue, running at 22.6% compared to 18.3% statewide, and female students consistently rank lower than male students in statewide subgroup comparisons.

Compared to nearby schools, the picture is mixed. Sullivan Central Middle School outperforms Sullivan Heights across nearly every subject, while Sullivan East Middle School lags behind. The gap is far larger when looking at city-run schools: Ross N. Robinson Middle School and John Sevier Middle School (both in Kingsport City Schools) post math and ELA scores roughly 20 points higher, and Liberty Bell Middle School and Indian Trail Middle School (in Johnson City Schools) are top-ranked with far lower absenteeism. The bottom line: Sullivan Heights has pockets of excellence, but tackling absenteeism and the steep decline in 8th grade math would be key to improving its standing.

630

Students ?

15.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$13,261

Per pupil spending ?

1236 Moreland Drive
Kingsport, TN 37664

(423) 354-1300

District: Sullivan County Schools

Racial breakdown:

White:

92.4%

Hispanic:

3.0%

Two or more races:

2.9%

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At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 53rd percentile in 2023 → 49th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Tennessee average (39% vs 44% meeting standards)

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

!Mathematics scores 11 pts below the Tennessee average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school39%

District avg41%

Tennessee avg44%

303^rd of 594

Tennessee public middle schools ?

Bottom 49%▼ down 4 pts since 2023

From top 47% (2023) to bottom 49% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Tennessee Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 3Middle Schools in the Sullivan County Schools

63^rd of 141Sullivan 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	47.6	303 of 594	49.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	54.7	235 of 583	59.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	44.8	316 of 587	46.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	49.6	277 of 594	53.4%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2025	48.4	283 of 546	48.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	35.7	358 of 554	35.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	41.1	316 of 560	43.6%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2023	48.9	123 of 285	56.8%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	42.7	271 of 478	43.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	46.1	253 of 490	48.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	36.2	320 of 510	37.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	46.2	247 of 514	51.9%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2025	57.8	204 of 550	62.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	52.6	233 of 560	58.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	56.2	214 of 557	61.6%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	30.8	244 of 349	30.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	24.7	267 of 332	19.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	30.2	214 of 299	28.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	28.1	217 of 288	24.7%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	32.3	352 of 494	28.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	40.1	286 of 492	41.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	31.8	346 of 504	31.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	37.3	312 of 503	38.0%	★★☆☆☆

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)63rd percentile+3 vs school

Hispanic (2023)57th percentile+3 vs school

Female (2025)48th percentile-12 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)43rd percentile-6 vs school

Special Education (2026)30th percentile-19 vs school

White (2026)29th percentile-20 vs school

By subject vs Tennessee (2025-2026) ?

Algebra I84%+52 vs state

Social Studies45%-6 vs state

Science42%-5 vs state

English Language Arts34%-7 vs state

Mathematics32%-11 vs state

★

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Schools Near Sullivan Heights 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 5th Grade	TNReady Mathematics 6th Grade	TNReady Mathematics 7th Grade	TNReady Mathematics 8th Grade	TNReady Mathematics All Grades	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 7th Grade	TNReady Algebra I 8th Grade	TNReady Algebra I All Grades	TNReady Geometry 7th Grade	TNReady Geometry 8th Grade	TNReady Geometry All Grades	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
Sullivan Heights Middle School	Public	6-8	1236 Moreland Drive	Kingsport	37664	Sullivan County	Sullivan County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(423) 354-1300	646	41	15.7		606 (93.8%)	9 (1.4%)	18 (2.8%)	3 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (1.4%)	47.6	303^rd of 594 public middle schools	49.0%		54.7	235^th of 583 public middle schools	59.7%	68		42.4	37.0	9.7	32.0		30.3	37.0	33.0	33.7		84.4	84.4					34.8	53.2	34.5	41.8	43.9	51.1	39.5	45.4	$13,261	$843	$11,621
Ross N. Robinson Middle School	Public	6-8	1517 Jessee Street	Kingsport	37664	Sullivan County	Kingsport City Schools	No	No	No	No	(423) 378-2200	930	62	15.1	46.7%	748 (80.4%)	30 (3.2%)	60 (6.5%)	16 (1.7%)	5 (0.5%)	1 (0.1%)	70 (7.5%)	85.1	60^th of 594 public middle schools	89.9%		84.1	61^st of 583 public middle schools	89.5%	1		59.7	46.6	53.2	53.6		56.4	48.2	49.3	51.3	≥ 95%	≥ 95%	≥ 95%		≥ 95%	≥ 95%		67.1	62.6	60.8	63.5	67.3	71.0	63.2	67.2	$13,302	$697	$11,964
John Sevier Middle School	Public	6-8	1200 Wateree Street	Kingsport	37660	Sullivan County	Kingsport City Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(423) 378-2450	799	59	13.6		570 (71.3%)	55 (6.9%)	68 (8.5%)	8 (1.0%)	4 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	94 (11.8%)	71.1	144^th of 594 public middle schools	75.8%		60.1	202^nd of 583 public middle schools	65.4%	58		58.8	36.1	37.8	44.6		52.9	40.0	35.7	42.7	≥ 95%	84.2	92.9		93.8	93.8		53.4	56.5	54.6	54.8	56.5	64.7	56.2	59.0	$14,291	$1,370	$12,231
Sullivan Central Middle School	Public	6-8	131 Shipley Ferry Road	Blountville	37617	Sullivan County	Sullivan County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(423) 354-1200	594	39	15.2		566 (95.3%)	5 (0.8%)	10 (1.7%)	2 (0.3%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (1.5%)	61.3	207^th of 594 public middle schools	65.2%		57.8	220^th of 583 public middle schools	62.3%	13		39.3	44.1	37.8	40.2		41.0	44.4	33.3	39.0		85.2	85.2					46.7	52.7	44.3	47.5	51.3	58.1	49.6	52.6	$13,175	$1,354	$10,895
Church Hill Middle School	Public	5-8	211 Oak Drive	Church Hill	37642	Hawkins County	Hawkins County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(423) 357-3051	347	25	13.8	50.3%	316 (91.1%)	1 (0.3%)	16 (4.6%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (3.5%)	53.4	268^th of 594 public middle schools	54.9%		52.4	252^nd of 583 public middle schools	56.8%	16	37.3	41.9	33.5	28.6	35.1	41.0	37.6	29.8	26.5	33.5							40.4	47.5	50.0	41.1	44.7	49.2	65.2	51.8	55.0	$12,098	$909	$10,425
Indian Trail Middle School	Public	6-8	307 Car Mol Drive	Johnson City	37601	Washington County	Johnson City Schools	No	No	No	No	(423) 610-6000	797	53	14.9	52.0%	564 (70.8%)	76 (9.5%)	89 (11.2%)	17 (2.1%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	50 (6.3%)	90.3	42^nd of 594 public middle schools	92.9%		89	47^th of 583 public middle schools	91.9%	5		59.9	62.1	60.9	61.0		57.5	60.2	50.7	56.5		≥ 95%	≥ 95%					72.9	67.6	61.7	67.7	71.3	79.7	58.4	70.5	$13,786	$434	$12,895
Liberty Bell Middle School	Public	6-8	718 Morningside Drive	Johnson City	37604	Washington County	Johnson City Schools	No	No	No	No	(423) 232-2179	937	61	15.3	49.2%	623 (66.5%)	66 (7.0%)	139 (14.8%)	34 (3.6%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	74 (7.9%)	89.9	43^rd of 594 public middle schools	92.8%		90.1	43^rd of 583 public middle schools	92.6%			68.2	52.5	53.8	58.4		67.7	46.0	52.4	55.3		≥ 95%	≥ 95%					74.7	66.0	69.6	70.0	81.5	71.9	68.8	74.1	$12,476	$637	$11,373
Sullivan East Middle School	Public	6-8	4500 Weaver PIKE	Bluff City	37618	Sullivan County	Sullivan County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(423) 354-1000	565	36	15.6		526 (93.1%)	2 (0.4%)	20 (3.5%)	4 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (2.3%)	26.5	453^rd of 594 public middle schools	23.7%		26.6	445^th of 583 public middle schools	23.7%	8		23.4	28.9	8.9	21.4		28.7	28.9	17.0	25.0		39.3	39.3					29.8	34.1	27.1	30.5	30.3	42.2	35.5	36.2	$12,510	$788	$10,935
Surgoinsville Middle School	Public	5-8	1044 Main Street	Surgoinsville	37873	Hawkins County	Hawkins County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(423) 345-2252	259	19	13.6	66.8%	238 (91.9%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (5.4%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.3%)	57	238^th of 594 public middle schools	59.9%		57.5	222^nd of 583 public middle schools	61.9%	16	48.6	38.1	27.1	32.1	37.1	54.3	42.2	37.3	32.7	42.3							50.0	41.3	64.4	39.3	48.8	62.5	71.2	35.7	57.0	$14,946	$927	$13,050
Happy Valley Middle School	Public	5-8	163 Warpath Lane	Elizabethton	37643	Carter County	Carter County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(423) 547-4070	361	22	16.7		322 (89.2%)	3 (0.8%)	27 (7.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.5%)	60.6	212^th of 594 public middle schools	64.3%		73.3	125^th of 583 public middle schools	78.6%	87	30.4	33.6	41.5	48.6	38.7	21.7	35.8	36.2	18.7	28.1							31.5	47.3	50.0	57.9	47.1	47.3	70.2	64.5	60.1	$12,441	$1,262	$10,504

Frequently Asked Questions about Sullivan Heights Middle School

What is the racial makeup of Sullivan Heights Middle School?

Students at Sullivan Heights Middle School are 92% White, 3% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races, 1% African American.

How many students attend Sullivan Heights Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 630 students attended Sullivan Heights Middle School.

Is Sullivan Heights Middle School a good school?

Sullivan Heights Middle School ranks 303^rd of 594 Tennessee middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What district is Sullivan Heights Middle School in?

Sullivan County Schools

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TNTennessee Middle School Rankings

TNTennessee District Rankings

Schools in Kingsport, TN

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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.