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J W Wiseman Elementary School

Public Grades PK, KG-5

801^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,019 Tennessee Elementary Schools

Better than 21% of Tennessee elementary schools

Summary

J W Wiseman Elementary School serves 336 students in grades PK–5 in Portland, TN, and is part of the generally strong Sumner County Schools district. However, the school itself is currently facing a serious academic crisis, holding a 1-star state ranking after being a 4-star school just a few years ago.

Wiseman has experienced a steep and unusual performance collapse. In 2022–2023, its math proficiency (53.7%) was nearly identical to the district average (56.6%), but by 2025–2026, math scores plummeted to 27.1% while the district rose to 58.8%. Science and reading scores have also fallen far below district and state averages. Compared to nearby schools, Wiseman now sits near the bottom in every subject. For example, Oakmont Elementary, which spends almost exactly the same amount per student ($18,047 vs. $18,138), is one of the highest-performing schools in the state. Meanwhile, Wiseman's chronic absenteeism rate of 19.4% is the highest in the area and well above the district rate, which is likely a major contributing factor to the academic struggles (Tennessee Department of Education, 2025).

Despite these challenges, Wiseman has notable strengths. It has been highly effective at serving economically disadvantaged students and English Language Learners, ranking in the 80th+ percentile statewide in recent years. Grade-level data shows 3rd grade scores are especially low, suggesting early intervention in reading and math is critical. This is a school with a history of success—it was in the top 25% of Tennessee schools as recently as 2020–2021. With high spending and clear areas of need like absenteeism and early-grade instruction, the challenge for the school is to figure out what has changed and respond quickly to reverse this alarming trend.

336

Students ?

13.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$18,138

Per pupil spending ?

60.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

922 South Broadway
Portland, TN 37148

(615) 325-8580

District: Sumner County Schools

Students who attend J W Wiseman Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Portland East Middle School
High:	Portland High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

59.5%

Hispanic:

29.5%

Two or more races:

7.1%

See top rated Tennessee elementary schools

Compare J W Wiseman Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 65th percentile in 2015 → 21st in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Tennessee average (31% vs 43% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (21st percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 44 percentile points since 2015

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school31%

District avg56%

Tennessee avg43%

801^st of 1,019

Tennessee public elementary schools ?

Bottom 21%▼ down 28 pts since 2017

From bottom 49% (2017) to bottom 21% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Tennessee Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

26^th of 27Elementary Schools in the Sumner County Schools

33^rd of 141Sumner 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	25.3	801 of 1019	21.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	37.4	637 of 1009	36.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	53.9	426 of 1018	58.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	68.9	242 of 1020	76.3%	★★★★☆
2022	73.3	199 of 1000	80.1%	★★★★☆
2021	77.2	157 of 983	84.0%	★★★★☆
2019	59.4	317 of 985	67.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	56.6	367 of 997	63.2%	★★★☆☆
2017	47.3	328 of 646	49.2%	★★☆☆☆
2015	64.8	295 of 855	65.5%	★★★☆☆
2014	40.8	565 of 853	33.8%	★★☆☆☆
2013	42.6	633 of 846	25.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	53.5	410 of 820	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2011	45.5	488 of 818	40.3%	★★☆☆☆
2010	58.4	347 of 809	57.1%	★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2025	56.6	59 of 211	72.0%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2025	42.4	567 of 986	42.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	53.5	400 of 990	59.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	61.2	317 of 989	67.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	62.8	291 of 975	70.2%	★★★★☆
2021	74.4	162 of 945	82.9%	★★★★☆
2019	56.3	354 of 926	61.8%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	38.4	289 of 458	36.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	49.8	190 of 424	55.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	41.5	241 of 415	41.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	46.2	190 of 387	50.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	59.8	113 of 363	68.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	77.1	45 of 324	86.1%	★★★★☆
2019	55.6	76 of 250	69.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	38.5	200 of 319	37.3%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	58.7	282 of 823	65.7%	★★★☆☆
2025	71.4	134 of 843	84.1%	★★★★☆
2024	72.1	141 of 853	83.5%	★★★★☆
2023	65.3	221 of 865	74.5%	★★★★☆
2022	89.8	29 of 858	96.6%	★★★★★
2021	88.6	30 of 823	96.4%	★★★★★
2019	58.8	253 of 821	69.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	70.2	135 of 877	84.6%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2025	33.8	671 of 984	31.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	51.7	443 of 991	55.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	71.8	202 of 987	79.5%	★★★★☆
2022	79.2	144 of 980	85.3%	★★★★☆
2021	72.2	186 of 941	80.2%	★★★★☆
2019	59.8	294 of 916	67.9%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2022	81.2	47 of 447	89.5%	★★★★☆
2018	51.2	142 of 395	64.1%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	13.1	801 of 849	5.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	27.9	644 of 840	23.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	49.7	390 of 847	54.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	71.5	176 of 852	79.3%	★★★★☆
2022	70.4	179 of 844	78.8%	★★★★☆
2021	68.1	190 of 844	77.5%	★★★★☆
2019	50.3	344 of 812	57.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	57.3	293 of 841	65.2%	★★★☆☆

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)

Special Education (2022)89th percentile+9 vs school

English Language Learner (2025)72nd percentile+35 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)66th percentile+44 vs school

Female (2025)42nd percentile+6 vs school

Hispanic (2026)37th percentile+16 vs school

Male (2025)32nd percentile-5 vs school

White (2026)6th percentile-16 vs school

By subject vs Tennessee (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts34%-7 vs state

Science31%-16 vs state

Mathematics27%-16 vs state

★

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Schools Near J W Wiseman 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 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 All Grades	TNReady Science 3rd Grade	TNReady Science 4th Grade	TNReady Science 5th Grade	TNReady Science 6th Grade	TNReady Science All Grades	TNReady Social Studies 6th Grade	TNReady Social Studies All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
J W Wiseman Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	922 South Broadway	Portland	37148	Sumner County	Sumner County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(615) 325-8580	386	30	13.0	60.5%	257 (66.6%)	14 (3.6%)	94 (24.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (5.4%)	25.3	801^st of 1019 public elementary schools	21.4%		37.4	637^th of 1009 public elementary schools	36.9%	164	20.0	34.1	28.0		27.1	24.0	46.7	32.0		33.8	20.0	38.6	34.0		30.6			$18,138	$1,275	$14,903
Clyde Riggs Elementary School	Public	K-5	211 Fountain Head Road	Portland	37148	Sumner County	Sumner County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(615) 325-2391	319	21	14.9	51.3%	241 (75.5%)	11 (3.4%)	45 (14.1%)	2 (0.6%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (6.0%)	35	693^rd of 1019 public elementary schools	32.0%		58.9	364^th of 1009 public elementary schools	63.9%	329	18.2	56.3	37.0		37.7	29.5	41.7	39.1		37.0	20.5	37.5	41.3		33.3			$15,383	$953	$13,298
Watt Hardison Elementary School	Public	K-5	300 Gibson Street	Portland	37148	Sumner County	Sumner County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(615) 325-3233	425	27	15.7	54.4%	316 (74.4%)	23 (5.4%)	60 (14.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (6.1%)	50.9	482^nd of 1019 public elementary schools	52.7%		53.6	442^nd of 1009 public elementary schools	56.2%	40	38.9	50.0	47.4		45.4	50.0	50.0	38.5		45.8	43.1	40.9	41.0		41.7			$12,837	$1,161	$10,992
Portland Gateview Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1098 Gateview Drive	Portland	37148	Sumner County	Sumner County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(615) 323-7638	570	41	14.0	53.7%	430 (75.4%)	33 (5.8%)	66 (11.6%)	7 (1.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (5.8%)	34.3	705^th of 1019 public elementary schools	30.8%		31.3	719^th of 1009 public elementary schools	28.7%	14	19.0	34.0	42.7		31.6	32.1	37.5	38.7		36.1	32.1	42.7	46.7		40.4			$14,171	$882	$12,741
Oakmont Elementary School	Public	K-5	3323 Highway 76	Cottontown	37048	Sumner County	Sumner County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(615) 325-5313	136	11	12.2	44.3%	122 (89.7%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (5.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (5.1%)	88.6	101^st of 1019 public elementary schools	90.1%		96.3	38^th of 1009 public elementary schools	96.2%	63	75.0	77.8	77.3		76.9	85.0	72.2	72.7		75.6	50.0	66.7	54.5		59.0			$18,047	$241	$15,708
North Sumner Elementary School	Public	K-5	1485 North Sumner Road	Bethpage	37022	Sumner County	Sumner County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(615) 888-2281	225	17	13.6	53.5%	200 (88.9%)	3 (1.3%)	16 (7.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	5 (2.2%)	57.4	406^th of 1019 public elementary schools	60.2%		68.7	252^nd of 1009 public elementary schools	75.0%	154	34.3	64.3	65.8		55.7	51.4	42.9	42.1		45.2	37.1	41.5	55.3		44.7			$15,022	$1,053	$12,406
East Robertson Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	5177 E Robertson Road	Cross Plains	37049	Robertson County	Robertson County Schools	No	No	No	No	(615) 654-3874	563	36	15.8	44.8%	477 (84.7%)	15 (2.7%)	43 (7.6%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (4.8%)	47.6	522^nd of 1019 public elementary schools	48.8%		48.9	501^st of 1009 public elementary schools	50.3%	21	39.1	46.2	44.1		43.4	40.2	42.7	36.3		39.9	33.7	56.4	45.5		46.1			$14,001	$713	$12,653
White House Heritage Elementary School	Public	3-6	220 West Drive	White House	37188	Robertson County	Robertson County Schools	No	No	No	No	(615) 672-4595	611	39	15.4	33.5%	495 (81.0%)	10 (1.6%)	58 (9.5%)	9 (1.5%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	37 (6.1%)	59.4	372^nd of 1019 public elementary schools	63.5%		58.5	371^st of 1009 public elementary schools	63.2%	1	39.8	51.7	49.0	45.9	46.7	49.4	51.2	47.7	52.8	50.3	41.7	48.8	41.9	47.8	45.1	50.9	50.9	$11,823	$496	$10,753
Harold B. Williams Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-2	115 South Palmer Chapel Road	White House	37188	Robertson County	Sumner County Schools	No	No	No	No	(615) 672-6432	706	44	16.0	25.4%	576 (81.6%)	29 (4.1%)	58 (8.2%)	2 (0.3%)	2 (0.3%)	3 (0.4%)	36 (5.1%)								(n/a)																		$14,273	$541	$13,094
Robert F. Woodall Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-2	300 Eden Way	White House	37188	Robertson County	Robertson County Schools	No	No	No	No	(615) 672-7772	506	36	14.1	28.6%	383 (75.7%)	20 (4.0%)	52 (10.3%)	8 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	43 (8.5%)								(n/a)																		$13,789	$611	$12,460

Frequently Asked Questions about J W Wiseman Elementary School

What is the racial makeup of J W Wiseman Elementary School?

Students at J W Wiseman Elementary School are 60% White, 29% Hispanic, 7% Two or more races, 4% African American.

How many students attend J W Wiseman Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 336 students attended J W Wiseman Elementary School.

Is J W Wiseman Elementary School a good school?

J W Wiseman Elementary School ranks in the bottom 21.4% of Tennessee elementary schools.

What district is J W Wiseman Elementary School in?

Sumner County Schools

What schools do graduates of J W Wiseman Elementary School attend?

Students who attend J W Wiseman Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Portland East Middle School
High : Portland 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.