Best Middle Schools in Zip Code 37033

Zip code 37033 (Centerville, TN) is served by a single middle school, Hickman County Middle School, which enrolls 348 students in grades 6 through 8 within the Hickman County Schools district. This school is a study in contrasts: it has dramatically lower chronic absenteeism (7.6% vs. 17.4% district and 18.3% state) and improved proficiency in every subject from 2024–2025 to 2025–2026, yet it still trails Tennessee state averages in math, ELA, and science overall. Its strongest academic area is social studies, where 52.5% of students are proficient, slightly above the state’s 51.4%. The school has earned 3 stars for three consecutive years, with its percentile rank improving from 51st (2024–2025) to 58th (2025–2026), placing it solidly in the middle of Tennessee middle schools.

Parents considering this school will find notable bright spots in the early middle grades. In 6th grade, Hickman County Middle School outperforms both district and state averages in math (43.9% vs. 40.1% state) and ELA (43.0% vs. 39.8% state), and it also leads the district and state in 6th-grade social studies (55.1% vs. 50.7% state). However, proficiency drops sharply as students advance: ELA falls from 43.0% in 6th grade to 29.9% in 7th and just 23.6% in 8th grade, a significant gap versus the state’s 32.3%. Social studies follows a similar decline, from 55.1% in 6th grade to 43.9% in 8th grade. Math remains comparatively stable and even reaches 43.8% proficiency in 8th grade, above the state’s 38.3%. This pattern suggests the school’s main challenge is supporting students with the increasingly complex reading and analytical demands of upper middle school, particularly in ELA.

Relative to its district, the school outperforms in science (45.7% vs. 44.6%) and social studies (52.5% vs. 50.7%), and it outperforms the district in the vast majority of 6th and 7th grade subject areas. Yet by 8th grade, it falls below district averages in ELA, science, and social studies. The school’s per-student spending is $12,255, and its excellent attendance record suggests a positive school culture. With the district ranking 87th out of 141 in Tennessee (38th percentile), Hickman County Middle School is performing relatively well for its context, and its year-over-year gains – especially the 6.3-point jump in social studies – point to an upward trajectory. The clearest opportunity for improvement is targeted literacy support in 7th and 8th grade to reverse the downward trend in ELA proficiency.