Summary:
Zip code 37072 is home to five schools—four elementary schools and one middle school—serving 2,079 students across two very different districts: Sumner County Schools and Metro Nashville Public Schools. There are no high schools in the zip code, so families must look outside the area once students reach 9th grade.
Madison Creek Elementary School is the clear standout, ranking in the top 10% of Tennessee elementary schools with math proficiency at 72.9% and chronic absenteeism of just 6.0%. At the other end, Goodlettsville Elementary School ranks in the bottom 8% with math proficiency at only 17.6%, and Goodlettsville Middle School sits in the bottom 11% of middle schools. Old Center Elementary School is the one bright spot in Metro Nashville, climbing from the 44th to 54th percentile in two years. Millersville Elementary School sits in the middle—part of a strong district but well below its averages, with a state rank that has swung between the 32nd and 44th percentile over three years.
The starkest finding is the district divide: Madison Creek outperforms Goodlettsville Elementary by 55 points in math while spending $6,481 less per student. Higher spending doesn't guarantee better outcomes; all three Metro Nashville schools spend more per student than both Sumner County schools yet post lower scores. Chronic absenteeism tracks closely with performance—Madison Creek has the lowest rate at 6.0% and the best scores, while the two lowest-performing schools have the highest rates (22.1% and 17.8%). With no high school in the zip code, students leaving Goodlettsville Middle face an especially difficult transition: 8th grade proficiency in every subject is below 19%. For parents, the district boundary matters enormously—a student's experience in this zip code can range from top-10% to bottom-10% based almost entirely on which side of the line they live on.
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