Summary:
Zip code 37086 (La Vergne, TN) is home to three elementary schools serving grades PK–5 (with one K–5 school), all part of Rutherford County Schools, a strong district ranked in the 69th percentile statewide. The three schools—Roy L Waldron Elementary School, Rock Springs Elementary School, and LaVergne Lake Elementary School—vary widely in performance, creating a clear academic gap within the same neighborhood.
Rock Springs Elementary School is the clear standout. It is the only 3-star school in the zip code, ranking in the 59th percentile statewide, and it outperforms state averages in math and science. Its chronic absenteeism is just 5.5%, far below the district (11.3%) and state (18.3%) rates. By contrast, Roy L Waldron Elementary School is the lowest-performing school despite spending the most per student ($14,826). It ranks in the 14th percentile with 1 star, and its math (25.9%), ELA (23.7%), and science (27.3%) proficiency rates are all well below district averages. LaVergne Lake Elementary School sits in the middle, ranking in the 19th percentile with 1 star, though it showed improvement in science (+7.2 points) and higher chronic absenteeism (11.2%).
One of the most striking patterns is that chronic absenteeism tracks closely with test scores—the lower the absenteeism, the higher the proficiency. Spending shows the opposite relationship, with the highest-spending school performing the worst. All three schools fall below the district average in every subject, even though Rock Springs beats the state average. Grade-level data also reveals that 4th grade is a relative strength across the schools, while 3rd grade tends to be the most challenging. For parents, Rock Springs is the obvious top choice in this zip code, while LaVergne Lake shows signs of progress and Roy L Waldron warrants closer attention given its low performance and high spending.
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