Summary:
Zip code 37138 in Old Hickory, Tennessee, is served by two elementary schools—Andrew Jackson Elementary School and DuPont Elementary School—both serving grades PK-5 within Metro Nashville Public Schools, a district that currently ranks in the 11th percentile statewide.
The two schools could hardly be more different. Andrew Jackson is the clear standout, earning a 3-star rating and ranking 315th out of 1,019 Tennessee elementary schools, placing it in the 69th percentile. It exceeds both district and state averages in every subject, with 59.9% of students proficient in Math, 46.4% in ELA, and 49.6% in Science. DuPont, by contrast, holds a 1-star rating and ranks 812th (20th percentile), falling well below state averages in all subjects—28.8% in Math, 27.6% in ELA, and 34.4% in Science. The math gap alone is 31 percentage points. Both schools share a zip code and district, yet their outcomes are dramatically different, highlighting how much school-level factors can matter.
Several other findings stand out. DuPont actually spends more per student ($19,897 vs. $17,484), yet performs far worse—a reminder that higher spending does not automatically mean better results. Chronic absenteeism also aligns with performance: Andrew Jackson's rate is 12.6%, well below the state average of 18.3%, while DuPont's is 19.5%. Finally, trends point in opposite directions. Andrew Jackson's ranking has improved steadily from the 57th to the 69th percentile over three years, while DuPont has slipped from the 27th to the 20th percentile. For parents, Andrew Jackson is clearly the stronger choice academically, while DuPont may warrant closer investigation into its instructional and attendance support.
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