Schools in Zip Code 37189

Zip code 37189 is served by just two public schools: Whites Creek High School (grades 9–12, 730 students) and Alex Green Elementary School (grades PK–5, 451 students). There is no middle school in the immediate area, so students leaving Alex Green must travel outside the zip code for grades 6–8 before returning to Whites Creek. Both schools belong to Metro Nashville Public Schools, a district ranked 126 out of 141 Tennessee districts (11th percentile).

The two schools face remarkably similar challenges. Both sit at the 8th percentile statewide — Whites Creek ranks 367 out of 400 high schools, and Alex Green ranks 935 out of 1,019 elementary schools. Chronic absenteeism is a systemic crisis: 39.3% of Whites Creek students and 36.8% of Alex Green students miss substantial school time, more than double the 18.3% state average. Academically, both schools trail district and state averages significantly. At Whites Creek, English II is the strongest subject at 34.1% proficient, but US History is just 6.0% and Integrated Math III is 8.7%. At Alex Green, all-grade proficiency sits at 21.3% in math, 18.1% in ELA, and 14.2% in science, with 4th grade science particularly weak at 6.8%. The high school does have a bright spot: its 88.0% graduation rate beats the district’s 83.4%, though it still trails the state’s 90.5%.

There are modest signs of progress. Alex Green has improved from the 2nd to the 8th percentile over three years, with all-grade scores inching upward. Whites Creek saw meaningful jumps in English II (26.3% to 34.1%) and Biology I (9.6% to 16.9%). However, Alex Green spends $20,046 per student — $2,379 more than Whites Creek’s $17,667 — yet proficiency remains very low, suggesting funding alone hasn’t closed the gap. The clearest opportunities for improvement are tackling chronic absenteeism, providing targeted 4th-grade intervention at Alex Green, and supporting Whites Creek’s weakest subjects. The missing middle school adds a structural hurdle to an already challenging educational pipeline.