Schools in Zip Code 37203

Zip code 37203 in Nashville, Tennessee, is served by six public schools under the Metro Nashville Public Schools district, including two high schools, two middle schools, and two elementary schools. This area presents one of the starkest educational contrasts in the state: its high schools are elite, while its elementary schools are among the lowest-performing in Tennessee.

Martin Luther King Junior School and Hume - Fogg High School are both 5-star institutions ranking in the top 1% of Tennessee high schools, with graduation rates above 98% and chronic absenteeism below 10%. By contrast, Carter-Lawrence Elementary School has a 0-star rating, with proficiency rates in math and ELA below 20% and a chronic absenteeism rate of 33.3%. Fall-Hamilton Elementary School also struggles, ranking in the bottom 16% of elementary schools. The middle schools are a mixed picture: Head Middle School is a solid 4-star school with low absenteeism, while Rose Park Middle School has slipped to a 3-star rating and now sits near the state median.

Two key takeaways stand out for parents. First, higher spending does not mean better outcomes: the two lowest-performing elementary schools spend about $21,600 per student, while the elite high schools spend closer to $15,000. Second, chronic absenteeism is the strongest predictor of performance, with a nearly perfect gradient from MLK’s 5.1% rate to Carter-Lawrence’s 33.3%. Because the district overall ranks 126th out of 141 in Tennessee, this zip code shows that exceptional schools can exist even within a struggling district — but the feeder pattern from its elementary schools to its high schools remains deeply uneven, making school choice and attendance critical factors for families.