Summary:
Zip code 37210 is served by 9 schools in Metro Nashville Public Schools — 2 elementary schools, 3 middle schools, and 4 high schools including an alternative learning center — with a combined enrollment of 3,686 students in grades K-12, within a district ranked 126th of 141 in Tennessee. The area presents a very mixed picture, with a few genuine bright spots and several schools in the bottom 5% statewide.
The clear academic standout is Nashville School Of The Arts, which ranks in the 64th percentile statewide and outperforms both district and state averages in English, Biology, and U.S. History, along with a 94.4% graduation rate. For elementary families, John B. Whitsitt Elementary is the strongest option, especially in math (62.6% proficient vs. 43% statewide) and with the lowest chronic absenteeism in the zip code at 14.6%. Among middle schools, STEM Prep Academy stands out with social studies proficiency that essentially matches the state average. Lead Academy posts the lowest chronic absenteeism among the high schools at 15.8% and a 92.4% graduation rate, even though its test scores are low.
At the other extreme, Napier Elementary ranks in the 0th percentile statewide with proficiency rates below 9% in every subject and nearly half of students chronically absent. Margaret Allen Middle and Johnson Alternative Learning Center both sit in the 5th percentile and need substantial support. A central paradox is that the high schools graduate 94.2% of students — above the state average — yet most students score far below grade level on TNReady tests. Math is a systemic weakness beyond Whitsitt, and chronic absenteeism closely tracks low performance. Higher spending does not guarantee better results: Johnson Alternative, at $35,390 per student, spends more than double Nashville School Of The Arts yet shows far lower achievement.
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