Best Middle Schools in Zip Code 37211

Zip code 37211 in Nashville is home to six middle schools serving grades 6 through 8 — with Valor Voyager Academy and Tennessee Nature Academy also including 5th grade — enrolling a combined 2,579 students across traditional public and charter schools. Five of the six schools belong to Metro Nashville Public Schools, while Tennessee Nature Academy operates under the Tennessee Public Charter School Commission. The data reveals a sharply divided landscape: one elite charter school, a handful of below-average traditional schools, and a small, promising charter academy.

Valor Voyager Academy is the clear standout, ranking 62nd out of 594 Tennessee schools (90th percentile) with four stars. It is the only school in the area that consistently exceeds state averages in math, ELA, science, and social studies, and it has the lowest chronic absenteeism rate at 10.1%. At the other end, Wright Middle School ranks 555th (7th percentile) with math proficiency of just 7.4% and ELA proficiency of 9.5% — a 49-point math gap compared to Valor Voyager Academy. Tennessee Nature Academy sits in the middle, ranking 402nd (32nd percentile) and outperforming its charter district in math, ELA, and science while posting the second-lowest chronic absenteeism rate. The remaining traditional schools — William Henry Oliver Middle School, Croft Middle School, and McMurray Middle School — all fall in the bottom third of the state, with math proficiency ranging from 9.9% to 23.6%.

Chronic absenteeism tracks closely with academic performance: schools with the lowest absenteeism rates tend to have the highest proficiency, and four of the six schools exceed the state average of 18.3%. Higher spending does not guarantee better results — Wright Middle School spends $19,879 per student, the second-highest of the group, yet posts the lowest math and ELA scores, while William Henry Oliver Middle School spends less and outperforms it by significant margins. Notably, several schools show sharp declines in 8th grade math proficiency, while Valor Voyager Academy maintains strong results through 8th grade. Its state ranking has slipped slightly from 29th to 62nd over three years, but it remains the clear top choice in 37211.