Best Public Schools in Zip Code 37214

ZIP code 37214 in Nashville, Tennessee contains 12 schools serving roughly 5,211 students across six elementary schools, three middle schools, two high schools, and one alternative school, most belonging to Metro Nashville Public Schools, a district ranked in the 11th percentile statewide. The clear academic standout is Stanford Elementary School, which ranks in the 86th percentile of Tennessee elementary schools with a 4-star rating despite its 1-star district; its math (58.2%), ELA (63.8%), and science (62.4%) proficiency all far exceed district and state averages, and its 6.4% chronic absenteeism is the best in the area by a wide margin. Strive Collegiate Academy is the top middle school in 37214, particularly in 8th grade math (55.1% vs. 26.1% district), though it slipped from the 63rd to 44th percentile, while Two Rivers Middle School is the most improved school, climbing from the 6th to 22nd percentile over three years.

Chronic absenteeism clearly separates strong from struggling schools. Pennington Elementary School also posts a solid 13.2% rate, while The Academy at Opry Mills (70.6%), McGavock High School (39.8%), and Two Rivers Middle School (29.1%) raise red flags. Spending varies dramatically, from $16,789 per student at McGavock High to $43,074 at The Academy at Opry Mills, yet Stanford Elementary School achieves excellent results at a below-average $18,372 per pupil, demonstrating that spending alone doesn't drive outcomes. Middle school math proficiency ranges from 9.9% at Donelson Middle School to 32.8% at Strive Collegiate Academy, and among elementary schools only Stanford exceeds state averages across tested subjects.

The ZIP code contains striking disparities. Stanford's ELA proficiency (63.8%) is nearly five times Una Elementary School's rate (13.3%), and McGavock Elementary School and Donelson Middle School rank below the 20th percentile statewide. McGavock High School, the largest school in the area, faces serious challenges with a 79.9% graduation rate, a 17.2% dropout rate, and very low 9th grade proficiency. Several schools are improving — including McGavock High, Two Rivers Middle School, and Pennington Elementary School — while Una Elementary School and Strive Collegiate Academy have declined. Tennessee School for the Blind and Tennessee School for the Deaf Nashville serve specialized populations and should be evaluated separately from traditional public schools.