Summary:
Zip code 37215 in Nashville, Tennessee is served by a single public high school, Hillsboro High School, which enrolls 1,224 students in grades 9–12 and operates within the Metro Nashville Public Schools district. For parents in this area, Hillsboro is the sole option for public high school, so its performance defines the local educational landscape.
Hillsboro is a mid-to-low performing school relative to Tennessee averages, but it has several notable strengths. The graduation rate of 90.8% is essentially tied with the state average of 90.5% and far above the district rate of 83.4%, meaning students are finishing high school at a healthy clip. Academically, English II proficiency (56.4%) nearly matches the state rate (58.1%) and strongly beats the district (44.4%). The school also outperforms both the district and state in Integrated Math III (35.3% vs. 30.1% and 33.0%). However, overall test proficiency trails badly: Hillsboro’s average proficiency across subjects is 29.4%, compared with 32.1% for the district and 40.4% for the state. The weakest areas are Integrated Math I (only 9.5% proficient vs. 30.2% statewide) and US History (18.2% vs. 42.4% statewide). Chronic absenteeism is a major red flag: 33.6% of students are chronically absent, nearly double the state rate of 18.3%. This likely contributes to academic struggles even as graduation rates remain solid.
Course placement patterns reveal a sharp divide between accelerated and on-level learners. Students taking Integrated Math III in 10th grade score 76.2% proficient, while 11th graders in the same subject score just 22.4%; similar gaps appear in Integrated Math II and Biology I. This suggests Hillsboro has a strong group of advanced students, but the majority of students taking courses at the traditional grade level are significantly underperforming. Per-pupil spending is $15,960, which is substantial, yet the school’s state ranking has slipped slightly from the 38th percentile (2023–2024) to the 31st percentile (2025–2026), even as proficiency improved. Parents should note that Hillsboro prioritizes graduation but faces major challenges in foundational math, US History, and absenteeism.
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