Summary:
ZIP code 37220 in Nashville, Tennessee, is served by just two schools in the Metro Nashville Public Schools district: Crieve Hall Elementary School (grades K-5, 489 students) and John Overton High School (grades 9-12, 1,942 students), with no middle school option in the immediate area.
The standout in this ZIP code is Crieve Hall Elementary School, a 5-star school ranked in the top 8% of elementary schools in Tennessee (79th out of 1,019). Its proficiency rates are roughly double the district average: 74.5% in math, 70.1% in ELA, and 67.7% in science, compared to district rates of 32.4%, 31.8%, and 35.4% respectively. Chronic absenteeism is very low at 6.2%, well below the district's 23.3%. In contrast, John Overton High School is a 1-star school ranked in the bottom quarter of Tennessee high schools (295th out of 400). Overton's proficiency rates are below state averages in every tested subject; for example, only 12.4% of students are proficient in Math I, and just 16.7% in US History. Its graduation rate is 73.7% versus the state's 90.5%, and the dropout rate of 24.6% is nearly four times the state rate of 6.7%.
The contrast between these two schools is stark, even though they share a ZIP code and the same Metro Nashville Public Schools district, which ranks in the bottom 11% of Tennessee districts. Chronic absenteeism is a major differentiator: 32.6% at Overton versus 6.2% at Crieve Hall. Spending per student is also slightly higher at Crieve Hall ($17,246) than at Overton ($15,984). Families considering this area should note the excellent elementary option but also recognize that the high school faces serious challenges, including low academic performance and student engagement issues. With no middle school in the ZIP code, families must plan for how students will transition from Crieve Hall to the larger, struggling high school.
Thank you for your feedback!