Best Public Schools in Zip Code 37312

Zip code 37312 in Cleveland, Tennessee, is served by 8 schools enrolling roughly 6,479 students in grades PK-12 across two districts: Cleveland City Schools (5 schools) and Bradley County Schools (3 schools). The two districts sit at opposite ends of Tennessee's rankings—Bradley County ranks 58th of 141 districts (59th percentile, 3 stars), while Cleveland City ranks 123rd (13th percentile, 1 star)—yet these district ratings hide considerable variation at individual campuses.

For parents, Walker Valley High School is the clear academic leader, ranking in the 79th percentile statewide (4 stars) with a 97.8% graduation rate and strong proficiency in English II (72.5% vs. 58.1% statewide) and Biology I (58.5% vs. 49.8%). Among elementary schools, North Lee Elementary School tops the list at the 84th percentile with ELA proficiency 21.5 points above the state, followed closely by Candy's Creek Cherokee Elementary School, which posts excellent math scores (58.9% proficient) despite belonging to the low-rated Cleveland City district. Hopewell Elementary School and E.L. Ross Elementary School also beat state math averages. On the flip side, Cleveland High School is the only school with a consistent three-year decline in rank, and Cleveland Middle School shows dramatic achievement gaps (27% math proficiency vs. 43% statewide).

Chronic absenteeism mirrors these patterns: Cleveland High School (30.5%) and Cleveland Middle School (26.5%) far exceed the state average of 18.3%, while the top elementary performers are all below 12.4%. Spending also fails to predict success—Cleveland City schools average higher per-student spending ($13,833) than Bradley County ($11,105), yet Cleveland's secondary schools lag badly. The most important takeaway: elementary students in both districts largely meet or exceed state proficiency, but those gains are lost by middle school in Cleveland City, suggesting that the middle-to-high school transition and absenteeism deserve the most attention from parents and school leaders alike.