Best High Schools in Zip Code 37317

Zip code 37317 contains exactly one high school: Copper Basin High School, a small school in Copperhill, Tennessee, serving grades 7 through 12 with 231 students. Despite being part of Polk County Schools, a district ranked 125th out of 141 in Tennessee with a 1-star rating, Copper Basin itself has earned 4 stars in each of the last three ranking cycles. This makes it a clear standout: a bright spot inside a struggling district. The school also posts strong graduation outcomes, with a 93.9% graduation rate compared to 85.1% for the district and 90.5% statewide, and its dropout rate of 3.0% is less than half the state average of 6.7%.

Academically, Copper Basin shows a mixed profile. Its signature strengths are in US History and English II, where proficiency rates run well ahead of state averages — US History hits 66.7% proficiency versus 42.4% statewide, and English II reaches 64.7% versus 58.1% statewide. The school also outperforms its district in most subjects, including English, history, and Algebra. However, mathematics is a serious concern: all-grades math proficiency is just 16.4% versus 43.0% statewide, with Geometry at 19.4% and Algebra I at 23.7%. Overall ELA proficiency is also below state levels at 28.4% versus 40.6%. Chronic absenteeism is elevated at 23.6%, higher than both the district's 21.1% and the state's 18.3%, which may be undermining performance. Per-student spending is a substantial $16,864, typical for a small rural school.

For parents, the key takeaway is that Copper Basin High School is highly effective at keeping students on track to graduate, and it delivers strong results in history and English II. However, the school struggles significantly in math and shows early warning signs in middle school ELA and social studies. Its state ranking has slipped from the 82nd to the 72nd percentile over the past three years, and the sharp drop in math proficiency from 37.5% to 16.4% in one year deserves close monitoring. Still, for a small school in a low-ranked district, Copper Basin offers a stable, supportive environment where students are more likely to graduate than their peers elsewhere in the state — even if test scores in core subjects like math and science remain a challenge.