Summary:
Zip code 37327, serving the Dunlap, Tennessee area, contains exactly one middle school, Sequatchie County Middle School, which serves grades 5 through 8. As the sole middle school in this zip code, it is the only option for local families, and its performance directly reflects the educational experience of every middle school student in the community. The school is part of Sequatchie County Schools and currently holds a 2-star accountability rating, ranking 414th out of 594 Tennessee middle schools (30th percentile) for the 2025–2026 school year.
Academically, Sequatchie County Middle School struggles to meet state averages, though it does have a clear relative strength in Social Studies. In the 2025–2026 TNReady assessments, only 8th grade Social Studies (47.7% proficient) matched the state average (47.6%), while all other grade-level subjects fell short. Overall proficiency rates sit well below state benchmarks: Math (25.8% vs. 43.0%), English Language Arts (24.5% vs. 40.6%), Science (37.1% vs. 46.9%), and Social Studies (42.1% vs. 51.4%). The most concerning areas are 6th grade math (19.7% proficient) and 7th grade ELA (18.8% proficient), both roughly 20 points behind the state average.
Compounding these academic challenges, the school is trending in the wrong direction. From 2024–2025 to 2025–2026, proficiency declined in every subject, including a steep 7-point drop in Math and a 6-point drop in Science, while state averages rose across the board. Chronic absenteeism is also a serious issue, with 30.8% of students chronically absent compared to the state rate of 18.3%. The school spends $11,940 per student, but no student-teacher ratio or free/reduced lunch data was reported. For parents, the message is clear: Sequatchie County Middle School offers a supportive environment in its strongest subject area, but improving math and ELA proficiency and tackling absenteeism will be critical for reversing the current downward trend.
Thank you for your feedback!