Best High Schools in Zip Code 37347

In zip code 37347 (Jasper, TN), there are two high schools—Marion County High School and Marion Virtual High School—serving grades 9–12 and 6–12 respectively, both part of the Marion County Schools district, which ranks in the bottom third of Tennessee districts.

Marion County High School is the only traditional high school and enrolls 543 students. It ranks 224th out of 400 schools statewide (44th percentile) with a 2-star rating. The school is close to state averages in English II and Biology I, but struggles significantly in mathematics: only 17.9% of students are proficient in Algebra I, 15.8% in Algebra II, and 29.0% in Geometry—all well below state benchmarks. The graduation rate is 86.1%, slightly below the district’s 88.2% and the state’s 90.5%. Chronic absenteeism is high at 26.2%. Meanwhile, Marion Virtual High School is a very small virtual program with just 29 students. It has no current test scores or state ranking, but previously reported an 80% graduation rate and a 20% dropout rate. Its chronic absenteeism is even higher at 28.6%, and per-student spending is only $3,553 compared to $11,296 at the traditional high school.

There are some promising signs: Marion County High School improved sharply in Biology I, English II, and Geometry over the past year, suggesting certain instructional strategies are working. However, mathematics remains the biggest academic weakness, and attendance is a pressing concern across both schools. The virtual school’s small size means one or two students can dramatically shift its metrics, so its data should be interpreted cautiously. Overall, these schools serve very different populations: the traditional high school is the main academic hub showing gradual improvement, while the virtual school offers a low-cost alternative with significant attendance and completion challenges. The most urgent priorities for both are improving attendance, strengthening math instruction, and ensuring students in alternative programs get the support they need to graduate.