Summary:
ZIP code 37366 contains a single school, Pelham Elementary School, a small PK–8 school in the rural community of Pelham, Tennessee, serving 165 students within Grundy County Schools. Although the district ranks in the bottom quarter of Tennessee (106 out of 141 districts, 1 star), Pelham Elementary stands out as a bright spot, earning a 3-star rating and ranking in the 59th percentile statewide (414 out of 1,019 schools). The school outperforms its district in every tested subject and beats the state average in English language arts, science, and social studies.
Pelham’s strongest subjects are science and social studies, with all-grade proficiency rates of 52.9% and 57.1%, respectively—well above state averages. Fifth grade science is especially remarkable at 81.3% proficient, nearly 35 points above the state. The school also showed a dramatic year-over-year improvement in ELA, jumping from 29.0% to 43.1% proficiency, now above the state average. However, challenges remain in middle-grade math, with 6th, 7th, and 8th grade proficiency rates of 21.4%, 35.0%, and 26.7%—all below state averages. A clear 6th-grade slump appears across math, science, and social studies, likely reflecting a difficult transition or a particularly weak cohort.
Because enrollment is small—roughly 16–17 students per grade—single-year swings can be large, so parents should view changes cautiously and monitor trends over multiple years. Chronic absenteeism at 16.4% is better than both the district (16.8%) and state (18.3%), a positive sign. Free/reduced lunch data and student-teacher ratios were not reported, limiting socioeconomic context, though per-pupil spending of $14,659 is notable. Overall, Pelham Elementary is a strong performer within a struggling district, excelling in science and social studies while needing focused attention on upper-grade math and 6th-grade coursework.
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