Best Public Schools in Zip Code 37642

Schools in ZIP code 37642 (Church Hill, TN) include 4 public schools in the Hawkins County Schools district — two K-4 elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school — serving 2,306 students in a district ranked in the bottom third of Tennessee.

Church Hill Elementary School is the standout turnaround story: its state rank jumped from the 18th to the 51st percentile in one year, and it now outperforms the district and state in ELA and Science while staying close to the state average in Math. Its 4th graders are particularly strong, with proficiency above 51% in Math, ELA, and Science. Church Hill Middle School is the highest-ranked school in the ZIP code (55th percentile, 3 stars) and the only one with a clear academic strength: Social Studies, where 55% of students are proficient versus 51.4% statewide. By contrast, Volunteer High School is the weakest school by rank, falling to the 29th percentile, with proficiency below state averages on every tested subject — especially math, where just 17.1% pass Algebra I. Carter's Valley Elementary School sits in the middle-lower range (31st percentile) and trails Church Hill Elementary by 13.8 points in Math and 9.4 in Science, despite spending more per student and having lower chronic absenteeism.

Math is a systemic weakness: no school in the ZIP code meets the state average in math, from Carter's Valley's 28.6% proficiency to Church Hill Middle's 35.1%. Chronic absenteeism rises with grade level, from 14.1% at Carter's Valley to 25.0% at Volunteer High, which likely hampers academic growth. The most concerning signal is at Carter's Valley, where only 12.9% of 3rd graders are proficient in math — far below the state's 42.6% — though 4th grade improves to 42.3%. Meanwhile, Volunteer High graduates 94.2% of students despite low test scores, suggesting many graduates may not be college- or career-ready. Overall, Church Hill Elementary and Church Hill Middle are relative bright spots, while Volunteer High and Carter's Valley need targeted support in math and attendance.