Schools in Zip Code 37686

ZIP code 37686 (Piney Flats, Tennessee) is served by just one school: Mary Hughes School, an elementary school serving grades PK–5 with an enrollment of 333 students within Sullivan County Schools. Despite being the only school in the area, Mary Hughes stands out as a strong performer. The school consistently exceeds both district and state proficiency averages across math, English language arts, and science. Its chronic absenteeism rate of just 9.6% is remarkably low compared to the district's 20.8% and the state's 18.3%, and per-student spending is $14,565.

In the 2025–2026 school year, Mary Hughes School posted strong all-grade proficiency results: 52.1% in math, 44.8% in ELA, and 55.6% in science. These figures beat the Sullivan County Schools district averages by 12.3, 5.1, and 11.1 percentage points, respectively, and also exceeded statewide averages in every subject. The school's ranking history has fluctuated, however, moving from a 3-star, 67th-percentile ranking in 2023–2024, to a 4-star, 74th-percentile ranking in 2024–2025, then back to 3 stars and the 67th percentile in 2025–2026. This shift occurred despite relatively stable test scores, suggesting statewide changes played a role.

Science is clearly the school's strongest subject, with 5th graders achieving 61% proficiency — 17.5 points above the district and 14.5 points above the state. Fifth-grade math is equally strong at 61% proficiency. However, 5th-grade ELA tells a different story: just 39% of students were proficient, below both district (42.1%) and state (42.7%) averages. Fourth grade also appears to be a challenging transition year, with proficiency in all three subjects falling below district averages. Overall, Mary Hughes School is a solid, above-average elementary school with particular strengths in STEM and exceptionally strong attendance, though literacy at the upper elementary level appears to be an area worth watching.