Best Public Schools in Zip Code 37722

Zip code 37722 in Cosby, Tennessee contains four schools—three elementary schools and one high school—serving roughly 1,050 students across the Cocke County Schools and Sevier County Schools districts.

Smoky Mountain Elementary School stands out as the strongest school in the area by nearly every academic measure. It ranks in the 77th percentile statewide with a 4-star rating, and it posts the highest proficiency rates in math, ELA, science, and social studies among the three elementary schools. It also has the lowest chronic absenteeism rate at 15.3%, below the state rate of 18.3%. Cosby High School is a different kind of standout: it graduates 95.3% of its students, well above the statewide rate of 90.5%, and its state rank has climbed from the 29th to the 44th percentile over three years. Yet its end-of-course scores are mixed, with strong results in English II and Biology I but well-below-state proficiency in Algebra, Geometry, and U.S. History.

Cosby Elementary School, the largest school at 429 students, performs above the state in math and science but below the state in ELA, and its rank slipped from the 75th to 64th percentile. Jones Cove Elementary School spends far more than its neighbors—$28,788 per student, more than double the area average—yet it has the lowest math proficiency and a flat, low-40s percentile rank for three straight years. Attendance tracks achievement closely: Smoky Mountain has the best attendance and best scores, while Jones Cove (25.0% chronic absenteeism) and Cosby High (34.2%, nearly double the state rate) lag in both attendance and performance. Science is the area's clearest strength, as all three elementary schools beat the state science average, while ELA is the clearest weakness—none reaches the state average of 40.6%. With no standalone middle school, grade-level results vary widely within the K-8 schools, and data gaps on poverty and staffing make full comparisons difficult. Still, the picture is clear: strong science and graduation rates, but real challenges in literacy, attendance, and high school math.