Summary:
ZIP code 37737 (Friendsville, TN) is served by two public schools in the Blount County Schools district—Union Grove Elementary School (PK–5, 213 students) and Union Grove Middle School (6–8, 623 students)—with no high school in the immediate area. The district ranks 67th out of 141 in Tennessee (52nd percentile, 3 stars), while both schools currently hold 2-star ratings.
Union Grove Elementary School is the clear bright spot. Its chronic absenteeism rate of 8.5% is less than half the district (17.6%) and state (18.3%) averages, and its ELA proficiency (41.7%) tops both the district (38.9%) and state (40.6%). The school improved across the board from 2024–2025 to 2025–2026, with ELA up 4.0 points, science up 5.4 points, and its ranking climbing from the 39th to the 43rd percentile. Fifth grade is especially strong, with math at 53.3% proficient. Union Grove Middle School, by contrast, is slipping. Chronic absenteeism is a concern at 23.4%, and proficiency fell in math (33.2% to 28.7%), ELA (35.2% to 33.4%), and science (43.4% to 42.4%). Its ranking dropped from the 56th percentile (3 stars) to the 46th percentile (2 stars).
Math is the weakest subject at both schools, especially in early grades: just 26.7% of 3rd graders and 25.0% of 4th graders at the elementary school are proficient, versus state averages of 42.6% and 49.4%. Middle school math also trails state averages in every grade. A notable highlight: 85.7% of 8th graders pass Algebra I, though this is slightly below district (89.9%) and state (88.3%) rates for 8th graders specifically. Per-pupil spending differs sharply—$18,126 at the elementary school versus $11,495 at the middle school. For parents, the picture is mixed: the elementary school is improving with excellent attendance, while the middle school faces attendance and math challenges, despite strengths in upper-grade ELA.
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