Best Middle Schools in Zip Code 37869

Zip code 37869 in Sneedville, Tennessee, is served by a single middle school, Hancock Middle School, which enrolls 195 students in grades 6 through 8 and is part of the Hancock County Schools district. Because this is the only middle school in the zip code, the school’s performance is essentially the district’s middle school performance, and all comparisons are against state averages and its own past results.

Hancock Middle School faces significant academic challenges, trailing the state in every subject. In 2025–2026, overall math proficiency was just 18.8% versus 43.0% statewide, and English language arts was 25.1% versus 40.6%. The school’s relative bright spot is 8th grade, where gaps versus the state narrow dramatically: 8th-grade science proficiency is just 5.2 points below the state average, and 8th-grade math is 8.1 points below. By contrast, 7th grade is the hardest year, with the largest gaps in science (-24.2 points) and social studies (-21.3 points). Encouragingly, year-over-year gains were strong in social studies (from 19.4% to 34.3%) and science (from 24.6% to 32.8%), while math slipped slightly. Chronic absenteeism affects 23.1% of students, above the state rate of 18.3%, and per-pupil spending is high at $16,662—likely reflecting the small size of the school and district—yet outcomes remain below average. The district ranks 128th out of 141 Tennessee districts, and the school’s own percentile improved from the 18th to the 24th over the past year, suggesting modest progress but a long road ahead.

For parents considering this area, Hancock Middle School offers a small, close-knit environment where individual students and cohorts can significantly influence results. The school serves roughly 65 students per grade, so year-to-year performance can fluctuate; the large social studies gain and 7th-grade science slump may be cohort-driven. While the school outperforms its district ranking in some ways, it is still well below state proficiency benchmarks, especially in math. Families should weigh the benefits of a small rural school with the clear need for academic support, particularly in early middle-grade instruction and mathematics.