Schools in Zip Code 37879

ZIP code 37879 in Tazewell, Tennessee, is served by three schools within the Claiborne County Schools district: Soldiers Memorial Middle School (grades 5–8), Springdale Elementary School (grades K–8), and Claiborne Virtual Learning Academy (grades K–12), with no traditional standalone high school in the area.

For parents evaluating local options, Springdale Elementary is the clear standout. It outperforms Soldiers Memorial Middle School in nearly every shared grade-level subject comparison, especially in 8th grade, where its social studies proficiency is 63% versus Soldiers Memorial’s 14.5%—a striking 48.5-point gap. Springdale is also the only school in the ZIP code with proficiency at or above state averages in any subject (ELA at 41.5% and social studies at 51.5%), and it improved in all four subjects year over year, including a strong 6.6-point gain in ELA. Notably, Springdale serves K–8 but functions like a combined elementary/middle school. Meanwhile, Soldiers Memorial shows troubling patterns: proficiency drops as students advance from 5th to 8th grade, chronic absenteeism is 25.5% (1 in 4 students), and every subject proficiency rate is well below both district and state averages. The Claiborne Virtual Learning Academy is a low-cost alternative with just 42 students and only one reported subject (Biology I at 20% proficiency), making full performance comparisons difficult.

Looking at the bigger picture, the district itself ranks in the bottom 18% of Tennessee districts, yet Springdale proves strong results are possible even in this context. Attendance clearly tracks with achievement: the school with the lowest chronic absenteeism (Springdale, 14.8%) has the highest scores, while the school with the highest absenteeism (Soldiers Memorial, 25.5%) has the lowest. Spending does not predict outcomes—Soldiers Memorial spends the most per student ($13,107) but performs worst, while Springdale spends slightly less ($12,799) and achieves far more. Families in 37879 have limited high school options, with only the virtual academy covering grades 9–12, so those seeking in-person high school may need to look outside the ZIP code.