Best Public Schools in Zip Code 37912

Zip code 37912 in Knoxville, Tennessee contains four schools within Knox County Schools: three elementary schools and one middle school, with no high schools or alternative schools in the area. The four schools — Northwest Middle School (grades 6–8, 798 students), Norwood Elementary School (PK–5, 471 students), Inskip Elementary School (PK–5, 505 students), and Sterchi Elementary School (K–5, 399 students) — serve a combined 2,173 students. The district ranks 78th out of 141 Tennessee districts, earning a 2-star rating.

Sterchi Elementary School is the clear standout, ranking 407th out of 1,019 elementary schools (60th percentile, 3 stars), roughly 50 percentile points higher than its neighbors. Sterchi leads the area in math (40.4% proficient), ELA (49.7%), and science (53.1%) — the only school in the zip code above district and state averages in ELA and science. By contrast, Inskip Elementary School ranks at the 9th percentile with 0 stars, Norwood Elementary School ranks at the 11th percentile, and Northwest Middle School sits at the 16th percentile among Tennessee middle schools. Northwest posts particularly low scores in math (18%) and ELA (17.6%).

Spending does not explain the gap: Sterchi spends the least at $13,387 per student, while Norwood spends $15,943 and Inskip $15,648 yet both perform far worse. Chronic absenteeism strongly tracks performance — Sterchi's rate (18.1%) is below the district (19.4%) and state (18.3%), while the other three schools all exceed 24%. Test scores also decline as students advance: fifth-grade math at Norwood drops to 15.4% and eighth-grade math at Northwest falls to 12.7%. With no high schools in the zip code, students must transition to schools outside 37912, making elementary and middle school preparation especially critical.