Best Public Schools in Zip Code 37917

ZIP code 37917 in Knoxville, Tennessee contains 6 schools — 2 elementary, 1 middle, and 3 high schools — all belonging to Knox County Schools, which ranks 78th out of 141 Tennessee districts. The schools serve approximately 2,447 students, ranging from Fulton High School with 933 students to Richard Yoakley School with just 81. Across the ZIP code, schools rank at or below the 29th percentile statewide, with a median percentile of just 9.5th, placing this cluster well below the already-average Knox County district performance.

Christenberry Elementary School is the clear academic leader, ranking at the 29th percentile with 41.7% math proficiency — nearly matching state averages and far surpassing neighboring Belle Morris Elementary School, which ranks at the 10th percentile with just 19.8% math proficiency. Whittle Springs Middle School has improved steadily, climbing from the 17th to the 28th percentile over three years, though its Algebra I proficiency of 53.8% falls well short of the 88.3% state average for 8th graders in that course. Dr. Paul L. Kelley Volunteer Academy posts the strongest high school outcome — a 95% graduation rate, above both the district (90.4%) and state (90.5%) — despite very low test scores. Fulton High School remains stuck in the bottom decile, and Richard Yoakley School ranks dead last in Tennessee at the 0th percentile, with 63.4% chronic absenteeism.

Chronic absenteeism tells a striking story: both elementary schools fall below district and state averages, but attendance collapses at the secondary level, with Fulton High School at 36.3%, Dr. Paul L. Kelley Volunteer Academy at 38.1%, and Richard Yoakley School at 63.4%. Spending is concentrated in the smallest schools — Richard Yoakley spends $46,952 per student and Kelley Academy $34,515, versus $15,766 at Fulton High School — yet those high-cost schools post the lowest proficiency rates, showing funding alone does not drive outcomes. The most hopeful signs are Whittle Springs Middle School's rising rank, Christenberry Elementary School's competitive math performance, and Dr. Paul L. Kelley Volunteer Academy's strong graduation rate.