Best Middle Schools in Zip Code 37920

In zip code 37920, there is exactly one middle school serving grades 6–8: South Doyle Middle School, located in Knoxville, Tennessee, and part of Knox County Schools. Over the past two years, South Doyle has shown clear improvement in its state ranking, moving from the 31st to the 48th percentile, though it still sits below district and state averages in most core subjects. The school’s biggest strength is its recent momentum, but its biggest concern is a chronic absenteeism rate that is significantly higher than its peers.

South Doyle Middle School is the only middle school in 37920, and its performance tells a story of steady progress. From 2023–2024 to 2025–2026, its state rank improved by 96 positions, and every core subject saw year-over-year gains—math improved from 25.0% to 30.5% proficiency, ELA from 28.2% to 33.8%, science from 35.4% to 39.8%, and social studies from 41.9% to 49.9%. Despite these gains, proficiency remains below Knox County Schools and Tennessee averages in math, ELA, science, and social studies. One standout figure is the all-grades Algebra I proficiency of 67.4%, which is far above the district and state, but this appears to reflect how the metric is calculated—among 8th graders specifically, South Doyle’s Algebra I score is actually below district and state averages, so it should not be read as a simple outperformance.

The most pressing issue is chronic absenteeism: 29.4% of South Doyle students are chronically absent, compared to 19.4% for the district and 18.3% for the state. This likely impacts learning continuity and may help explain the school’s academic gaps. Another notable pattern is that proficiency declines as students progress through the school—6th graders score highest, while 8th graders post the lowest scores in every subject, especially math (22.5% proficient). Per-student spending is $14,454, but no district comparison is available. Overall, South Doyle is a school in transition, with genuine recent improvement tempered by challenges in attendance and 8th-grade performance that families should watch closely.