Best Public Schools in Zip Code 37921

Zip code 37921 in Knoxville, Tennessee is home to 8 schools, all part of Knox County Schools, serving 2,495 students across 7 elementary schools (including one K-8 school) and one alternative school. There are no traditional middle or high schools in the area. The elementary schools range from Maynard Elementary School at 109 students to Lonsdale Elementary School at 537 students. Overall, the zip code trails district and state averages significantly — the 7 elementary schools average 28.7% math proficiency and 29.0% ELA proficiency, compared to district averages of 45% and 44.7%.

Beaumont Elementary/Magnet School is the clear standout, ranking in the 65th percentile statewide (360 of 1,019) with 49.3% math and 51.1% ELA proficiency — the only school in the zip code to exceed both district and state averages in both subjects — and it does so with the lowest spending per student at $15,438. Emerald Academy, a K-8 school, has improved steadily over three years, climbing from the 25th to the 39th percentile, with the lowest chronic absenteeism rate in the zip code (14.1%). However, its strong early grades fade by 5th grade: 3rd-grade math proficiency is 63.5% but drops to 22.0% by 5th grade. Pleasant Ridge Elementary School saw the sharpest decline, falling from a 4-star, 71st-percentile ranking to a 2-star school in one year. Maynard Elementary School ranks in the bottom 3% statewide with just 9.8% math proficiency. West View Elementary School, Lonsdale Elementary School, and West Haven Elementary School all sit in the bottom 15% of the state, with math proficiency between 22% and 24%.

Chronic absenteeism closely tracks with performance — the strongest schools have the lowest rates, while Ridgedale Alternative School tops out at 46.6%, more than double the district average. Higher spending does not guarantee better outcomes: Maynard spends the most ($31,985 per student) yet has the lowest proficiency, while Beaumont spends the least. With no traditional middle or high schools in the zip code, most students must leave the area for secondary school. Parents should prioritize attendance, watch year-to-year trends, and look to Beaumont and Emerald Academy as examples of success in the same district and neighborhood.