Best Middle Schools in Zip Code 37931

Middle schools in zip code 37931 are represented by a single school, Karns Middle School, which serves grades 6–8 with an enrollment of 900 students in Knox County Schools, located in the Knoxville, Tennessee area.

Karns Middle School is the only middle school in this zip code, so all comparisons are against district and state averages. The school has shown steady improvement, rising from the 57th percentile in 2024–2025 to the 65th percentile in 2025–2026, with a statewide rank of 210 out of 594 Tennessee middle schools. Every subject area improved year over year, with Science posting the largest gain (from 40.8% to 49.4% proficiency). Social Studies is the school’s clear strength, with 63% proficiency—11.6 points above the state average and 4.5 points above the district. Science also sits slightly above the state average. However, Math and English Language Arts proficiency remain below both the district and state, with Math at 36.1% and ELA at 34.0% compared to state averages of 43.0% and 40.6%, respectively.

The most concerning trend is the sharp decline in proficiency as students advance through middle school. Math proficiency falls from 42% in 6th grade to 41.2% in 7th grade and then plunges to just 23.3% in 8th grade, well below the statewide 8th-grade average of 38.3%. ELA shows a similar downward pattern, dropping from 39.3% to 28.3% by 8th grade. While Algebra I results look strong against district and state averages at the all-grades level, Karns’ 8th-grade Algebra I proficiency (56.9%) trails the district (83.2%) and state (88.3%), meaning the apparent advantage is likely due to which students take the test. Chronic absenteeism is another red flag: 23.1% of students are chronically absent, compared to 19.4% in the district and 18.3% statewide. Karns is improving overall, but closing the Math and ELA gaps and addressing absenteeism will be critical to sustaining its upward trajectory.