Best Public Schools in Zip Code 37938

Zip code 37938 serves the Halls community of Knoxville, Tennessee, and includes three public schools within Knox County Schools: Halls Elementary School (PK–5, 705 students), Halls Middle School (6–8, 945 students), and Halls High School (9–12, 1,236 students), for a combined enrollment of 2,886. The district itself ranks at the 45th percentile among Tennessee districts with a 2-star rating, making the performance of these schools particularly interesting to compare against that backdrop.

Halls Elementary School is the clear standout, ranking 146th out of 1,019 Tennessee elementary schools (86th percentile, 4 stars) with proficiency rates well above district and state averages in math, ELA, and science. It also has the lowest chronic absenteeism rate at 13.3%. Halls Middle School is a solid 3-star school at the 62nd percentile, with an impressive 72.5% Algebra I proficiency across all grades, though its overall math and ELA scores trail district averages. Halls High School is the most challenged, ranking at the 43rd percentile (2 stars) and declining over the past three years. Its graduation rate of 88.3% is below the district and state, and chronic absenteeism is a serious concern at 26.8%.

The most striking pattern is the drop-off from elementary to secondary school, suggesting the transition years present real challenges for students in this area. At Halls High School, subject performance is wildly uneven — Biology I proficiency is 75.6%, well above state averages, while Algebra I proficiency is just 11.8%. This is partly explained by ability grouping: 9th graders taking Geometry score at 91.8% proficiency, while 10th graders in Geometry score just 13.8%. Chronic absenteeism at both secondary schools (26.8% at the high school, 25.2% at the middle school) is well above state and district averages and likely contributes to weaker academic outcomes. For parents, Halls Elementary School is a genuine bright spot, while the secondary schools offer solid but mixed results that warrant closer attention.