Best Public Schools in Zip Code 38011

Zip code 38011 in Brighton, Tennessee is served by three public schools in Tipton County Schools, covering grades PK through 12. The cluster includes Brighton Elementary School (PK–5), Brighton Middle School (6–8), and Brighton High School (9–12). The middle school is the clear academic standout, ranking in the 75th percentile statewide with a 4-star rating, and it leads all three schools in science and social studies proficiency—well above district and state averages. Notably, it achieves this with the lowest per-student spending of the three. The elementary school is improving, jumping from a 2-star to a 3-star rating, but still lags in science and English language arts. The high school, while ranked in the 40th percentile academically, posts excellent persistence metrics: a 95.2% graduation rate, a 3.3% dropout rate, and the lowest chronic absenteeism in the group.

Comparing the schools, Brighton Middle is the only one performing above state averages in multiple core subjects, especially with 62% proficiency in social studies and 58.4% in science. Brighton High, however, falls below state averages in every tested subject—including just 21% proficiency in Algebra I—despite keeping nearly all students on track to graduate. Brighton Elementary sits near the median overall, but shows a notable weakness in 3rd grade, where math, ELA, and science proficiency all drop well below district averages. A key red flag is 11th-grade Geometry at Brighton High, where only 8.3% of students are proficient, likely reflecting a struggling subgroup retaking the course. Meanwhile, middle school ELA proficiency declines steadily from 6th to 8th grade, ending at just 29.6%—a worrying trend for high school readiness.

Chronic absenteeism is uniformly low across all three schools (10–12.6%), well below the state’s 18.3%, so attendance is not the driving issue behind test scores. The mismatch between spending and performance is also interesting: Brighton Elementary spends the most per student ($11,314) yet ranks near the median, while Brighton Middle spends the least ($10,059) and ranks in the top quartile. For parents, the key takeaways are clear: the middle school is a strong, cost-effective choice; the high school excels at keeping students enrolled but needs academic support; and the elementary school should focus on early intervention, especially in 3rd grade. The most actionable areas for improvement are 3rd grade foundations, 8th grade ELA, and late-testing high school students taking Geometry.