Best Public Schools in Zip Code 38030

Zip code 38030 in Finley, Tennessee, is served by a single public elementary school, Finley Elementary School, which enrolls 234 students in grades PK through 5 as part of Dyer County Schools. Finley Elementary is a strong performer, earning a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger and ranking in the 79th percentile of Tennessee elementary schools for the 2025–2026 school year. It has remained in the top quartile statewide for three consecutive years, although its rank slipped from 149th (85th percentile) the previous year to 214th (79th percentile) this year. The school’s greatest academic strengths are mathematics and science: math proficiency is 64.5%, which is 20.5 percentage points above the state average, and science proficiency is 61.8%, 14.9 points above the state. English language arts remains the weakest subject at 47.3%, though it still edges out both the district (44.6%) and state (40.6%) averages.

Grade-level trends reveal a notable pattern: math proficiency is remarkably stable across grades three through five, hovering in the mid-60s, while science fluctuates and ELA declines sharply. Third-grade ELA proficiency is a strong 60.5%, but it falls to 43.6% in fourth grade and just 36.4% in fifth grade—a 24.1-point drop and the only grade/subject combination where Finley lags the state average. Chronic absenteeism is impressively low at 10.3%, compared to 18.3% statewide, and per-student spending is a robust $14,422, indicating meaningful investment in resources. Free/reduced lunch percentage and student-teacher ratio are not reported.

For parents, the key takeaway is that Finley Elementary is a well-funded, above-average rural school with strong math and science programs and excellent attendance. The steady decline in reading proficiency from third to fifth grade is the clearest area of concern, suggesting an opportunity for targeted literacy support in upper elementary grades. While the school’s rank dipped slightly this year, it remains a reliable choice within Dyer County, and its consistency in math across grades points to a solid, vertically aligned curriculum. With only one school in the ZIP code, Finley is the sole educational option in 38030, and it compares favorably against both district and state benchmarks.