Best High Schools in Zip Code 38257

Zip code 38257 contains one high school, South Fulton Middle / High School, a combined grades 6–12 campus in South Fulton, TN, part of Obion County Schools, serving 334 students. This small school is a standout performer, ranking 68th out of 400 Tennessee high schools (83rd percentile) and earning a 4-star rating for three consecutive years. It is a math-and-science powerhouse: All-Grades math proficiency is 73.3% compared to 43.0% statewide, with 8th-grade math hitting an exceptional 81.6% proficiency—43 points above the state average. Science and Biology are also strengths, with Biology I at 71.9% versus the state's 49.8%.

The school's biggest challenge is English Language Arts, where All-Grades proficiency is 35.3%, below the district (39.4%) and state (40.6%). The weakness is concentrated in middle grades: only 27.0% of 8th graders are proficient in ELA, and 7th grade sits at 35.7%. High school English is notably stronger, with English II at 67.6% versus 58.1% statewide. This creates an extreme math/ELA gap of 38 percentage points, compared to just 2.4 points statewide. Geometry is another puzzling weak spot: at 34.3% proficiency, it falls below the district (44.9%) and state (42.3%), even while Algebra I, Algebra II, and all middle-grade math scores beat state averages.

Beyond test scores, South Fulton posts encouraging attendance and retention numbers: chronic absenteeism is 11.2% versus the state's 18.3%, the dropout rate is 2.7%, and the graduation rate is 94.6%, above Tennessee's 90.5%. The school is also improving rapidly—Algebra I jumped from 21.2% to 38.5% proficiency in one year, with double-digit gains in Biology I, Social Studies, English II, and Algebra II. Per-student spending is $14,593. Note that free/reduced lunch data and student-teacher ratios were not available, and the school-level graduation/dropout figures are from 2023–24 while district/state comparisons are from 2024–25. Overall, South Fulton Middle / High School is a strong, improving choice with standout STEM performance and a clear focus area in middle-grade ELA.