Summary:
Zip code 38261 in Union City, Tennessee contains three elementary schools enrolling 1,670 students total. Union City Elementary School serves grades PK–4 within the Union City Schools district, while Lake Road Elementary School and Ridgemont Elementary School both serve PK–8 within Obion County Schools.
Union City Elementary School is the strongest overall performer, ranking in the 56th percentile statewide with the highest math (51.2%) and ELA (46.8%) proficiency and the lowest chronic absenteeism (8.9%). Its district, Union City Schools, ranks 24th of 141 in Tennessee. Lake Road Elementary School ranks 44th percentile overall but shows notable science strength, posting 60.7% and 65.6% proficiency in 7th and 8th grade science respectively. Ridgemont Elementary School has the weakest overall rank (36th percentile) yet produces exceptional 8th grade results—78.6% math proficiency versus the 38.3% state average—while its 3rd grade math is just 9.1%. That 69.5-point internal gap is the most dramatic in the data.
All three schools rank below their districts' 4-star ratings, meaning district averages are lifted by schools outside this zip code. Chronic absenteeism is low across the board (8.9%–16.2%), well below the 18.3% state average. Spending ranges from $13,026 at Lake Road to $14,818 at Ridgemont, with no clear relationship to outcomes. English Language Arts is a regional weakness—only Union City Elementary exceeds the state average (46.8% vs. 40.6%)—while Social Studies is a strength at both Obion County Schools campuses (55.9% combined vs. 51.4% statewide). Parents seeking the strongest all-around option should look first at Union City Elementary, though families of upper-grade students may find Ridgemont's 8th grade cohort particularly compelling.
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