Summary:
Zip code 38315 is served by a single school, Bethel Springs Elementary School, which enrolls 415 students in grades PK through 8 within the McNairy County Schools district. Because it spans such a wide grade range, this school functions as the sole educational institution for the area, serving as an elementary and middle school combined.
Bethel Springs Elementary shows a clear bright spot in 7th grade, where students outperform both district and state averages in math (41.9%), science (51.6%), and especially social studies (71% proficiency, a full 15 points above the state). Overall, social studies is the school's strongest subject at 49.6% proficiency, nearly matching the state average. However, other subjects lag significantly: overall math proficiency is 29.8%, ELA is 27.3%, and science is 33.2%, each roughly 13 points below state averages. The 6th grade cohort struggles the most, with ELA proficiency at just 11.8% and science at 17.6%, far below state levels. Third-grade math (17.6%) is also a critical weakness.
Year-over-year trends are mixed. ELA improved by 2.6 points and social studies by 2.4 points, but science declined by 5.1 points and math remained flat. The school's state ranking has been volatile, rising from the 23rd percentile in 2023-2024 to the 30th in 2024-2025, then falling to the 18th percentile in 2025-2026. On a positive note, chronic absenteeism is 15.5%, better than both district (16.8%) and state (18.3%) rates. With per-student spending of $13,961, the school has substantial resources, yet proficiency remains below state averages in most subjects. This suggests targeted interventions at 3rd and 6th grades, rather than school-wide changes, may be the most effective path forward.
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