Summary:
ZIP code 38391, a rural area in Denmark, Tennessee, contains just one school: Denmark Elementary School, a public elementary school serving grades PK through 5 with 408 students. Despite being the only school in the area, it stands out as a high performer within its district, Jackson-Madison County Schools, which ranks in the 5th percentile statewide. Denmark Elementary has improved dramatically over two years, jumping from the 33rd to the 53rd percentile in state rankings and earning a 3-star rating, up from 2 stars.
Denmark Elementary outperforms its district by wide margins in every tested subject. In mathematics, 49.7% of students are proficient, exceeding the district by 23.6 points and the state by 6.7 points. Science is nearly at the state average (45.8% vs. 46.9%), while English Language Arts (ELA) is the weakest subject at 38.4%, slightly below the state average but still 12.6 points above the district. Grade-level trends show math proficiency rises steadily, with 5th graders achieving an exceptional 62.5% proficiency, well above state and district averages. However, ELA declines sharply from 46.2% in 3rd grade to 32.1% in 5th grade, signaling a concerning loss of literacy progress in upper elementary. Science scores are relatively strong, with 4th graders slightly above the state average.
The school improved year-over-year in all three subjects, with math gaining 6.6 points and science 5.0 points. Chronic absenteeism affects 21.1% of students—better than the district's 28.2% but higher than the state's 18.3%—and may contribute to the ELA slide. Spending per student is $14,009, which appears to support strong district-relative outcomes. While Denmark Elementary is not a top-tier school statewide, it is a clear bright spot within a low-performing district, with genuine strength in math and a steady upward trajectory. The key areas for growth are upper-grade literacy and reducing chronic absenteeism.
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