Summary:
Zip code 38483 is served by one middle school, Summertown Middle School, which enrolls students in grades 6 through 8 in the Summertown, Tennessee area. As the only middle school in this zip code, the school stands out by default but also earns attention for its solid state ranking: it currently ranks #241 out of 594 Tennessee middle schools, placing it in the 59th percentile with a 3-star rating. Its district, Lawrence County Schools, ranks #51 out of 141 districts in the state, also earning a 3-star rating. The school’s chronic absenteeism rate of 12.3% is better than both the district (14.5%) and the state (18.3%), suggesting strong attendance and engagement.
Academically, Summertown’s strongest subject is Social Studies, with an all-grades proficiency rate of 52.4% that edges out both the district (50.4%) and the state (51.4%). Seventh grade Social Studies is particularly impressive at 64.6% proficiency. However, the school trails in other areas: Math proficiency is 41.6% (below the district’s 47.7% and near the state’s 43.0%), and Science is the weakest relative subject at 39.0% — 7.9 points below the state average. A striking pattern is the 8th-grade weakness: 8th graders score noticeably lower than their 6th and 7th grade peers in nearly every subject, with the largest gap in Social Studies (37.1% vs. 64.6% in 7th grade).
Year-over-year trends show significant volatility. The school jumped from the 32nd percentile in 2023-2024 to the 63rd in 2024-2025, before slipping slightly to the 59th percentile in 2025-2026. Math proficiency dropped nearly 9 points (50.3% to 41.6%), while ELA jumped more than 9 points (30.6% to 39.8%). With only 187 students across three grades, these swings may reflect different cohorts rather than changes in teaching quality. Per-student spending is $11,536, but free/reduced lunch eligibility and student-teacher ratio were not reported, limiting deeper analysis. Parents should view grade-level comparisons with caution given the small class sizes, while recognizing the school’s clear strength in Social Studies and its need for focused support in Science and for 8th graders.
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