Summary:
Zip code 38549 in Tennessee is served by a single high school, Pickett County High School in Byrdstown, which enrolls about 190 students in grades 9–12 and operates as the sole high school within Pickett County Schools. Because there is only one school, all district-level statistics for high school are identical to the school’s numbers, making it a true single-school district for families to evaluate.
Pickett County High School shows a mixed profile. The school succeeds at keeping students on track to graduate: the graduation rate is 92.3%, above the state average of 90.5%, and the dropout rate is just 1.9% compared to the state’s 6.7%. However, chronic absenteeism is a concern, with 23.0% of students missing significant school time versus 18.3% statewide. Academically, the school trails Tennessee averages in nearly every subject on the 2025–2026 TNReady tests. The largest gaps are in English II (37.5% proficient vs. 58.1% statewide) and Algebra II (17.6% vs. 37.3%). Algebra I, Geometry, and English I are closer but still below state proficiency rates. The school’s state ranking has improved slightly from the 35th percentile in 2024–2025 to the 40th percentile in 2025–2026, though it had been as high as the 59th percentile in 2023–2024.
Families should be aware that test scores at this small school can swing dramatically from year to year. Between 2024–2025 and 2025–2026, Algebra I proficiency jumped from 6.7% to 23.1%, while Biology I fell from a strong 59.1% to 36.1% — a 23-point drop that turned a bright spot into a weakness. English II also declined, widening its gap with the state. These volatile changes are typical with a student body of only 190, where a single cohort can shift results significantly. Overall, Pickett County High School stands out for keeping students enrolled and graduating them, but academic proficiency, particularly in math and upper-level English, remains the key area for improvement.
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