Summary:
Zip code 38551 in Celina, Tennessee is served by two public schools within the Clay County Schools district: Celina K-8 School (grades PK–8, 528 students) and Clay County High School (grades 9–12, 311 students). There are no standalone middle schools, so Celina K-8 handles both elementary and middle school instruction, while Clay County High is the only high school serving the area. The district overall ranks low in Tennessee (121 out of 141 districts), but individual school performance varies significantly.
Clay County High School is the clear standout, ranking 147th out of 400 high schools in Tennessee (63rd percentile, 3 stars) for 2025–2026 — a major improvement from 223rd the prior year. The high school exceeds state proficiency in Biology I (56.4% vs. 49.8%) and Geometry (48.7% vs. 42.3%), with a 95.3% graduation rate. Meanwhile, Celina K-8 School ranks 661st out of 1,019 elementary/middle schools (35th percentile, 2 stars) but outperforms its district in every subject. Celina K-8 showed notable year-over-year growth in Social Studies (+12.7 points to 43.8%) and Science (+4.7 points to 37.1%), though it remains below state averages across all subjects.
The most consistent challenge across both schools is English language arts. Celina K-8's 8th-grade ELA proficiency is just 17.2% versus the state's 32.3%, and Clay County High's English I proficiency is 20.8% versus the state's 37.3%. Math also shows concern — 5th-grade math proficiency at Celina K-8 is only 19.6%, far below the state's 47.4%. Attendance differs notably between the two schools: Celina K-8's chronic absenteeism rate (14.2%) is better than both the district (15.2%) and state (18.3%), while Clay County High (18.9%) is above both. With per-student spending around $13,000 at each school, this small district has genuine bright spots in science and geometry, but persistent literacy gaps and high-school attendance issues remain the key areas to watch.
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