Summary:
Zip code 38565 contains just one school, South Fentress Elementary School, which serves 561 students across grades PK–8 in the rural community of Grimsley, Tennessee, within Fentress County Schools.
South Fentress Elementary School is the only school in this zip code, making it the sole educational option for local families. The school has experienced a concerning decline in its state ranking, falling from a 3-star rating at the 54th percentile in 2023–2024 to a 1-star rating at the 29th percentile in 2025–2026. Academically, the school trails the state in every subject, with the largest gap in Mathematics (25.6% proficient vs. 43.0% statewide) and the smallest in English Language Arts (32.4% vs. 40.6%). However, Science is a clear bright spot: the school outperforms its district in every grade level, and 4th and 8th grade Science scores actually exceed or match the state average. Grade-level data also shows strong early performance — 3rd grade Math and ELA beat district averages — but proficiency drops considerably by 5th grade (13.3% in Math) and 8th grade (22.2% in ELA), suggesting students struggle to maintain gains as they move through the grades.
On a positive note, chronic absenteeism at South Fentress Elementary School stands at 16.1%, better than both the district rate of 19.1% and the state rate of 18.3%, indicating attendance is not the primary driver of low achievement. Per-student spending is $11,983 for the 2024–2025 school year. All subjects declined year-over-year, with English Language Arts dropping the most at 7.9 percentage points. While the school's science program and early-grade instruction show promise, the data suggests the school is in need of targeted academic support, particularly in upper-grade math and reading, to reverse its downward trajectory.
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