Is Donelson Elementary a good school?

Yes! Donelson Elementary is one of the best elementary schools in the state. It ranks 29 th of 1018 Tennessee elementary schools.

How many students attend Donelson Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 852 students attended Donelson Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Donelson Elementary?

Students at Donelson Elementary are 69% White, 13% African American, 9% Hispanic, 7% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

What schools do graduates of Donelson Elementary attend?

Students who attend Donelson Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Arlington Middle High : Arlington High

Donelson Elementary

Summary:

Donelson Elementary is a high-performing public elementary school serving grades PK-5 in Arlington, Tennessee, which is part of the Arlington District. The school has consistently been one of the top-performing elementary schools in the state, ranking in the top 5% of Tennessee elementary schools for several years.

Donelson Elementary's academic performance is exceptional, with students significantly outperforming the state and district averages on TNReady assessments in Mathematics, English Language Arts, and Science. In 2023-2024, 80.2% of Donelson students were proficient or better in Mathematics, compared to 70% for the Arlington District and 39.7% for the state. The school's performance is particularly strong in Mathematics, with 3rd, 4th, and 5th-grade students consistently scoring above 75% proficiency. Donelson Elementary also excels in supporting the academic achievement of various student subgroups, including African American, Hispanic, and low socioeconomic status students, ranking among the top schools in the state for these subgroups.

Compared to nearby schools, Donelson Elementary's academic performance is significantly higher than the Arlington Elementary, which is also a high-performing school in the same district. Donelson also outperforms schools in the Memphis-Shelby County District, such as Cordova Elementary, Kate Bond Elementary, and Macon-Hall Elementary, by a wide margin, particularly in Mathematics and Science.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

12140 Donelson Farms PKWY
Arlington, TN 38002

(901) 389-6973

District: Arlington

SchoolDigger Rank:
29^th of 1,018 Tennessee Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $12,383

Students who attend Donelson Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Arlington Middle
High:	Arlington High

Student/teacher ratio: 15.0

Number of students: 852

Racial breakdown:

White:

69.4%

African American:

12.8%

Hispanic:

8.7%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 11.5%

See top rated Tennessee elementary schools

Compare Donelson Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Donelson Elementary ranks better than 97.2% of elementary schools in Tennessee. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 97.23. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (69.4%), African American (12.8%), Hispanic (8.7%). (See more...)

Compare Details

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Donelson Elementary is 15. (See more...)

Compare Donelson Elementary employs 56.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Donelson Elementary is $12,383.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Donelson Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Donelson Elementary 29^th of 1018 Tennessee public elementary schools. (See Donelson Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Military Connected students:

Male students:

African American students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Arlington:

SchoolDigger ranks Arlington 1^st of 140 Tennessee school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Donelson Elementary.

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Your rating for Donelson Elementary?

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Rank History for Donelson Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Donelson Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	TN State Percentile
2017	97.97	3^rd	646	99.5%
2018	96.77	36^th	997	96.4%
2019	97.32	33^rd	985	96.6%
2021	97.00	34^th	983	96.5%
2022	95.32	51^st	1000	94.9%
2023	95.96	43^rd	1020	95.8%
2024	97.23	29^th	1018	97.2%

See the entire list of Tennessee Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Donelson Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	TN State Percentile
2018	85.74	25^th	395	93.7%
2019	92.75	11^th	255	95.7%
2021	96.40	12^th	369	96.7%
2022	77.01	56^th	447	87.5%
2023	75.21	68^th	528	87.1%
2024	92.50	19^th	582	96.7%

See the entire list of Best Tennessee Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Donelson Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	TN State Percentile
2022	87.16	36^th	858	95.8%
2023	93.95	18^th	865	97.9%
2024	99.00	4^th	853	99.5%

See the entire list of Best Tennessee Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Donelson Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	TN State Percentile
2019	95.93	33^rd	926	96.4%
2021	96.04	28^th	945	97.0%
2022	94.63	46^th	975	95.3%
2023	97.00	24^th	989	97.6%
2024	96.91	19^th	990	98.1%

See the entire list of Best Tennessee Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Military Connected students at Donelson Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	TN State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	91.85	2^nd	23	91.3%

See the entire list of Best Tennessee Elementary Schools for Military Connected Students!

Rank History for Male students at Donelson Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	TN State Percentile
2019	96.93	34^th	916	96.3%
2021	96.05	36^th	941	96.2%
2022	92.59	66^th	980	93.3%
2023	91.76	74^th	987	92.5%
2024	95.81	33^rd	991	96.7%

See the entire list of Best Tennessee Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Donelson Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	TN State Percentile
2018	94.46	11^th	450	97.6%
2019	99.18	1^st	404	99.8%
2021	98.35	3^rd	411	99.3%
2022	95.90	9^th	483	98.1%
2023	98.84	6^th	500	98.8%
2024	99.44	4^th	498	99.2%

See the entire list of Best Tennessee Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Donelson Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	TN State Percentile
2018	96.49	9^th	319	97.2%
2019	97.92	4^th	250	98.4%
2021	95.43	15^th	324	95.4%
2022	96.07	13^th	363	96.4%
2023	98.37	7^th	387	98.2%
2024	99.28	5^th	415	98.8%

See the entire list of Best Tennessee Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Donelson Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	TN State Percentile
2018	95.66	34^th	841	96.0%
2019	95.07	39^th	812	95.2%
2021	95.36	40^th	844	95.3%
2022	93.49	51^st	844	94.0%
2023	92.19	62^nd	852	92.7%
2024	93.52	47^th	847	94.5%

See the entire list of Best Tennessee Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Tennessee Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Tennessee Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Saturday, November 10, 2018

Great school and wonderful teachers ! Close Quote

Enrollment information for Donelson Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2015	537	77	10	74	1	0	17	716
2016	526	85	12	83	0	0	21	727
2017	526	89	10	88	0	0	21	734
2018	617	93	15	62	1	1	25	814
2019	668	91	17	56	1	2	41	876
2020	671	91	18	64	1	2	51	898
2021	652	90	19	68	0	2	57	888
2022	632	105	19	75	0	2	47	880
2023	579	109	21	85	0	1	52	847
2024	591	109	18	74	1	0	59	852

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Donelson Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2015	716	n/a	n/a	21.1
2016	727	47.0	15.4	17.2
2017	734	46.3	15.8	n/a
2018	814	46.2	17.6	n/a
2019	876	55.4	15.8	n/a
2020	898	55.8	16.0	11.5
2021	888	53.0	16.7	n/a
2022	880	57.0	15.4	n/a
2023	847	55.5	15.2	n/a
2024	852	56.5	15.0	n/a

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Donelson Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2015	716	n/a	n/a	21.1
2016	727	47.0	15.4	17.2
2017	734	46.3	15.8	n/a
2018	814	46.2	17.6	n/a
2019	876	55.4	15.8	n/a
2020	898	55.8	16.0	11.5
2021	888	53.0	16.7	n/a
2022	880	57.0	15.4	n/a
2023	847	55.5	15.2	n/a
2024	852	56.5	15.0	n/a

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Donelson Elementary

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$664 (6.9%)	$8,680 (90.5%)	$9,589
2020	$624 (6.6%)	$8,622 (91.1%)	$9,465
2021	$989 (9.1%)	$9,646 (88.5%)	$10,896
2022	$1,054 (9.7%)	$9,494 (87.2%)	$10,890
2023	$1,419 (11.5%)	$10,624 (85.8%)	$12,383

Data source: Tennessee Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Donelson Elementary

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 33^rd of 985 Elementary schools	Ranks 43^rd of 1020 Elementary schools	0.9%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade Mathematics (Donelson Elementary)	82.1	83.9	1.8%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Arlington)	83	81.4	1.6%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Tennessee)	43.8	40.5	3.3%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Donelson Elementary)	73.6	78.1	4.5%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Arlington)	73.9	77.5	3.6%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Tennessee)	36.9	40.5	3.6%
4th Grade Mathematics (Donelson Elementary)	83.5	73.1	10.4%
4th Grade Mathematics (Arlington)	83.3	74.3	9%
4th Grade Mathematics (Tennessee)	46	43.6	2.4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Donelson Elementary)	61.2	65.5	4.3%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Arlington)	65	70.3	5.3%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Tennessee)	34.3	43.5	9.2%
5th Grade Mathematics (Donelson Elementary)	85	90.6	5.6%
5th Grade Mathematics (Arlington)	84.4	80.8	3.6%
5th Grade Mathematics (Tennessee)	46.2	41.3	4.9%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Donelson Elementary)	60	72.5	12.5%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Arlington)	60.9	72.6	11.7%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Tennessee)	35.2	37	1.8%
All Grades Mathematics (Donelson Elementary)	83.5	82.4	1.1%
All Grades Mathematics (Arlington)	68	69.7	1.7%
All Grades Mathematics (Tennessee)	40.8	38.1	2.7%
All Grades English Language Arts (Donelson Elementary)	64.9	72.1	7.2%
All Grades English Language Arts (Arlington)	57.5	62.9	5.4%
All Grades English Language Arts (Tennessee)	33.7	36.6	2.9%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	876	847	3.3%
African American	91	109	19.8%
American Indian	1	0	100%
Asian	17	21	23.5%
Hispanic	56	85	51.8%
Pacific Islander	2	1	50%
White	668	579	13.3%
Two or More Races	41	52	26.8%

Schools Near Donelson Elementary

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				TNReady Mathematics (2024)							TNReady English Language Arts (2024)							TNReady Science (2024)							TNReady Social Studies (2024)				Per Pupil Expenditures (2023)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	TNReady Mathematics 3rd Grade	TNReady Mathematics 4th Grade	TNReady Mathematics 5th Grade	TNReady Mathematics 6th Grade	TNReady Mathematics 7th Grade	TNReady Mathematics 8th Grade	TNReady Mathematics All Grades	TNReady English Language Arts 3rd Grade	TNReady English Language Arts 4th Grade	TNReady English Language Arts 5th Grade	TNReady English Language Arts 6th Grade	TNReady English Language Arts 7th Grade	TNReady English Language Arts 8th Grade	TNReady English Language Arts All Grades	TNReady Science 3rd Grade	TNReady Science 4th Grade	TNReady Science 5th Grade	TNReady Science 6th Grade	TNReady Science 7th Grade	TNReady Science 8th Grade	TNReady Science All Grades	TNReady Social Studies 6th Grade	TNReady Social Studies 7th Grade	TNReady Social Studies 8th Grade	TNReady Social Studies All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Donelson Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	12140 Donelson Farms PKWY	Arlington	38002	Shelby County	Arlington	No	No	No	Yes	(901) 389-6973	852	57	15.0		591 (69.4%)	109 (12.8%)	74 (8.7%)	18 (2.1%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	59 (6.9%)	97.2	29^th of 1018 public elementary schools	97.2%		96	43^rd of 1020 public elementary schools	95.8%	14	82.7	76.7	81.2				80.2	77.6	76.0	67.8				73.8	85.3	76.7	79.9				80.7					$12,383	$1,419	$10,624
Arlington Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	11825 Douglas	Arlington	38002	Shelby County	Arlington	No	No	No	No	(901) 867-6000	898	60	14.9		674 (75.1%)	95 (10.6%)	46 (5.1%)	27 (3.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	56 (6.2%)	96.6	38^th of 1018 public elementary schools	96.3%		95.4	49^th of 1020 public elementary schools	95.2%	11	87.1	75.5	76.9				79.8	76.2	79.4	82.1				79.1	72.8	71.6	76.9				73.6					$12,024	$929	$10,781
Lakeland Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	10050 Oak Seed LN	Lakeland	38002	Shelby County	Lakeland	No	No	No	Yes	(901) 867-7071	1,034	72	14.4		655 (63.3%)	118 (11.4%)	140 (13.5%)	74 (7.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	46 (4.4%)	97.5	27^th of 1018 public elementary schools	97.3%		97.3	32^nd of 1020 public elementary schools	96.9%	5	89.3	79.8					84.4	74.9	75.5					75.2	81.1	79.3					80.2					$11,546	$693	$10,483
Barret's Chapel Elementary/Middle	Public	PK, KG-8	10280 Godwin Rd	Arlington	38002	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(901) 416-0325	311	33	9.5		81 (26.0%)	183 (58.8%)	32 (10.3%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (4.2%)	42.2	583^rd of 1018 public elementary schools	42.7%		30.4	721^st of 1020 public elementary schools	29.3%	138	54.3	43.2	34.5	8.1	40.7	22.2	33.9	45.7	51.4	31.0	10.8	37.0	19.4	32.7	54.3	51.4	37.9	18.9	48.1	35.5	40.8	10.8	48.1	29.0	27.4	$17,684	$2,735	$14,013
Bon Lin Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3940 Germantown RD	Bartlett	38133	Shelby County	Bartlett	No	No	No	Yes	(901) 937-2344	750	46	16.4		386 (51.5%)	173 (23.1%)	78 (10.4%)	57 (7.6%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	54 (7.2%)	88.8	93^rd of 1018 public elementary schools	90.9%		90.3	94^th of 1020 public elementary schools	90.8%	1	59.2	85.2	63.0				71.1	63.1	69.1	55.6				63.3	55.3	80.4	56.5				66.0					$12,122	$1,513	$10,218
Macon-Hall Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	9800 Macon RD	Cordova	38016	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(901) 416-2625	1,166	62	18.9		103 (8.8%)	876 (75.1%)	101 (8.7%)	32 (2.7%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	52 (4.5%)	29.3	740^th of 1018 public elementary schools	27.3%		26.2	771^st of 1020 public elementary schools	24.4%	31	28.9	21.6	26.9				25.9	40.1	32.9	26.7				32.8	36.2	30.3	29.4				31.8					$12,920	$2,273	$9,943
Oakland Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	14925 Hwy 194 North	Oakland	38060	Fayette County	Fayette County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(901) 465-3804	674	27	25.3		246 (36.5%)	310 (46.0%)	86 (12.8%)	5 (0.7%)	3 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	23 (3.4%)	12.5	926^th of 1018 public elementary schools	9.0%		13	917^th of 1020 public elementary schools	10.1%	9	14.8	17.9	18.4				17.1	13.8	19.7	20.9				18.2	20.0	19.2	24.1				21.2					$10,828	$1,981	$8,129
Chimneyrock Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	8601 Chimneyrock Blvd	Cordova	38016	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(901) 416-2067	931	49	19.0		84 (9.0%)	615 (66.1%)	182 (19.5%)	8 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	41 (4.4%)	45.8	534^th of 1018 public elementary schools	47.5%		39.6	616^th of 1020 public elementary schools	39.6%	82	23.3	50.4	29.5				34.5	30.8	46.8	27.9				35.1	34.2	60.5	47.3				47.5					$13,121	$2,312	$9,991
Kate Bond Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2727 Kate Bond RD	Bartlett	38133	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(901) 416-0020	787	53	14.8		84 (10.7%)	342 (43.5%)	333 (42.3%)	9 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (2.4%)	32.8	700^th of 1018 public elementary schools	31.2%		27.7	755^th of 1020 public elementary schools	26.0%	55	39.6	23.4	9.1				23.1	34.7	42.3	16.8				30.8	43.6	51.4	20.8				38.0					$13,613	$2,630	$10,186
Riverwood Elementary School	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	1330 Stern Ln	Cordova	38016	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(901) 416-2310	1,018	58	17.6		116 (11.4%)	654 (64.2%)	156 (15.3%)	25 (2.5%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	66 (6.5%)	44.2	553^rd of 1018 public elementary schools	45.7%		50	469^th of 1020 public elementary schools	54.0%	84	48.6	28.4	28.7				34.9	50.3	36.6	36.7				41.0	45.2	38.1	31.0				37.9					$13,151	$2,372	$10,094

Donelson Elementary

Donelson Elementary:

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Arlington:

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Donelson Elementary

Rank History for all students at Donelson Elementary

Rank History for Special Education students at Donelson Elementary

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Donelson Elementary

Rank History for Female students at Donelson Elementary

Rank History for Military Connected students at Donelson Elementary

Rank History for Male students at Donelson Elementary

Rank History for African American students at Donelson Elementary

Rank History for Hispanic students at Donelson Elementary

Rank History for White students at Donelson Elementary

Review counts

Enrollment information for Donelson Elementary

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Donelson Elementary

Student/Teacher Ratio Donelson Elementary

Per Pupil Expenditures for Donelson Elementary

Impact of COVID-19 on Donelson Elementary

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Donelson Elementary

Frequently Asked Questions about Donelson Elementary

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