DeKalb Middle School

Summary:

DeKalb Middle School is a public middle school in Smithville, Tennessee, serving 526 students in grades 6-8. The school is part of the DeKalb County School District, which is ranked 94 out of 139 districts in the state and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

While DeKalb Middle School has a significantly higher percentage of Hispanic students (22.05%) compared to the surrounding schools, which range from 4.44% to 23.85% Hispanic, the school consistently underperforms the state and county averages in academic assessments. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, the school's proficiency rates in Mathematics (23.9%), English Language Arts (22.7%), and Science (33.7%) were all lower than the state and county averages. Additionally, the school's rankings for specific student subgroups, such as African American and Hispanic students, are particularly low, ranking in the bottom 10% of Tennessee middle schools for special education students.

Compared to nearby schools like Smith County Middle School, Upperman Middle School, and Watertown Middle School, DeKalb Middle School has a declining performance, with its statewide ranking dropping from 169 out of 563 Tennessee middle schools in 2017-2018 to 381 out of 580 in the 2023-2024 school year. This trend, coupled with the school's challenges in serving its diverse student population and the potential impact of increased student-teacher ratios, suggests the need for a comprehensive review of the school's instructional practices, resource allocation, and support systems to improve student outcomes.


Detail:

Public 6-8

 1132 West Broad ST
       Smithville, TN  37166


(615) 597-7987

District: DeKalb County

SchoolDigger Rank:
383rd of 587 Tennessee Middle Schools


Students who attend DeKalb Middle School usually attend:

High:    De Kalb County Adult High School
    De Kalb County High School

Feeder schools for DeKalb Middle School:

Elementary:    DeKalb West Elementary
    Northside Elementary
    Smithville Elementary

Student/teacher ratio:  14.8 Help
Number of students:  526

Racial breakdown:

White:
72.2%
Hispanic:
22.1%
Two or more races:
3.4%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  72.4% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details DeKalb Middle School ranks worse than 65.2% of middle schools in Tennessee. (See more...)
Help
Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 34.44. (See more...)
Help
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.
Finance
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

DeKalb Middle School:

SchoolDigger ranks DeKalb Middle School 383rd of 587 Tennessee public middle schools. (See DeKalb Middle School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
African American students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


DeKalb County:

SchoolDigger ranks DeKalb County 89th of 140 Tennessee school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for DeKalb Middle School

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Compare

Rank History for all students at DeKalb Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools TN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2010 35.67 313th 435 28.0%
2011 37.93 313th 462 32.3%
2012 38.15 316th 466 32.2%
2013 54.51 260th 475 45.3%
2014 50.78 256th 485 47.2%
2015 56.38 243rd 492 50.6%
2017 44.97 224th 362 38.1%
2018 60.34 169th 563 70.0%
2019 45.62 281st 574 51.0%
2021 30.85 389th 576 32.5%
2022 36.45 348th 569 38.8%
2023 30.59 414th 594 30.3%
2024 34.44 383rd 587 34.8%
See the entire list of Tennessee Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at DeKalb Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools TN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 35.17 179th 279 35.8%
2019 31.06 167th 222 24.8%
2021 20.06 229th 238 3.8%
2023 20.56 280th 288 2.8%
See the entire list of Best Tennessee Middle Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at DeKalb Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools TN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 60.51 139th 481 71.1%
2019 42.41 280th 490 42.9%
2021 39.55 266th 483 44.9%
2022 36.17 304th 495 38.6%
2023 36.08 318th 514 38.1%
2024 47.65 241st 510 52.7%
See the entire list of Best Tennessee Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at DeKalb Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools TN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 47.01 262nd 529 50.5%
2021 25.59 404th 538 24.9%
2022 32.33 377th 552 31.7%
2023 34.71 360th 560 35.7%
2024 36.21 353rd 554 36.3%
See the entire list of Best Tennessee Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at DeKalb Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools TN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 51.39 27th 39 30.8%
See the entire list of Best Tennessee Middle Schools for Gifted and Talented Students!

Rank History for Male students at DeKalb Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools TN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 42.48 290th 523 44.6%
2021 36.44 314th 529 40.6%
2022 39.12 319th 540 40.9%
2023 26.47 416th 557 25.3%
2024 31.80 389th 560 30.5%
See the entire list of Best Tennessee Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at DeKalb Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools TN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 21.10 262nd 318 17.6%
See the entire list of Best Tennessee Middle Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at DeKalb Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools TN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 49.60 97th 219 55.7%
2019 31.14 161st 228 29.4%
2021 30.74 174th 261 33.3%
2022 36.10 165th 275 40.0%
2023 28.36 212th 285 25.6%
2024 32.86 195th 285 31.6%
See the entire list of Best Tennessee Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at DeKalb Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools TN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 55.90 171st 481 64.4%
2019 41.09 275th 484 43.2%
2021 26.47 386th 496 22.2%
2022 29.39 362nd 500 27.6%
2023 23.94 405th 503 19.5%
2024 26.23 388th 504 23.0%
See the entire list of Best Tennessee Middle 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.

DeKalb Middle School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 






Data source: Tennessee Department of Education

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Enrollment information for DeKalb Middle School

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 598 13 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 611
1989 598 11 n/a 5 n/a n/a n/a 0 614
1990 620 18 0 3 0 n/a n/a 0 641
1991 594 16 0 1 0 n/a n/a 0 611
1992 605 16 0 1 0 n/a n/a 0 622
1993 613 18 0 3 0 n/a n/a 0 634
1994 606 12 0 2 0 n/a n/a 0 620
1995 639 11 0 8 2 n/a n/a 0 660
1996 639 11 0 8 2 n/a n/a 0 660
1997 632 10 0 7 1 n/a n/a 1 651
1998 625 11 0 8 0 n/a n/a 2 646
1999 609 12 0 12 0 n/a n/a 1 634
2000 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 639 639
2001 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 473 473
2002 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 502 502
2003 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 502 502
2004 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 485 485
2005 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 488 488
2006 444 5 2 30 2 n/a n/a 0 483
2007 470 5 1 44 1 n/a n/a 0 521
2008 2 0 0 3 0 n/a n/a 0 5
2009 494 3 3 38 0 n/a n/a 0 538
2010 453 5 4 46 0 n/a n/a 0 508
2011 470 9 1 44 0 0 2 0 526
2012 453 7 3 53 3 0 1 0 520
2013 487 6 2 62 2 0 4 0 563
2014 493 5 3 71 0 0 1 0 573
2015 468 6 2 68 0 0 2 0 546
2016 456 8 2 64 0 0 2 0 532
2017 444 7 1 68 0 0 3 0 523
2018 445 14 2 79 0 0 8 0 548
2019 455 8 1 89 0 0 10 0 563
2020 475 10 1 92 0 0 18 0 596
2021 446 5 2 100 0 0 15 0 568
2022 418 9 3 97 1 0 12 0 540
2023 380 9 2 116 1 0 18 0 526

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 DeKalb Middle School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 611 29.0 21.0 n/a
1989 614 29.0 21.1 n/a
1990 641 29.0 22.1 n/a
1991 611 28.0 21.8 n/a
1992 622 28.0 22.2 n/a
1993 634 28.0 22.6 n/a
1994 620 36.0 17.2 n/a
1995 660 36.0 18.3 n/a
1996 660 36.0 18.3 n/a
1997 651 n/a 0.0 n/a
1998 646 n/a 0.0 n/a
1999 634 n/a 0.0 n/a
2000 639 n/a 0.0 n/a
2001 473 n/a 0.0 n/a
2002 502 n/a n/a n/a
2003 502 n/a n/a n/a
2004 485 n/a n/a n/a
2005 488 n/a n/a n/a
2006 483 27.0 17.9 n/a
2007 521 29.0 18.0 53
2008 5 32.0 0.2 40
2009 538 30.0 17.9 53.3
2010 508 30.0 16.9 60.2
2011 526 31.0 16.9 62
2012 520 32.0 16.2 65.2
2013 563 32.0 17.5 63.9
2014 573 34.0 16.8 62
2015 546 37.0 14.7 60.3
2016 532 36.0 14.7 72.4
2017 523 37.0 14.1 n/a
2018 548 32.0 17.1 n/a
2019 563 30.9 18.2 n/a
2020 596 31.0 19.2 n/a
2021 568 35.6 15.9 n/a
2022 540 35.5 15.2 n/a
2023 526 35.5 14.8 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 DeKalb Middle School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 611 29.0 21.0 n/a
1989 614 29.0 21.1 n/a
1990 641 29.0 22.1 n/a
1991 611 28.0 21.8 n/a
1992 622 28.0 22.2 n/a
1993 634 28.0 22.6 n/a
1994 620 36.0 17.2 n/a
1995 660 36.0 18.3 n/a
1996 660 36.0 18.3 n/a
1997 651 n/a 0.0 n/a
1998 646 n/a 0.0 n/a
1999 634 n/a 0.0 n/a
2000 639 n/a 0.0 n/a
2001 473 n/a 0.0 n/a
2002 502 n/a n/a n/a
2003 502 n/a n/a n/a
2004 485 n/a n/a n/a
2005 488 n/a n/a n/a
2006 483 27.0 17.9 n/a
2007 521 29.0 18.0 53
2008 5 32.0 0.2 40
2009 538 30.0 17.9 53.3
2010 508 30.0 16.9 60.2
2011 526 31.0 16.9 62
2012 520 32.0 16.2 65.2
2013 563 32.0 17.5 63.9
2014 573 34.0 16.8 62
2015 546 37.0 14.7 60.3
2016 532 36.0 14.7 72.4
2017 523 37.0 14.1 n/a
2018 548 32.0 17.1 n/a
2019 563 30.9 18.2 n/a
2020 596 31.0 19.2 n/a
2021 568 35.6 15.9 n/a
2022 540 35.5 15.2 n/a
2023 526 35.5 14.8 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 DeKalb Middle School

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $668 (8.9%) $6,251 (83.3%) $7,506
2020 $628 (8.8%) $5,976 (84.0%) $7,118
2021 $1,179 (14.0%) $6,774 (80.6%) $8,408
2022 $904 (9.6%) $7,793 (82.8%) $9,412
2023 $1,770 (15.8%) $8,513 (76.1%) $11,180

Data source: Tennessee Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on DeKalb Middle School

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 281st of 574 Middle schoolsRanks 414th of 594 Middle schools
 20.7%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
6th Grade Mathematics (DeKalb Middle School)35.522
 13.5%
   6th Grade Mathematics (DeKalb County)36.523.2
 13.3%
   6th Grade Mathematics (Tennessee)3933.8
 5.2%
6th Grade English Language Arts (DeKalb Middle School)28.619.7
 8.9%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (DeKalb County)29.525.9
 3.6%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (Tennessee)33.435.9
 2.5%
6th Grade Social Studies (DeKalb Middle School)3433.5
 0.5%
   6th Grade Social Studies (DeKalb County)3437.9
 3.9%
   6th Grade Social Studies (Tennessee)3843.4
 5.4%
7th Grade Mathematics (DeKalb Middle School)36.921.6
 15.3%
   7th Grade Mathematics (DeKalb County)39.924.7
 15.2%
   7th Grade Mathematics (Tennessee)33.635
 1.4%
7th Grade English Language Arts (DeKalb Middle School)31.316.5
 14.8%
   7th Grade English Language Arts (DeKalb County)37.522.5
 15%
   7th Grade English Language Arts (Tennessee)35.436.1
 0.7%
7th Grade Social Studies (DeKalb Middle School)40.946.4
 5.5%
   7th Grade Social Studies (DeKalb County)4648.9
 2.9%
   7th Grade Social Studies (Tennessee)43.246.9
 3.7%
8th Grade Mathematics (DeKalb Middle School)36.427.3
 9.1%
   8th Grade Mathematics (DeKalb County)35.429.8
 5.6%
   8th Grade Mathematics (Tennessee)35.134
 1.1%
8th Grade English Language Arts (DeKalb Middle School)16.615
 1.6%
   8th Grade English Language Arts (DeKalb County)20.319.7
 0.6%
   8th Grade English Language Arts (Tennessee)27.126.3
 0.8%
8th Grade Algebra I (DeKalb Middle School)88.910
 78.9%
   8th Grade Algebra I (DeKalb County)78.130
 48.1%
   8th Grade Algebra I (Tennessee)75.676.3
 0.7%
8th Grade Social Studies (DeKalb Middle School)31.441.8
 10.4%
   8th Grade Social Studies (DeKalb County)32.941.5
 8.6%
   8th Grade Social Studies (Tennessee)41.541.6
 0.1%
All Grades Mathematics (DeKalb Middle School)36.223.3
 12.9%
   All Grades Mathematics (DeKalb County)33.827.9
 5.9%
   All Grades Mathematics (Tennessee)40.838.1
 2.7%
All Grades English Language Arts (DeKalb Middle School)25.717.1
 8.6%
   All Grades English Language Arts (DeKalb County)28.630.8
 2.2%
   All Grades English Language Arts (Tennessee)33.736.6
 2.9%
All Grades Algebra I (DeKalb Middle School)88.910
 78.9%
   All Grades Algebra I (DeKalb County)25.79.9
 15.8%
   All Grades Algebra I (Tennessee)27.423.2
 4.2%
All Grades Social Studies (DeKalb Middle School)35.440.8
 5.4%
   All Grades Social Studies (DeKalb County)37.642.9
 5.3%
   All Grades Social Studies (Tennessee)40.943.9
 3%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students563526
 6.6%
African American89
 12.5%
American Indian01
Asian12
 100%
Hispanic89116
 30.3%
Pacific Islander00
White455380
 16.5%
Two or More Races1018
 80%


Schools Near DeKalb Middle School









Frequently Asked Questions about DeKalb Middle School

DeKalb Middle School ranks 383rd of 587 Tennessee middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Students at DeKalb Middle School are 72% White, 22% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races, 2% African American.

In the 2022-23 school year, 526 students attended DeKalb Middle School.

Students who attend DeKalb Middle School usually go on to attend De Kalb County Adult High School


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Tennessee Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.





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