Is South Middle School a good school?

South Middle School ranks in the bottom 23.0% of Tennessee middle schools.

How many students attend South Middle School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 318 students attended South Middle School.

What is the racial makeup of South Middle School?

Students at South Middle School are 84% White, 8% African American, 6% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races.

What high school do graduates of South Middle School attend?

Students who attend South Middle School usually go on to attend Franklin County High School

South Middle School

Summary:

South Middle School is a public middle school located in Cowan, Tennessee, serving grades 6-8 with a total enrollment of 292 students. The school is part of the Franklin County School District, which is ranked 109 out of 139 districts in Tennessee and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

South Middle School consistently performs below the state and district averages in academic assessments, with only 19.3% of students proficient or better in Mathematics and 17.2% in English Language Arts, compared to the Franklin County averages of 28.1% and 28.4%, respectively. The school has also maintained a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger, indicating it is among the lowest-performing schools in Tennessee. Additionally, South Middle School has a higher percentage of White students (85.27%) compared to the state and district, and a lower student-teacher ratio of 12.6, which suggests potential issues with resource allocation or instructional practices.

When comparing South Middle School to the nearby North Middle School, also in the Franklin County School District, North Middle School outperforms South Middle School in academic assessments and has a higher statewide ranking, despite serving a similar student population. This comparison highlights the persistent challenges faced by South Middle School and the need for a comprehensive review of the school's instructional practices and strategies to address the underperformance.

Detail:

Public 6-8

601 West Cumberland ST
Cowan, TN 37318

(931) 967-7355

District: Franklin County

SchoolDigger Rank:
452^nd of 587 Tennessee Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $14,352

Students who attend South Middle School usually attend:

High:

Franklin County High School

Feeder schools for South Middle School:

Elementary:	Cowan Elementary
	Sewanee Elementary

Student/teacher ratio: 13.2

Number of students: 318

Racial breakdown:

White:

83.6%

African American:

7.9%

Hispanic:

6.0%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 63%

See top rated Tennessee middle schools

Compare South Middle School to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details South Middle School ranks worse than 77% of middle schools in Tennessee. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 24.35. (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 (83.6%), African American (7.9%), Hispanic (6%). (See more...)

Compare Details

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at South Middle School is 13.2. (See more...)

Compare South Middle School employs 24 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at South Middle School is $14,352.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

South Middle School:

SchoolDigger ranks South Middle School 452^nd of 587 Tennessee public middle schools. (See South Middle School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

African American students:

White students:

Franklin County:

SchoolDigger ranks Franklin County 111^th of 140 Tennessee school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for South Middle School

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Rank History for all students at South Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	TN State Percentile
2010	43.67	257^th	435	40.9%
2011	44.55	286^th	462	38.1%
2012	33.73	349^th	466	25.1%
2013	44.97	336^th	475	29.3%
2014	35.64	366^th	485	24.5%
2015	41.82	346^th	492	29.7%
2017	10.92	349^th	362	3.6%
2018	31.70	405^th	563	28.1%
2019	25.73	448^th	574	22.0%
2021	17.21	473^rd	576	17.9%
2022	17.73	474^th	569	16.7%
2023	26.75	437^th	594	26.4%
2024	24.35	452^nd	587	23.0%

See the entire list of Tennessee Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at South Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	TN State Percentile
2018	39.42	151^st	279	45.9%
2019	18.38	220^th	222	0.9%
2021	35.77	145^th	238	39.1%
2022	27.46	217^th	260	16.5%
2023	30.18	200^th	288	30.6%
2024	29.68	219^th	299	26.8%

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

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

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	TN State Percentile
2018	27.12	382^nd	481	20.6%
2019	24.02	405^th	490	17.3%
2021	19.54	416^th	483	13.9%
2022	18.29	441^st	495	10.9%
2023	31.83	355^th	514	30.9%
2024	33.88	334^th	510	34.5%

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

Rank History for Female students at South Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	TN State Percentile
2019	29.24	402^nd	529	24.0%
2021	24.56	410^th	538	23.8%
2022	19.52	452^nd	552	18.1%
2023	23.51	432^nd	560	22.9%
2024	24.63	432^nd	554	22.0%

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

Rank History for Male students at South Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	TN State Percentile
2019	22.98	420^th	523	19.7%
2021	14.55	455^th	529	14.0%
2022	16.33	461^st	540	14.6%
2023	29.56	399^th	557	28.4%
2024	24.08	433^rd	560	22.7%

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

Rank History for African American students at South Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	TN State Percentile
2018	46.54	121^st	284	57.4%
2019	36.23	173^rd	293	41.0%
2021	23.70	208^th	277	24.9%
2022	26.24	211^th	299	29.4%
2023	16.38	294^th	316	7.0%
2024	31.59	205^th	318	35.5%

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

Rank History for White students at South Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	TN State Percentile
2018	21.89	418^th	481	13.1%
2019	21.81	430^th	484	11.2%
2021	12.79	467^th	496	5.8%
2022	12.33	473^rd	500	5.4%
2023	18.40	444^th	503	11.7%
2024	15.91	459^th	504	8.9%

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.

Data source: Tennessee Department of Education

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Enrollment information for South Middle School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	518	65	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	584
1989	535	61	n/a	1	n/a	n/a	n/a	0	597
1990	460	70	2	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	533
1991	467	61	1	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	530
1992	469	61	1	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	532
1993	488	62	1	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	552
1994	448	57	1	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	508
1995	415	48	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	464
1996	415	48	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	464
1997	416	57	0	3	0	n/a	n/a	7	483
1998	460	35	1	3	0	n/a	n/a	1	500
1999	407	61	0	3	1	n/a	n/a	0	472
2000	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	159	159
2001	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	418	418
2002	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	466	466
2003	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	466	466
2004	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	433	433
2005	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	274	274
2006	229	33	1	12	1	n/a	n/a	0	276
2007	409	48	5	13	1	n/a	n/a	0	476
2008	397	48	1	8	0	n/a	n/a	0	454
2009	384	45	1	15	0	n/a	n/a	0	445
2010	346	38	2	10	0	n/a	n/a	0	396
2011	378	48	2	14	0	1	2	0	445
2012	379	38	1	13	1	1	1	0	434
2013	387	45	1	19	2	0	5	0	459
2014	373	39	2	18	2	0	6	0	440
2015	380	39	0	16	3	0	4	0	442
2016	360	31	0	14	2	0	5	0	412
2017	338	44	0	19	2	0	4	0	407
2018	299	51	1	14	0	0	0	0	365
2019	282	52	0	20	0	0	2	0	356
2020	253	42	0	31	0	0	1	0	327
2021	243	35	0	19	0	0	2	0	299
2022	256	28	1	18	0	0	3	0	306
2023	249	23	0	13	2	0	5	0	292
2024	266	25	0	19	0	0	8	0	318

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 South Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	584	31.0	18.8	n/a
1989	597	31.0	19.2	n/a
1990	533	30.0	17.7	n/a
1991	530	30.0	17.6	n/a
1992	532	30.0	17.7	n/a
1993	552	30.0	18.4	n/a
1994	508	29.0	17.5	n/a
1995	464	31.0	15.0	n/a
1996	464	31.0	15.0	n/a
1997	483	n/a	0.0	n/a
1998	500	n/a	0.0	n/a
1999	472	n/a	0.0	n/a
2000	159	n/a	0.0	n/a
2001	418	n/a	0.0	n/a
2002	466	n/a	n/a	n/a
2003	466	n/a	n/a	n/a
2004	433	n/a	n/a	n/a
2005	274	n/a	n/a	n/a
2006	276	19.0	14.5	n/a
2007	476	23.0	20.7	46.4
2008	454	24.0	18.9	69.8
2009	445	23.0	19.3	76.4
2010	396	24.0	16.5	78.5
2011	445	23.0	19.3	56.6
2012	434	25.0	17.3	61.8
2013	459	26.0	17.6	59.3
2014	440	26.0	16.9	62.3
2015	442	29.0	15.2	65.2
2016	412	32.0	12.8	67
2017	407	30.0	13.5	n/a
2018	365	29.0	12.5	n/a
2019	356	25.0	14.2	n/a
2020	327	27.0	12.1	63
2021	299	24.0	12.4	n/a
2022	306	24.0	12.7	n/a
2023	292	23.0	12.6	n/a
2024	318	24.0	13.2	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 South Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	584	31.0	18.8	n/a
1989	597	31.0	19.2	n/a
1990	533	30.0	17.7	n/a
1991	530	30.0	17.6	n/a
1992	532	30.0	17.7	n/a
1993	552	30.0	18.4	n/a
1994	508	29.0	17.5	n/a
1995	464	31.0	15.0	n/a
1996	464	31.0	15.0	n/a
1997	483	n/a	0.0	n/a
1998	500	n/a	0.0	n/a
1999	472	n/a	0.0	n/a
2000	159	n/a	0.0	n/a
2001	418	n/a	0.0	n/a
2002	466	n/a	n/a	n/a
2003	466	n/a	n/a	n/a
2004	433	n/a	n/a	n/a
2005	274	n/a	n/a	n/a
2006	276	19.0	14.5	n/a
2007	476	23.0	20.7	46.4
2008	454	24.0	18.9	69.8
2009	445	23.0	19.3	76.4
2010	396	24.0	16.5	78.5
2011	445	23.0	19.3	56.6
2012	434	25.0	17.3	61.8
2013	459	26.0	17.6	59.3
2014	440	26.0	16.9	62.3
2015	442	29.0	15.2	65.2
2016	412	32.0	12.8	67
2017	407	30.0	13.5	n/a
2018	365	29.0	12.5	n/a
2019	356	25.0	14.2	n/a
2020	327	27.0	12.1	63
2021	299	24.0	12.4	n/a
2022	306	24.0	12.7	n/a
2023	292	23.0	12.6	n/a
2024	318	24.0	13.2	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 South Middle School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$1,177 (10.4%)	$9,285 (82.2%)	$11,298
2020	$1,218 (10.4%)	$9,730 (82.9%)	$11,731
2021	$1,607 (12.7%)	$10,234 (81.1%)	$12,612
2022	$2,388 (17.6%)	$10,376 (76.4%)	$13,588
2023	$2,382 (16.6%)	$11,020 (76.8%)	$14,352

Data source: Tennessee Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on South 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 448^th of 574 Middle schools	Ranks 437^th of 594 Middle schools	4.5%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
6th Grade Mathematics (South Middle School)	14	15.1	1.1%
6th Grade Mathematics (Franklin County)	23.5	11.9	11.6%
6th Grade Mathematics (Tennessee)	39	33.8	5.2%
6th Grade English Language Arts (South Middle School)	16	21.5	5.5%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Franklin County)	24.9	19.5	5.4%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Tennessee)	33.4	35.9	2.5%
6th Grade Social Studies (South Middle School)	22.8	23.9	1.1%
6th Grade Social Studies (Franklin County)	22.7	21.2	1.5%
6th Grade Social Studies (Tennessee)	38	43.4	5.4%
7th Grade Mathematics (South Middle School)	21.2	25.5	4.3%
7th Grade Mathematics (Franklin County)	19.7	19.2	0.5%
7th Grade Mathematics (Tennessee)	33.6	35	1.4%
7th Grade English Language Arts (South Middle School)	32.4	22.5	9.9%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Franklin County)	27.3	24.1	3.2%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Tennessee)	35.4	36.1	0.7%
7th Grade Social Studies (South Middle School)	43.3	42.6	0.7%
7th Grade Social Studies (Franklin County)	27.7	33.5	5.8%
7th Grade Social Studies (Tennessee)	43.2	46.9	3.7%
8th Grade Mathematics (South Middle School)	18.6	12.5	6.1%
8th Grade Mathematics (Franklin County)	23.3	25.6	2.3%
8th Grade Mathematics (Tennessee)	35.1	34	1.1%
8th Grade English Language Arts (South Middle School)	14.1	10	4.1%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Franklin County)	18.9	18.5	0.4%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Tennessee)	27.1	26.3	0.8%
8th Grade Social Studies (South Middle School)	21.5	13.9	7.6%
8th Grade Social Studies (Franklin County)	25.7	26.4	0.7%
8th Grade Social Studies (Tennessee)	41.5	41.6	0.1%
All Grades Mathematics (South Middle School)	18	18.2	0.2%
All Grades Mathematics (Franklin County)	27.8	27.4	0.4%
All Grades Mathematics (Tennessee)	40.8	38.1	2.7%
All Grades English Language Arts (South Middle School)	20.4	18.5	1.9%
All Grades English Language Arts (Franklin County)	27.1	28.6	1.5%
All Grades English Language Arts (Tennessee)	33.7	36.6	2.9%
All Grades Social Studies (South Middle School)	28.7	27.9	0.8%
All Grades Social Studies (Franklin County)	25.4	27	1.6%
All Grades Social Studies (Tennessee)	40.9	43.9	3%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	356	292	18%
African American	52	23	55.8%
American Indian	0	2
Asian	0	0
Hispanic	20	13	35%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	282	249	11.7%
Two or More Races	2	5	150%

Schools Near South Middle School

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 Algebra I (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 6th Grade	TNReady Mathematics 7th Grade	TNReady Mathematics 8th Grade	TNReady Mathematics All Grades	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 Algebra I 8th Grade	TNReady Algebra I All Grades	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
South Middle School	Public	6-8	601 West Cumberland ST	Cowan	37318	Franklin County	Franklin County	No	No	No	Yes	(931) 967-7355	318	24	13.2		266 (83.6%)	25 (7.9%)	19 (6.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.5%)	24.4	452^nd of 587 public middle schools	23.0%		26.7	437^th of 594 public middle schools	26.4%	15	20.7	14.7	21.0	19.3	23.3	10.7	15.2	17.2			31.0	34.7	30.5	31.8	32.8	34.7	16.2	27.4	$14,352	$2,382	$11,020
North Middle School	Public	6-8	2990 Decherd BLVD	Winchester	37398	Franklin County	Franklin County	No	No	No	Yes	(931) 967-5323	577	33	17.4		485 (84.1%)	32 (5.5%)	42 (7.3%)	4 (0.7%)	2 (0.3%)	2 (0.3%)	10 (1.7%)	24.7	447^th of 587 public middle schools	23.9%		28.6	430^th of 594 public middle schools	27.6%	17	30.4	10.7	20.8	20.4	22.3	15.8	19.1	19.0			31.0	25.5	30.9	29.0	20.1	25.0	36.0	26.9	$10,684	$1,532	$8,570
West Middle School	Public	6-8	90 Hermitage DR	Tullahoma	37388	Coffee County	Tullahoma	No	No	No	No	(931) 454-2605	406	28	14.4		316 (77.8%)	42 (10.3%)	28 (6.9%)	5 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (3.7%)	37.8	357^th of 587 public middle schools	39.2%		40	341^st of 594 public middle schools	42.6%	16	24.7	35.7	36.1	31.4	23.3	36.0	26.2	28.0	92.9	92.9	27.4	36.5	31.1	31.3	15.8	36.5	41.8	30.3	$14,815	$2,700	$11,266
East Middle School	Public	6-8	908 Country Club DR	Tullahoma	37388	Coffee County	Tullahoma	No	No	No	No	(931) 454-2632	380	28	13.7		270 (71.1%)	28 (7.4%)	37 (9.7%)	8 (2.1%)	4 (1.1%)	1 (0.3%)	32 (8.4%)	53.8	244^th of 587 public middle schools	58.4%		46.4	299^th of 594 public middle schools	49.7%	55	44.7	32.8	45.9	40.9	36.4	22.4	32.1	30.5			39.7	40.8	39.3	39.9	39.0	40.8	55.4	44.4	$14,462	$2,700	$10,913

South Middle School

South Middle School:

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Franklin County:

What do you think?

Rank History for South Middle School

Rank History for all students at South Middle School

Rank History for Special Education students at South Middle School

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

Rank History for Female students at South Middle School

Rank History for Male students at South Middle School

Rank History for African American students at South Middle School

Rank History for White students at South Middle School

Enrollment information for South Middle School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at South Middle School

Student/Teacher Ratio South Middle School

Per Pupil Expenditures for South Middle School

Impact of COVID-19 on South Middle School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near South Middle School