JCS well represented in latest US New & World Report, Towne Acres ranked #7 in Tennessee

Johnson City Schools was well represented in school rankings released by the US News and World Report this week. All Johnson City Schools were recognized by the organization with all eight elementary schools receiving Best Elementary School badges. Towne Acres Elementary was the highest representative, ranked #7 of all elementary schools across the state. 

The other elementary schools that finished in the top 10 percent of Tennessee elementary schools included Woodland (69), Lake Ridge (71), Fairmont (73) and South Side (102). Cherokee, North Side and Mountain View were ranked in the top 30 percent of all elementary schools in Tennessee. Additionally, both Indian Trail (40) and Liberty Bell (54) earned Best Middle Schools badges as they ranked within the top 40 percent of the 528 public middle schools that were ranked.  

Earlier this year, Science Hill High School was also recognized by the U.S. News & World Report as the 14th-best high school in Tennessee.  

“We are excited to see all of our schools represented in these rankings,” Johnson City Schools Superintendent Steve Barnett said. “The success of each of our schools is a testament to the hard work and commitment of our educators and students, reflecting the dedication to excellence that defines our entire school community. We are also very proud of Towne Acres, who continues to collect accolades for our district and prove to be one of the best elementary schools in Tennessee." 

In all, there were 1,059 public elementary schools ranked across the state and more than 45,236 schools ranked across the country.  At the middle school level, there were 528 public middle schools ranked in Tennessee and 58,431 middle schools ranked across the country.  

The rankings used the same methodology for all included grade levels. For each state, schools were assessed on their shares of students who were proficient or above proficient in their mathematics and reading/language arts state assessments. Half the formula was the results themselves; the other half was the results in the context of socioeconomic demographics; the top-ranked schools are all high achieving and have succeeded at educating all students. 

There is no national ranking – but there are distinct middle school rankings calculated at the state and district levels, as well as state rankings specific to charter and magnet schools. The rankings can be viewed here.