Bells Elementary

Summary:

Bells Elementary is a public elementary school located in Bells, Tennessee, serving grades PK-5 with a student population of 399. The school is part of the Haywood County district, which is ranked 23 out of 139 districts in Tennessee and is rated 4 stars out of 5 by SchoolDigger.

Bells Elementary consistently outperforms the state average in proficiency rates for Mathematics, English Language Arts, and Science across all grade levels. In the 2023-2024 school year, Bells Elementary had 58.3% of students proficient or better in Mathematics, compared to the state average of 39.7%, and 42.8% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to the state average of 37.6%. The school's performance is particularly strong in 4th grade Mathematics, with 66.1% of students proficient or better, significantly higher than the state average of 43.8%. Bells Elementary also has a diverse student population, with 62.41% White, 18.55% African American, and 17.54% Hispanic students, and its performance is strong across different racial subgroups.

Compared to nearby schools, Bells Elementary outperforms most in academic metrics, particularly in Mathematics and English Language Arts. For example, Bells Elementary's 4th grade Mathematics proficiency rate of 66.1% is significantly higher than the nearby East Side Elementary (8%) and East Elementary School (5.7%). Bells Elementary also has a more diverse student population compared to the nearby Maury City Elementary, which has a predominantly White student body. Overall, Bells Elementary stands out as a model of academic excellence and equitable education, with consistent performance over the years that could serve as a benchmark for other schools in the region.


Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

 4547 Highway 88 South
       Bells, TN  38006


(731) 663-2041

District: Bells

SchoolDigger Rank:
285th of 1,018 Tennessee Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $11,604 Help


Student/teacher ratio:  13.7 Help
Number of students:  411

Racial breakdown:

White:
64.0%
African American:
18.0%
Hispanic:
16.3%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  70.6% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Bells Elementary ranks better than 72% of elementary schools in Tennessee. (See more...)
Help
Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 64.78. (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.
Student Body
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Compare Details Student population at Bells Elementary is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (64%), African American (18%), Hispanic (16.3%). (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Bells Elementary is 13.7. (See more...)
Help
Compare Bells Elementary employs 30 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Bells Elementary is $11,604.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Bells Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Bells Elementary 285th of 1018 Tennessee public elementary schools. (See Bells Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


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


Bells:

SchoolDigger ranks Bells 25th of 140 Tennessee school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Bells Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Bells Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools TN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2010 14.63 742nd 809 8.3%
2011 14.54 760th 818 7.1%
2012 20.81 718th 820 12.4%
2013 65.51 316th 846 62.6%
2014 64.26 263rd 853 69.2%
2015 77.89 148th 855 82.7%
2017 42.09 385th 646 40.4%
2018 67.63 237th 997 76.2%
2019 66.25 256th 985 74.0%
2021 58.61 324th 983 67.0%
2022 48.95 472nd 1000 52.8%
2023 63.59 307th 1020 69.9%
2024 64.78 285th 1018 72.0%
See the entire list of Tennessee Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Bells Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools TN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 57.05 296th 877 66.2%
2019 80.48 55th 821 93.3%
2021 69.84 135th 823 83.6%
2022 45.41 437th 858 49.1%
2023 86.78 39th 865 95.5%
2024 56.86 303rd 853 64.5%
See the entire list of Best Tennessee Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Bells Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools TN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 71.93 204th 926 78.0%
2021 61.53 267th 945 71.7%
2022 54.05 388th 975 60.2%
2023 59.95 334th 989 66.2%
2024 64.78 281st 990 71.6%
See the entire list of Best Tennessee Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Bells Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools TN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 53.80 355th 916 61.2%
2021 48.03 432nd 941 54.1%
2022 39.69 570th 980 41.8%
2023 63.73 284th 987 71.2%
2024 60.57 325th 991 67.2%
See the entire list of Best Tennessee Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Bells Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools TN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 66.55 108th 450 76.0%
2022 46.20 212th 483 56.1%
2023 64.05 139th 500 72.2%
2024 65.16 133rd 498 73.3%
See the entire list of Best Tennessee Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Bells Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools TN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 70.73 70th 319 78.1%
2019 82.36 25th 250 90.0%
2021 68.28 66th 324 79.6%
2022 71.87 71st 363 80.4%
2023 75.88 64th 387 83.5%
2024 42.14 237th 415 42.9%
See the entire list of Best Tennessee Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Bells Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools TN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 69.27 200th 841 76.2%
2019 65.18 219th 812 73.0%
2021 52.13 335th 844 60.3%
2022 43.18 455th 844 46.1%
2023 61.16 253rd 852 70.3%
2024 64.54 239th 847 71.8%
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.

Bells Elementary 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 Bells Elementary

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 215 108 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 323
1989 208 95 n/a 1 n/a n/a n/a 0 304
1990 210 87 0 1 0 n/a n/a 0 298
1991 220 82 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 302
1992 240 89 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 329
1993 236 81 0 5 0 n/a n/a 0 322
1994 218 59 0 10 0 n/a n/a 0 287
1995 220 62 0 41 0 n/a n/a 0 323
1996 220 62 0 41 0 n/a n/a 0 323
1997 228 60 0 66 0 n/a n/a 4 358
1998 196 52 0 57 0 n/a n/a 2 307
1999 219 59 0 67 0 n/a n/a 1 346
2000 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 349 349
2001 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 378 378
2002 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 389 389
2003 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 389 389
2004 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 386 386
2005 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 440 440
2006 246 65 3 116 0 n/a n/a 0 430
2007 236 75 6 113 1 n/a n/a 0 431
2008 215 84 5 107 0 n/a n/a 0 411
2009 229 88 5 101 1 n/a n/a 0 424
2010 233 71 6 95 2 n/a n/a 0 407
2011 242 75 6 103 1 0 2 0 429
2012 257 69 3 107 1 0 2 0 439
2013 258 81 1 103 1 0 1 0 445
2014 262 83 1 94 0 0 3 0 443
2015 256 64 1 86 0 0 3 0 410
2016 253 74 1 97 0 0 6 0 431
2017 253 67 1 83 0 0 3 0 407
2018 258 72 0 85 0 0 4 0 419
2019 256 71 0 88 0 0 4 0 419
2020 258 71 0 91 0 0 2 0 422
2021 229 77 0 92 0 0 3 0 401
2022 221 75 2 89 0 0 5 0 392
2023 249 74 2 70 0 0 4 0 399
2024 263 74 2 67 1 0 4 0 411

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 Bells Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 323 16.0 20.1 n/a
1989 304 16.0 19.0 n/a
1990 298 16.0 18.6 n/a
1991 302 16.0 18.8 n/a
1992 329 16.0 20.5 n/a
1993 322 16.0 20.1 n/a
1994 287 23.0 12.5 n/a
1995 323 23.0 14.0 n/a
1996 323 23.0 14.0 n/a
1997 358 n/a 0.0 n/a
1998 307 n/a 0.0 n/a
1999 346 n/a 0.0 n/a
2000 349 n/a 0.0 n/a
2001 378 n/a 0.0 n/a
2002 389 n/a n/a n/a
2003 389 n/a n/a n/a
2004 386 n/a n/a n/a
2005 440 n/a n/a n/a
2006 430 31.0 13.9 n/a
2007 431 29.9 14.4 58.2
2008 411 29.0 14.2 64.5
2009 424 30.0 14.1 64.6
2010 407 29.0 14.0 72.5
2011 429 28.0 15.3 66.7
2012 439 27.0 16.2 67.2
2013 445 28.0 15.8 62.9
2014 443 28.0 15.8 69.3
2015 410 26.0 15.7 64.1
2016 431 24.0 17.9 39.4
2017 407 25.0 16.2 n/a
2018 419 28.0 14.9 n/a
2019 419 29.0 14.4 n/a
2020 422 28.0 15.0 70.6
2021 401 28.1 14.2 n/a
2022 392 29.0 13.5 n/a
2023 399 27.3 14.5 n/a
2024 411 30.0 13.7 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 Bells Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 323 16.0 20.1 n/a
1989 304 16.0 19.0 n/a
1990 298 16.0 18.6 n/a
1991 302 16.0 18.8 n/a
1992 329 16.0 20.5 n/a
1993 322 16.0 20.1 n/a
1994 287 23.0 12.5 n/a
1995 323 23.0 14.0 n/a
1996 323 23.0 14.0 n/a
1997 358 n/a 0.0 n/a
1998 307 n/a 0.0 n/a
1999 346 n/a 0.0 n/a
2000 349 n/a 0.0 n/a
2001 378 n/a 0.0 n/a
2002 389 n/a n/a n/a
2003 389 n/a n/a n/a
2004 386 n/a n/a n/a
2005 440 n/a n/a n/a
2006 430 31.0 13.9 n/a
2007 431 29.9 14.4 58.2
2008 411 29.0 14.2 64.5
2009 424 30.0 14.1 64.6
2010 407 29.0 14.0 72.5
2011 429 28.0 15.3 66.7
2012 439 27.0 16.2 67.2
2013 445 28.0 15.8 62.9
2014 443 28.0 15.8 69.3
2015 410 26.0 15.7 64.1
2016 431 24.0 17.9 39.4
2017 407 25.0 16.2 n/a
2018 419 28.0 14.9 n/a
2019 419 29.0 14.4 n/a
2020 422 28.0 15.0 70.6
2021 401 28.1 14.2 n/a
2022 392 29.0 13.5 n/a
2023 399 27.3 14.5 n/a
2024 411 30.0 13.7 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 Bells Elementary

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $700 (7.5%) $7,887 (84.7%) $9,315
2020 $674 (7.2%) $8,015 (85.7%) $9,352
2021 $1,537 (14.6%) $8,239 (78.3%) $10,526
2022 $1,453 (13.0%) $8,966 (80.0%) $11,211
2023 $1,296 (11.2%) $9,333 (80.4%) $11,604

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

Impact of COVID-19 on Bells 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 256th of 985 Elementary schoolsRanks 307th of 1020 Elementary schools
 4.1%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade Mathematics (Bells Elementary)64.348.1
 16.2%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Bells)64.348.1
 16.2%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Tennessee)43.840.5
 3.3%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Bells Elementary)32.146.2
 14.1%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Bells)32.146.2
 14.1%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Tennessee)36.940.5
 3.6%
4th Grade Mathematics (Bells Elementary)74.571.4
 3.1%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Bells)74.571.4
 3.1%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Tennessee)4643.6
 2.4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Bells Elementary)4050.8
 10.8%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Bells)4050.8
 10.8%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Tennessee)34.343.5
 9.2%
5th Grade Mathematics (Bells Elementary)50.753.1
 2.4%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Bells)50.753.1
 2.4%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Tennessee)46.241.3
 4.9%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Bells Elementary)31.830.6
 1.2%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Bells)31.830.6
 1.2%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Tennessee)35.237
 1.8%
All Grades Mathematics (Bells Elementary)62.458.5
 3.9%
   All Grades Mathematics (Bells)62.458.5
 3.9%
   All Grades Mathematics (Tennessee)40.838.1
 2.7%
All Grades English Language Arts (Bells Elementary)34.543.3
 8.8%
   All Grades English Language Arts (Bells)34.543.3
 8.8%
   All Grades English Language Arts (Tennessee)33.736.6
 2.9%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students419399
 4.8%
African American7174
 4.2%
American Indian00
Asian02
Hispanic8870
 20.5%
Pacific Islander00
White256249
 2.7%
Two or More Races44


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Frequently Asked Questions about Bells Elementary

Bells Elementary ranks 285th of 1018 Tennessee elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

In the 2023-24 school year, 411 students attended Bells Elementary.

Students at Bells Elementary are 64% White, 18% African American, 16% Hispanic.


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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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