Is Buckley-Carpenter Elementary School a good school?

Buckley-Carpenter Elementary School ranks in the bottom 11.6% of Tennessee elementary schools.

How many students attend Buckley-Carpenter Elementary School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 531 students attended Buckley-Carpenter Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Buckley-Carpenter Elementary School?

Students at Buckley-Carpenter Elementary School are 60% African American, 34% White, 3% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of Buckley-Carpenter Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Buckley-Carpenter Elementary School usually go on to attend: Middle : East Junior High School High : Fayette Ware Comprehensive High School

Buckley-Carpenter Elementary School

Summary:

Buckley-Carpenter Elementary School is a public elementary school in Somerville, Tennessee, serving 514 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the Fayette County Public Schools district, which is ranked 136 out of 139 districts in the state and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Buckley-Carpenter Elementary consistently underperforms compared to the state and its own district on standardized tests, with proficiency rates in Mathematics (23.1%), English Language Arts (21%), and Science (16.9%) that are significantly lower than the state averages. The school's performance is particularly low for certain student subgroups, such as African American and Special Education students. With a high percentage of students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds and a relatively high per-student spending of $11,443, the school's academic challenges suggest a need for more targeted and effective strategies to improve student learning outcomes.

When compared to other nearby schools, Buckley-Carpenter Elementary generally performs worse on standardized tests. For example, its Mathematics proficiency rate of 23.1% is lower than the Fayette County Public Schools district average of 17.1%. In contrast, high-achieving schools in the nearby Arlington district, such as Donelson Elementary and Arlington Elementary, consistently rank among the top 50 elementary schools in Tennessee and have proficiency rates well above 70% in core subjects.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

12580 S Main ST
Somerville, TN 38068

(901) 465-5260

District: Fayette County Public Schools

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

Per Pupil Expenditures: $13,682

Students who attend Buckley-Carpenter Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	East Junior High School
High:	Fayette Ware Comprehensive High School

Student/teacher ratio: 16.9

Number of students: 531

Racial breakdown:

African American:

59.7%

White:

34.3%

Hispanic:

3.0%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 91.2%

See top rated Tennessee elementary schools

Compare Buckley-Carpenter Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Buckley-Carpenter Elementary School ranks worse than 88.4% of elementary schools in Tennessee. It also ranks 3^rd among 4 ranked elementary schools in the Fayette County Public Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 14.56. (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: African American (59.7%), White (34.3%), Hispanic (3%). (See more...)

Compare Details

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Buckley-Carpenter Elementary School is 16.9, which is the 2^nd best among 4 elementary schools in the Fayette County Public Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Buckley-Carpenter Elementary School employs 31.2 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Buckley-Carpenter Elementary School is $13,682. 2 elementary schools in the Fayette County Public Schools District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Buckley-Carpenter Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Buckley-Carpenter Elementary School 900^th of 1018 Tennessee public elementary schools. (See Buckley-Carpenter Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

African American students:

White students:

Fayette County Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Fayette County Public Schools 137^th of 140 Tennessee school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Buckley-Carpenter Elementary School.

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Rank History for Buckley-Carpenter Elementary School

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Rank History for all students at Buckley-Carpenter Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	TN State Percentile
2018	18.08	859^th	997	13.8%
2019	12.85	902^nd	985	8.4%
2021	12.38	880^th	983	10.5%
2022	18.74	835^th	1000	16.5%
2023	12.37	924^th	1020	9.4%
2024	14.56	900^th	1018	11.6%

See the entire list of Tennessee Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Buckley-Carpenter Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	TN State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	20.23	540^th	582	7.2%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Buckley-Carpenter Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	TN State Percentile
2019	17.35	762^nd	821	7.2%
2021	17.69	735^th	823	10.7%
2022	23.04	734^th	858	14.5%
2023	18.37	777^th	865	10.2%
2024	27.53	679^th	853	20.4%

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

Rank History for Female students at Buckley-Carpenter Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	TN State Percentile
2019	15.06	846^th	926	8.6%
2021	18.06	783^rd	945	17.1%
2022	22.12	769^th	975	21.1%
2023	12.01	911^th	989	7.9%
2024	14.63	879^th	990	11.2%

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

Rank History for Male students at Buckley-Carpenter Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	TN State Percentile
2019	13.64	859^th	916	6.2%
2021	10.61	869^th	941	7.7%
2022	16.50	856^th	980	12.7%
2023	13.89	893^rd	987	9.5%
2024	16.15	867^th	991	12.5%

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

Rank History for African American students at Buckley-Carpenter Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	TN State Percentile
2019	21.02	346^th	404	14.4%
2021	15.79	399^th	411	2.9%
2022	24.35	385^th	483	20.3%
2023	18.64	444^th	500	11.2%
2024	21.78	412^th	498	17.3%

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

Rank History for White students at Buckley-Carpenter Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	TN State Percentile
2019	17.72	744^th	812	8.4%
2021	18.68	755^th	844	10.5%
2022	33.72	579^th	844	31.4%
2023	16.99	777^th	852	8.8%
2024	20.81	731^st	847	13.7%

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:
No reviews have been submitted!

Enrollment information for Buckley-Carpenter Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2016	252	398	2	30	1	1	11	695
2017	245	399	3	29	0	1	10	687
2018	254	386	3	28	0	2	13	686
2019	216	383	1	22	0	2	19	643
2020	214	338	1	20	0	0	21	594
2021	185	319	1	19	1	0	20	545
2022	173	299	1	19	1	0	22	515
2023	172	296	0	22	0	0	24	514
2024	182	317	0	16	0	0	16	531

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 Buckley-Carpenter Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2016	695	41.0	16.9	91.2
2017	687	40.7	16.8	n/a
2018	686	41.8	16.4	n/a
2019	643	37.0	17.3	n/a
2020	594	35.2	16.8	n/a
2021	545	34.3	15.8	n/a
2022	515	33.7	15.2	n/a
2023	514	31.8	16.1	n/a
2024	531	31.2	16.9	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 Buckley-Carpenter Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2016	695	41.0	16.9	91.2
2017	687	40.7	16.8	n/a
2018	686	41.8	16.4	n/a
2019	643	37.0	17.3	n/a
2020	594	35.2	16.8	n/a
2021	545	34.3	15.8	n/a
2022	515	33.7	15.2	n/a
2023	514	31.8	16.1	n/a
2024	531	31.2	16.9	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 Buckley-Carpenter Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$531 (5.5%)	$8,458 (87.5%)	$9,661
2020	$1,208 (10.9%)	$9,031 (81.4%)	$11,098
2021	$1,853 (16.2%)	$9,037 (79.0%)	$11,443
2022	$2,380 (19.5%)	$9,079 (74.6%)	$12,174
2023	$1,934 (14.1%)	$10,622 (77.6%)	$13,682

Data source: Tennessee Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Buckley-Carpenter Elementary 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 902^nd of 985 Elementary schools	Ranks 924^th of 1020 Elementary schools	1%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade Mathematics (Buckley-Carpenter Elementary School)	15.6	15.2	0.4%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Fayette County Public Schools)	27.5	23.8	3.7%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Tennessee)	43.8	40.5	3.3%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Buckley-Carpenter Elementary School)	15.6	7.7	7.9%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Fayette County Public Schools)	25.8	16.6	9.2%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Tennessee)	36.9	40.5	3.6%
4th Grade Mathematics (Buckley-Carpenter Elementary School)	21.5	13.6	7.9%
4th Grade Mathematics (Fayette County Public Schools)	24.2	19.8	4.4%
4th Grade Mathematics (Tennessee)	46	43.6	2.4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Buckley-Carpenter Elementary School)	24.1	20.3	3.8%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Fayette County Public Schools)	23	30.4	7.4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Tennessee)	34.3	43.5	9.2%
5th Grade Mathematics (Buckley-Carpenter Elementary School)	15.4	23	7.6%
5th Grade Mathematics (Fayette County Public Schools)	30.4	19.8	10.6%
5th Grade Mathematics (Tennessee)	46.2	41.3	4.9%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Buckley-Carpenter Elementary School)	8.9	22	13.1%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Fayette County Public Schools)	21.3	23.6	2.3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Tennessee)	35.2	37	1.8%
All Grades Mathematics (Buckley-Carpenter Elementary School)	17.4	17.2	0.2%
All Grades Mathematics (Fayette County Public Schools)	19.7	14.2	5.5%
All Grades Mathematics (Tennessee)	40.8	38.1	2.7%
All Grades English Language Arts (Buckley-Carpenter Elementary School)	15.9	16.4	0.5%
All Grades English Language Arts (Fayette County Public Schools)	18.8	18.3	0.5%
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	643	514	20.1%
African American	383	296	22.7%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	1	0	100%
Hispanic	22	22
Pacific Islander	2	0	100%
White	216	172	20.4%
Two or More Races	19	24	26.3%

Schools Near Buckley-Carpenter Elementary 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 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 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 8th Grade	TNReady Science All Grades	TNReady Social Studies 6th 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
Buckley-Carpenter Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	12580 S Main ST	Somerville	38068	Fayette County	Fayette County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(901) 465-5260	531	31	16.9		182 (34.3%)	317 (59.7%)	16 (3.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (3.0%)	14.6	900^th of 1018 public elementary schools	11.6%		12.4	924^th of 1020 public elementary schools	9.4%	24	18.5	27.0	23.9				23.1	15.2	25.8	22.4			21.0	12.3	28.6	10.4			16.9				$13,682	$1,934	$10,622
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
Southwest Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	8095 Highway 194	Williston	38076	Fayette County	Fayette County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(901) 465-8317	310	16	19.2		99 (31.9%)	165 (53.2%)	27 (8.7%)	1 (0.3%)	3 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (4.8%)	43.9	557^th of 1018 public elementary schools	45.3%		56.8	383^rd of 1020 public elementary schools	62.5%	174	28.6	31.8	56.1				38.6	23.8	45.5	43.9			37.8	23.8	40.9	48.8			37.8				$14,832	$2,441	$11,227
La Grange Moscow Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	15655 Highway 57 East	Moscow	38057	Fayette County	Fayette County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(901) 877-6854	237	14	16.6		95 (40.1%)	112 (47.3%)	24 (10.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (2.1%)	24	800^th of 1018 public elementary schools	21.4%		15.8	876^th of 1020 public elementary schools	14.1%	76	22.6	25.9	34.3				28.0	22.6	37.0	14.3			23.7	26.7	25.9	34.3			29.3				$16,622	$3,331	$12,116
Whiteville Elementary	Public	PK, KG-8	2510 Highway 64 East	Whiteville	38075	Hardeman County	Hardeman County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(731) 254-8013	211	16	13.6		35 (16.6%)	162 (76.8%)	6 (2.8%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (2.4%)	10.1	953^rd of 1018 public elementary schools	6.4%		8.1	981^st of 1020 public elementary schools	3.8%	28	16.1	12.5	15.8		13.0	16.7	13.5	16.1		15.8		11.1	8.7	25.8	8.3	10.5	18.2	22.2	15.1		27.8	9.6	$13,666	$2,258	$10,435
Grand Junction Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	750 Pledge ST	Grand Junction	38039	Hardeman County	Hardeman County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(731) 764-2841	159	14	11.7		2 (1.3%)	151 (95.0%)	3 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.9%)	41.9	594^th of 1018 public elementary schools	41.7%		29.8	733^rd of 1020 public elementary schools	28.1%	139	58.3	37.5	28.6	43.8			42.4	25.0	29.2	28.6	62.5		34.1	41.7	16.7	28.6	56.3		34.1	18.8		18.8	$13,136	$3,166	$9,111
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
Bolivar Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	445 Nuckolls RD	Bolivar	38008	Hardeman County	Hardeman County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(731) 658-3981	705	53	13.3		138 (19.6%)	492 (69.8%)	17 (2.4%)	9 (1.3%)	3 (0.4%)	3 (0.4%)	43 (6.1%)	20.1	841^st of 1018 public elementary schools	17.4%		19.7	829^th of 1020 public elementary schools	18.7%	12	23.1	19.5	38.6				26.6	24.0	23.0	33.7			26.6	17.3	25.3	15.7			19.3				$11,976	$2,367	$8,754

Buckley-Carpenter Elementary School

Buckley-Carpenter Elementary School:

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Fayette County Public Schools:

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Buckley-Carpenter Elementary School

Rank History for all students at Buckley-Carpenter Elementary School

Rank History for Special Education students at Buckley-Carpenter Elementary School

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Buckley-Carpenter Elementary School

Rank History for Female students at Buckley-Carpenter Elementary School

Rank History for Male students at Buckley-Carpenter Elementary School

Rank History for African American students at Buckley-Carpenter Elementary School

Rank History for White students at Buckley-Carpenter Elementary School

Review counts

Enrollment information for Buckley-Carpenter Elementary School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Buckley-Carpenter Elementary School

Student/Teacher Ratio Buckley-Carpenter Elementary School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Buckley-Carpenter Elementary School

Impact of COVID-19 on Buckley-Carpenter Elementary School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Buckley-Carpenter Elementary School

Frequently Asked Questions about Buckley-Carpenter Elementary School

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