Spencer Elementary

Summary:

Spencer Elementary is a public elementary school located in Spencer, Tennessee, serving grades PK-5 with a total enrollment of 394 students. The school is part of the Van Buren County School District, which is ranked 59 out of 139 districts in Tennessee and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Academically, Spencer Elementary's performance, as measured by TNReady assessments, is generally below the state and district averages. In the 2023-2024 school year, the school's proficiency rates were 43.5% in Mathematics, 37.5% in English Language Arts, and 37.5% in Science, compared to the state averages of 39.7%, 37.6%, and 44%, respectively. The school's ranking has fluctuated over the years, ranging from 468 out of 985 Tennessee elementary schools in 2018-2019 to 613 out of 1,020 in 2022-2023, with a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger in most recent years. Interestingly, the school has shown strong performance for low-socioeconomic status students and homeless students, with higher rankings and ratings in these categories.

Comparing Spencer Elementary to nearby schools, such as Cassville Elementary and Doyle Elementary in the White County School District, it becomes evident that Spencer Elementary's academic performance is generally lower, with significantly higher proficiency rates and statewide rankings for these nearby schools. The school's predominantly White student population, with very low percentages of other racial/ethnic groups, may also be a factor in its academic challenges, as research has shown that diverse learning environments can benefit student outcomes.


Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

 311 Sparta Street
       Spencer, TN  38585


(931) 946-2171

District: Van Buren County

SchoolDigger Rank:
496th of 1,018 Tennessee Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $13,466 Help


Students who attend Spencer Elementary usually attend:

High:    Van Buren County High School

Student/teacher ratio:  12.2 Help
Number of students:  368

Racial breakdown:

White:
98.9%
African American:
0.5%
Hispanic:
0.5%

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  86.9% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Spencer Elementary ranks better than 51.3% of elementary schools in Tennessee. (See more...)
Help
Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 48.28. (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 Racial makeup is: White (98.9%), African American (0.5%), Hispanic (0.5%). (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Spencer Elementary is 12.2. (See more...)
Help
Compare Spencer Elementary employs 30 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Spencer Elementary is $13,466.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Spencer Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Spencer Elementary 496th of 1018 Tennessee public elementary schools. (See Spencer Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Special Education students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Homeless students:
Female students:
Male students:
White students:


Van Buren County:

SchoolDigger ranks Van Buren County 60th of 140 Tennessee school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Spencer Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Spencer Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools TN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2010 51.66 418th 809 48.3%
2011 39.69 556th 818 32.0%
2012 27.79 670th 820 18.3%
2013 38.57 676th 846 20.1%
2014 24.38 718th 853 15.8%
2015 29.90 700th 855 18.1%
2017 38.31 428th 646 33.7%
2018 44.80 524th 997 47.4%
2019 47.40 468th 985 52.5%
2021 45.20 497th 983 49.4%
2022 40.05 581st 1000 41.9%
2023 39.82 613th 1020 39.9%
2024 48.28 496th 1018 51.3%
See the entire list of Tennessee Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Spencer Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools TN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 30.99 287th 395 27.3%
2022 36.41 271st 447 39.4%
2024 35.35 357th 582 38.7%
See the entire list of Best Tennessee Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Spencer Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools TN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 48.08 419th 877 52.2%
2019 64.29 184th 821 77.6%
2021 43.42 429th 823 47.9%
2022 49.01 397th 858 53.7%
2023 46.67 438th 865 49.4%
2024 66.20 199th 853 76.7%
See the entire list of Best Tennessee Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Homeless students at Spencer Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools TN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 58.65 8th 18 55.6%
2024 72.22 5th 17 70.6%
See the entire list of Best Tennessee Elementary Schools for Homeless Students!

Rank History for Female students at Spencer Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools TN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 58.08 331st 926 64.3%
2021 38.61 554th 945 41.4%
2022 38.64 584th 975 40.1%
2023 29.93 699th 989 29.3%
2024 51.15 441st 990 55.5%
See the entire list of Best Tennessee Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Spencer Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools TN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 32.98 630th 916 31.2%
2021 48.98 415th 941 55.9%
2022 39.04 577th 980 41.1%
2023 48.14 474th 987 52.0%
2024 44.14 542nd 991 45.3%
See the entire list of Best Tennessee Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for White students at Spencer Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools TN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 34.57 577th 841 31.4%
2019 34.82 553rd 812 31.9%
2021 34.51 565th 844 33.1%
2022 28.54 645th 844 23.6%
2023 26.31 680th 852 20.2%
2024 34.49 568th 847 32.9%
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.

Spencer 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 Spencer Elementary

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 401 1 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 402
1989 374 2 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a -20 356
1990 368 0 0 0 0 n/a n/a 1 369
1991 382 0 0 1 0 n/a n/a 0 383
1992 339 0 0 1 0 n/a n/a 0 340
1993 348 0 1 2 0 n/a n/a 0 351
1994 357 0 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 357
1995 366 0 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 366
1996 366 0 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 366
1997 372 0 0 0 0 n/a n/a 10 382
1998 380 0 0 0 0 n/a n/a 2 382
1999 441 1 0 0 0 n/a n/a 1 443
2000 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 382 382
2002 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 369 369
2003 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 369 369
2005 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 357 357
2006 396 2 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 398
2007 345 0 0 1 2 n/a n/a 0 348
2008 364 0 0 3 2 n/a n/a 0 369
2009 366 1 0 4 1 n/a n/a 0 372
2010 310 1 0 4 1 n/a n/a 0 316
2011 357 0 2 6 0 0 2 0 367
2012 378 1 1 5 0 0 4 0 389
2013 372 0 0 5 0 0 4 0 381
2014 358 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 362
2015 363 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 364
2016 367 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 367
2017 353 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 353
2018 333 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 335
2019 353 0 0 5 0 0 1 0 359
2020 354 1 0 4 0 0 0 0 359
2021 349 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 352
2022 375 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 379
2023 387 0 0 5 0 0 2 0 394
2024 364 2 0 2 0 0 0 0 368

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 Spencer Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 402 17.0 23.6 n/a
1989 356 17.0 20.9 n/a
1990 369 17.0 21.7 n/a
1991 383 18.0 21.2 n/a
1992 340 20.0 17.0 n/a
1993 351 20.0 17.6 n/a
1994 357 21.0 17.0 n/a
1995 366 26.0 14.1 n/a
1996 366 26.0 14.1 n/a
1997 382 n/a 0.0 n/a
1998 382 n/a 0.0 n/a
1999 443 n/a 0.0 n/a
2000 382 n/a 0.0 n/a
2002 369 n/a n/a n/a
2003 369 n/a n/a n/a
2005 357 n/a n/a n/a
2006 398 31.0 12.8 n/a
2007 348 32.2 10.8 62.1
2008 369 32.0 11.5 61
2009 372 31.5 11.8 67.7
2010 316 32.0 9.8 81.6
2011 367 31.0 11.8 70.3
2012 389 32.0 12.1 69.7
2013 381 32.0 11.9 67.2
2014 362 30.0 12.0 69.3
2015 364 29.0 12.5 63.7
2016 367 28.0 13.1 86.9
2017 353 27.0 13.0 n/a
2018 335 28.0 11.9 n/a
2019 359 26.0 13.8 n/a
2020 359 27.0 13.2 n/a
2021 352 26.7 13.1 n/a
2022 379 27.5 13.7 n/a
2023 394 27.5 14.3 n/a
2024 368 30.0 12.2 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 Spencer Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 402 17.0 23.6 n/a
1989 356 17.0 20.9 n/a
1990 369 17.0 21.7 n/a
1991 383 18.0 21.2 n/a
1992 340 20.0 17.0 n/a
1993 351 20.0 17.6 n/a
1994 357 21.0 17.0 n/a
1995 366 26.0 14.1 n/a
1996 366 26.0 14.1 n/a
1997 382 n/a 0.0 n/a
1998 382 n/a 0.0 n/a
1999 443 n/a 0.0 n/a
2000 382 n/a 0.0 n/a
2002 369 n/a n/a n/a
2003 369 n/a n/a n/a
2005 357 n/a n/a n/a
2006 398 31.0 12.8 n/a
2007 348 32.2 10.8 62.1
2008 369 32.0 11.5 61
2009 372 31.5 11.8 67.7
2010 316 32.0 9.8 81.6
2011 367 31.0 11.8 70.3
2012 389 32.0 12.1 69.7
2013 381 32.0 11.9 67.2
2014 362 30.0 12.0 69.3
2015 364 29.0 12.5 63.7
2016 367 28.0 13.1 86.9
2017 353 27.0 13.0 n/a
2018 335 28.0 11.9 n/a
2019 359 26.0 13.8 n/a
2020 359 27.0 13.2 n/a
2021 352 26.7 13.1 n/a
2022 379 27.5 13.7 n/a
2023 394 27.5 14.3 n/a
2024 368 30.0 12.2 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 Spencer Elementary

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YearTotal Expenditures Per Pupil
2019 $12,705
2020 $13,176
2021 $14,076
2022 $13,101
2023 $13,466

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

Impact of COVID-19 on Spencer 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 468th of 985 Elementary schoolsRanks 613th of 1020 Elementary schools
 12.6%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade Mathematics (Spencer Elementary)52.437.5
 14.9%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Van Buren County)52.437.5
 14.9%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Tennessee)43.840.5
 3.3%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Spencer Elementary)35.735.4
 0.3%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Van Buren County)35.735.4
 0.3%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Tennessee)36.940.5
 3.6%
4th Grade Mathematics (Spencer Elementary)4043.3
 3.3%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Van Buren County)4043.3
 3.3%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Tennessee)4643.6
 2.4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Spencer Elementary)23.628.3
 4.7%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Van Buren County)23.628.3
 4.7%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Tennessee)34.343.5
 9.2%
5th Grade Mathematics (Spencer Elementary)41.845.1
 3.3%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Van Buren County)41.845.1
 3.3%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Tennessee)46.241.3
 4.9%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Spencer Elementary)33.317.6
 15.7%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Van Buren County)33.317.6
 15.7%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Tennessee)35.237
 1.8%
All Grades Mathematics (Spencer Elementary)44.142.1
 2%
   All Grades Mathematics (Van Buren County)44.745.7
 1%
   All Grades Mathematics (Tennessee)40.838.1
 2.7%
All Grades English Language Arts (Spencer Elementary)30.527
 3.5%
   All Grades English Language Arts (Van Buren County)27.330.7
 3.4%
   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 Students359394
 9.7%
African American00
American Indian00
Asian00
Hispanic55
Pacific Islander00
White353387
 9.6%
Two or More Races12
 100%


Schools Near Spencer Elementary









Frequently Asked Questions about Spencer Elementary

Spencer Elementary ranks 496th of 1018 Tennessee elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

In the 2023-24 school year, 368 students attended Spencer Elementary.

Students who attend Spencer Elementary usually go on to attend:

High : Van Buren County High School

Students at Spencer Elementary are 99% White.


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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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