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Smith County Schools
Smith County is a public school district in Tennessee, based in Smith County (Carthage). SchoolGrade grades 9 of its schools on actual versus projected test scores; every school below has its own page.
Smith County on the map
District boundary from the NCES EDGE composite school district file. Each marker is a graded school; click it for its grade and scores.
SchoolGrade summary for Smith County
8 of 9 schools in Smith County carry a SchoolGrade (1 have no school-level proficiency results in our source data). Grade distribution:
A: 2B: 4C: 2
Best schools in Smith County
Statewide rankings: all 358 high schools in Tennessee · all 312 middle schools in Tennessee · all 964 elementary schools in Tennessee
The ten highest SchoolGrades in the district. Grades reward actual test performance against the projection for each school's student context, so a B in a high-poverty school can outrank an A- elsewhere on impact.
- A Defeated Elementary (Elementary school, exceeds expectations)
- A- Gordonsville Elementary School (Elementary school, exceeds expectations)
- B+ Gordonsville High School (High school, exceeds expectations)
- B- Forks River Elementary (Elementary school, meets expectations)
- B- Smith County High School (High school, greatly exceeds expectations)
- B- Smith County Middle School (Middle school, exceeds expectations)
- C+ Carthage Elementary (Elementary school, meets expectations)
- C Union Heights Elementary (Elementary school, doesn't meet expectations)
Every school in Smith County
High schools (2)
- B+ Gordonsville High School, Gordonsville
- B- Smith County High School, Carthage
Middle and junior high schools (1)
- B- Smith County Middle School, Carthage
Elementary and primary schools (6)
- C+ Carthage Elementary, Carthage
- A Defeated Elementary, Carthage
- B- Forks River Elementary, Elmwood
- A- Gordonsville Elementary School, Gordonsville
- New Middleton Elementary, Gordonsville
- C Union Heights Elementary, Carthage
Where Smith County schools are
Cities and towns served (3)
- Carthage (5)
- Gordonsville (3)
- Elmwood (1)
About this district
- State: Best schools in Tennessee
- County: Smith County
- Type: regular local school district
- Setting: remote rural (NCES locale of the district office)
- Enrollment: 3,033 students with 214 full-time-equivalent teachers and 517 total staff FTE (NCES CCD, 2023-24)
- NCES district ID: 4703870
- Grades are the 2025-26 SchoolGrade model: each school's actual proficiency against the level projected for its student context. How SchoolGrade works
Nearby school districts
- Trousdale County (3 schools, 15 mi)
- Jackson County (4 schools, 17 mi)
- Macon County (8 schools, 20 mi)
- DeKalb County (5 schools, 20 mi)
- Wilson County (24 schools, 20 mi)
- Lebanon (7 schools, 20 mi)
- Putnam County (20 schools, 27 mi)
- Clay County (3 schools, 30 mi)
Questions about Smith County
How many schools are in Smith County?
SchoolGrade grades 9 public schools in Smith County, across 3 cities and towns. Every one of them is listed on this page with a link to its own report.
Which cities does Smith County serve?
The largest by graded schools: Carthage, Gordonsville, Elmwood.
How good are the schools in Smith County?
Across the 8 graded schools, the average SchoolGrade is B, with 45.9% of tested students meeting the state bar against a projected 36.9%. 88% of schools meet or exceed the expectation for their student context.
How many students attend Smith County?
3,033 students were enrolled in Smith County in the 2023-24 school year, about 14.2 students per full-time teacher (NCES Common Core of Data).
Where is Smith County?
Smith County is in Tennessee, based in Smith County, with its district office in Carthage. Its boundary covers about 314 sq mi.