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Parsons, Tennessee (2024)Photo: ThaesOfereode · CC BY-SA 4.0
B+
Schools in Parsons · Decatur County School District

Parsons’s public schools outscore 71% of Tennessee districts

On the state math tests, 43% of Parsons’s students scored proficient, above the Tennessee average (31%). The grade covers the public school district serving Parsons, from kindergarten through graduation, on state tests and graduation. Each state writes its own tests, so this is the one TownRatings grade compared within Tennessee, not nationally.

≈could be anywhere from C+ to AK–12Where will my kid go?

From Tennessee state tests taken in spring 2022, when 100% of students in the tested grades sat them, and the class of 2023’s four-year graduation rate, as reported to the U.S. Department of Education.

Reading proficiency
43%
▲ 6 pts vs TN 37%
2021–22
Math proficiency
43%
▲ 12 pts vs TN 31%
2021–22
Graduate on time
80–84%
▼ 3–7 pts vs TN 87%
class of 2023
Spent per student
$11.0K
▼ 15% vs TN $13.1K
FY2024
Schools in town
1
1,229 students on the public path
In brief

Parsons’s schools, in brief

Better than its incomes would predict

Among the 87 Tennessee towns with household incomes within a quarter of Parsons’s, its schools beat 83%, higher than their 71% against all the state’s districts. The grade ↓

Above the state on tests

Reading proficiency is 43% and math 43% in spring 2022, against 37% and 31% statewide; 80–84% of the class of 2023 graduated in four years, against 87%. Test scores ↓

Spending and class size

The district spends $11,049 per student, against $13,059 across Tennessee (FY2024). Spending doesn’t count toward the grade. Districts ↓

One elementary school, then one middle and one high school

From grade 5 the district’s path is Decatur County Middle School, then Riverside High School. See the path ↓

Written from the figures on this page. Tests are from 2021–22, graduation from the class of 2023; each school’s own letter uses 2020–21 results.

The School Grade

What’s behind Parsons’s grade

A Test scoresD Graduation

B+: better than 71% of Tennessee school districts. Test scores are above the Tennessee average; graduation is below it.

Tennessee school districts we grade (147)Better than 71%
Lower resultsHigher results
Tennessee towns with similar household incomes (87)Better than 83%
C+AA rough placement. Ordinary sampling error in 912 test results and a graduating class of 97 could put Parsons anywhere from C+ to A. The tests are from spring 2022, when 100% of Parsons’s students in the tested grades sat them (957 in math, 868 in reading).

How TownRatings grades schools →

Where will my kid go?

Pick a grade. These are the public schools that serve Parsons, with each school’s own grade.

The path, start to finish
PK–4Parsons ElementaryDecatur County School DistrictA
5–8Decatur County Middle SchoolDecatur County School DistrictA−
9–12Riverside High Schoolin DecaturvilleB−

Parsons’s public schools are run by Decatur County School District, which also serves Decaturville and Scotts Hill. To confirm the school for a specific address, ask the district.

The district

Spending and class size are shown but don’t count toward the grade. Each district’s own page has every school.

Decatur County School DistrictGrades PK–12 · 5 schools · 1,492 students
$11,049TN $13,059 · FY2024
B+
Test scores · 2021–22

Well above the state in reading

Reading43%
State average 36.8% · 868 students tested
Math43%
State average 31.1% · 957 students tested

Parsons vs. its neighbors

Schools grades for the Tennessee towns that share Parsons’s borders.

Schools next door
TownSchoolsMain districts
ParsonsB+Decatur County

Every school in Parsons

3 schools. Each public school’s letter compares its own 2020–21 reading and math results with Tennessee’s other public schools (the newest school-level results we have).

District schools in Parsonsby address
Parsons Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–4
A
365 studentsRate it →
Also serving Parsonsin other towns
Decatur County Middle School
Middle · Grades 5–8
A−
424 studentsRate it →
Riverside High School
High · Grades 9–12 · Decaturville
B−
440 studentsRate it →

Questions about Parsons’s schools

Are Parsons’s schools good?

By Tennessee’s own tests, yes: the public schools Parsons children attend outscore 71% of Tennessee’s school districts on tests and graduation, a B+ Schools grade. Among towns with similar incomes they beat 83%. Tests are from 2021–22, graduation from the class of 2023.

What school district is Parsons in?

Decatur County School District, which runs grades PK–12 and enrolls 1,492 students in 5 schools (2024–25).

Where do Parsons kids go to high school?

Riverside High School in Decaturville, with 440 students; its own test results earn a B−.

What is Parsons’s graduation rate?

80–84% of the class of 2023 in Decatur County School District graduated in four years, against 87% across Tennessee.

How much does Parsons spend per student?

$11,049 in Decatur County School District (FY2024), against $13,059 across Tennessee. Spending doesn’t count toward the grade.

Parents talk

What Parsons families are saying about school.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

Looking for colleges? Colleges near Parsons → They have their own page.

School data: state test results (2021–22, with participation) and four-year graduation rates (class of 2023) reported to the U.S. Department of Education (EDFacts via ED Data Express); each school’s own letter uses its 2020–21 results (EDFacts via the Urban Institute); schools and enrollment from NCES (2024–25; private schools 2023–24); spending from the Census Bureau’s school finance survey (FY2024). The School Grade is our own summary, graded within Tennessee. Stars are from neighbors.