Enrollment
361
Middle
DISTRICT 459 · STATE 554
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·FRANKLIN COUNTY·NCES 470129000405
South Middle School
601 West Cumberland ST, Cowan, TN 37318 · (931) 967-7355 · Franklin County
GRADES 06–08MIDDLE41-RURALREGULAR SCHOOL361 STUDENTS
C
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 25% of Tennessee public middle schools
- CTest scores Share of students meeting the state standard in reading, math, and other tested subjects, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
- ·Beats expectations Not available for this school, so the grade uses the other parts.
- ·Three-year trend Not available for this school, so the grade uses the other parts.
Grades compare a school only with schools in the same state, because every state gives its own test. How grades work · Top-graded Tennessee public middle schools
Student : Teacher
,
Teacher data unavailable
STATE 18.9:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
,
Title I proxy
STATE -0%
Community
0
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other middle schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 6 | 144 | 40% |
| Grade 7 | 130 | 36% |
| Grade 8 | 87 | 24% |
Student demographics
30%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 32% · STATE 61% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
School pathway
Students here typically continue to
South Middle School→Franklin Co High School
Based on grade levels within Franklin County. Attendance zones can vary; confirm enrollment with the district.
Test scores
TCAP 2024-25 . % On Track or MasteredEnglish Language Arts
23.6%
TN avg 40.9% . +5.1pp since 2022
Math
23.9%
TN avg 39.3% . +5.7pp since 2022
What this means: On the TCAP, Tennessee's statewide test, about 24 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 24 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Tennessee schools, those numbers are about 41 and 39. Reading and writing scores are up about 5 points since 2022, while math scores are up about 6 points.
TCAP results by year
| School year | English Language Arts | Math |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 23.6% | 23.9% |
| 2023-24 | 17.2% | 19.3% |
| 2022-23 | 18.5% | 18.2% |
% On Track or Mastered, all students and all tested grades.
Source: TCAP. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
Where South Middle School ranks
Among middle schools| Measure | This school | In Tennessee |
|---|---|---|
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 23.9% | #242 of 336 ▲ 12 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 23.6% | #239 of 336 ▲ 29 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 361 | #248 of 349 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 29.8% | #234 of 325 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -1.1% | #209 of 216 |
Ranked against other public middle schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
361
+62 (+21%) vs 2020
-32% since 1990-91, when it was 530
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 361 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 2023-24 | 318 | 24 | 13.3:1 | N/A |
| 2022-23 | 292 | 23 | 12.7:1 | N/A |
| 2020-21 | 299 | 24 | 12.5:1 | N/A |
| 2017-18 | 365 | 29 | 12.6:1 | N/A |
| 2015-16 | 412 | 32 | 12.9:1 | 67% (276) |
| 2010-11 | 445 | 23 | 19.4:1 | 57% (252) |
| 2000-01 | 418 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 1990-91 | 530 | 30 | 17.7:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for South Middle School.
About South Middle School
South Middle School is a small middle school in Cowan, Tennessee, one of the schools in Franklin County. The school enrolls 361 students, from grades 6 through 8. An average school in this group (middle schools in Tennessee) has about 554 students.
South Middle School is run by Franklin County, whose 11 schools enroll 4,972 students.
Most students at South Middle School are White: 83% of enrollment. Other groups make up 9% Black, 4% Hispanic, and 3% multiracial. The chance that two students picked at random at South Middle School belong to different racial or ethnic groups, known as the diversity index, is 30%.
The allk12 Grade for South Middle School is C. Compared with Tennessee public middle schools, the school scored higher than 25% on a mix of test scores, poverty-adjusted results, and recent trend.
According to the American Community Survey, in Franklin County, median household income is about $63,494, roughly 24% of adults have a four-year degree or more, and about 8% of residents live below the federal poverty line. South Middle School is one of 12 public schools in Franklin County, which together enroll about 5,355 students.
The closest public school, Cowan Elementary, is about 1.5 miles from South Middle School. Within five miles are 4 other public schools.
Its NCES locale code is Rural: Fringe: the school is in rural territory close to an urban area.
Enrollment was 299 in 2020-21 and 361 in 2024-25, a increase of 62 students.
Families, students, and staff can use this page to discuss sports schedules, lunch menus, and spirit week at South Middle School. Anyone with firsthand experience at this school can post or comment.
Franklin County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
43,990
Census ACS
Median income
$63,494
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
24%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
8%
Below federal line
Schools in county
12
5,355 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Franklin County
- Franklin Co High SchoolHigh · 1,144 students
- Huntland SchoolCombined · 631 students
- North Middle SchoolMiddle · 557 students
- Clark Memorial SchoolElementary · 539 students
- Decherd ElementaryElementary · 436 students
- Rock Creek ElementaryElementary · 410 students
Other South Middle schools
17 other US public schools in 14 states are named South Middle. South Middle School is the 18th largest of the 18.
- South Middle SchoolEDINBURG, TX · 1,246 students
- South Middle SchoolWaukee, IA · 1,092 students
- SOUTH MIDDLE SCHOOLBRENTWOOD, NY · 975 students
- SOUTH MIDDLE SCHOOLNAMPA, ID · 836 students
- South Middle SchoolArlington Heights, IL · 812 students
Nearby schools
- Cowan Elementary1.5 mi · 260
- Franklin Co High School3.5 mi · 1,144
- Decherd Elementary3.9 mi · 436
- Clark Memorial School5.0 mi · 539
- North Middle School5.6 mi · 557
- Sewanee Elementary6.8 mi · 145
Frequently asked questions
About South Middle SchoolHow large is South Middle School?
South Middle School enrolls approximately 361 students in grades 06-08.
What grades does South Middle School serve?
South Middle School serves grades 06-08.
How diverse is South Middle School?
South Middle School reports a student body of 83% White, 4% Hispanic, 9% Black, 0% Asian, 3% Two or more.
What district is South Middle School in?
South Middle School is part of Franklin County.
What city is South Middle School in?
South Middle School is located in Cowan, TN.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.