Tennessee · EDFacts 2021-22

Chronic Absenteeism in Tennessee

The 100 schools with the highest chronic absenteeism rates in Tennessee, ranked by the share of students missing 15 or more school days a year.

Compiled from official source data by PlainSchools Editorial. · Updated June 2026

The picture in one line

The 100 Tennessee schools listed here average 64.9% chronic absenteeism, against a national school average of 29.5%, and 100 of them sit above the 50% critical line.

64.9%
average across these 100 schools: 29.5%
national school average: 98.5%
highest rate (Pearl-Cohn High): 100
schools above 50%

#	School	Enrollment	Status	Absent %
1	Pearl-Cohn High Nashville	526	Critical	98.5%
2	The Excel Center Memphis	457	Critical	96.5%
3	Martin Luther King Preparatory High School Memphis	537	Critical	95.9%
4	Northfield Academy Spring Hill	74	Critical	94.6%
5	Northwest Prep Academy Memphis	173	Critical	94.2%
6	The Phoenix School Crossville	72	Critical	93.1%
7	Haynes Middle Nashville	234	Critical	91.0%
8	Memphis College Preparatory Memphis	227	Critical	88.1%
9	Moses Mckissack Middle Nashville	114	Critical	86.8%
10	Stratford Stem Magnet School Nashville	810	Critical	85.8%
11	Memphis Scholars Caldwell-Guthrie Memphis	309	Critical	85.1%
12	Madison Middle Madison	360	Critical	85.0%
13	Orchard Knob Middle Chattanooga	264	Critical	78.8%
14	Kipp Memphis Collegiate High School Memphis	346	Critical	77.7%
15	Kipp Memphis Collegiate Middle Memphis	301	Critical	77.1%
16	Believe Memphis Academy Charter School Memphis	467	Critical	76.9%
17	Maplewood High Nashville	700	Critical	76.3%
18	John Early Middle Nashville	136	Critical	75.7%
19	Perry County High School Linden	273	Critical	75.1%
20	Tenn School for Blind Nashville	100	Critical	74.0%
21	Republic High School Nashville	587	Critical	73.8%
22	Memphis Business Academy High School Memphis	521	Critical	73.3%
23	Memphis Delta Preparatory Memphis	351	Critical	72.9%
24	Two Rivers Middle Nashville	281	Critical	72.6%
25	A. Maceo Walker Middle Memphis	641	Critical	69.6%
26	Woodstock Middle School Millington	248	Critical	69.4%
27	R T Fisher Alternative Gallatin	127	Critical	69.3%
28	Bluff City High School Memphis	514	Critical	69.1%
29	Jere Baxter Middle Nashville	369	Critical	69.1%
30	Howard Connect Academy Chattanooga	94	Critical	69.1%
31	Hillcrest High School Memphis	476	Critical	68.9%
32	Donelson Middle Nashville	434	Critical	68.7%
33	Grainger High School Rutledge	756	Critical	67.3%
34	Journey Hanley School Memphis	657	Critical	67.1%
35	Jones Elementary Nashville	251	Critical	66.9%
36	Cherokee Elementary Memphis	321	Critical	66.4%
37	Vine Middle/Magnet Knoxville	382	Critical	66.0%
38	The Howard School Chattanooga	1,329	Critical	65.6%
39	Glencliff High School Nashville	1,013	Critical	65.5%
40	Wooddale Middle School Memphis	534	Critical	64.4%
41	East Nashville Magnet High School Nashville	432	Critical	64.4%
42	North Parkway Middle School Jackson	360	Critical	64.2%
43	Chickasaw Middle Memphis	330	Critical	63.9%
44	Kipp Memphis Collegiate Elementary Memphis	381	Critical	63.8%
45	Haywood High School Brownsville	733	Critical	63.0%
46	South Doyle High School Knoxville	925	Critical	62.3%
47	Northaven Elementary Memphis	320	Critical	62.2%
48	Levi Elementary Memphis	454	Critical	62.1%
49	Rocketship Nashville Northeast Elementary Nashville	499	Critical	61.9%
50	Coker Creek Elementary Tellico Plains	55	Critical	61.8%
51	Lincoln Elementary School Jackson	412	Critical	61.4%
52	Neely's Bend: a Lead Public School Madison	367	Critical	61.0%
53	Bedford County Virtual School Wartrace	77	Critical	61.0%
54	Ida B. Wells Academy Es/Ms Memphis	99	Critical	60.6%
55	Sequatchie Co High School Dunlap	542	Critical	60.5%
56	Fayette Ware Comprehensive High School Somerville	724	Critical	60.4%
57	William Henry Oliver Middle Nashville	423	Critical	60.3%
58	City University School of Liberal Arts Memphis	179	Critical	59.8%
59	Cornerstone Prep - Lester Campus Memphis	401	Critical	59.6%
60	Apollo Middle Antioch	549	Critical	59.0%
61	Hunters Lane High Nashville	1,414	Critical	58.8%
62	Ridgeway High Memphis	695	Critical	58.6%
63	Wright Middle Nashville	498	Critical	58.0%
64	Fulton High School Knoxville	933	Critical	57.8%
65	Liberty Technology Magnet High School Jackson	604	Critical	57.8%
66	Jackson Career Technology Magnet Elementary Jackson	336	Critical	57.7%
67	Brainerd High School Chattanooga	739	Critical	57.5%
68	New Directions Academy Charlotte	61	Critical	57.4%
69	Austin East High/Magnet Knoxville	663	Critical	57.3%
70	Compass Community School Orange Mound Campus Memphis	203	Critical	57.1%
71	East Ridge High School Chattanooga	867	Critical	57.0%
72	Spring Hill Elementary Knoxville	419	Critical	56.6%
73	Fairley High School Memphis	399	Critical	55.9%
74	Cumberland Elementary Nashville	452	Critical	55.8%
75	Croft Middle Nashville	411	Critical	55.5%
76	Bradley Academy - an Arts Integrated School Murfreesboro	334	Critical	55.1%
77	Freedom Preparatory Academy Flagship Memphis	692	Critical	54.5%
78	Compass Community School Frayser Campus Memphis	200	Critical	54.5%
79	Rutledge Middle School Rutledge	363	Critical	54.0%
80	Sevier County High School Sevierville	950	Critical	53.9%
81	Jones Cove Elementary Cosby	102	Critical	53.9%
82	Green Magnet Math and Science Academy Knoxville	359	Critical	53.8%
83	Compass Community School Binghampton Campus Memphis	201	Critical	53.7%
84	East Nashville Middle Nashville	191	Critical	53.4%
85	Holmes Road Elementary Memphis	708	Critical	53.1%
86	Robert Churchwell Elementary Nashville	280	Critical	52.9%
87	Compass Community School Berclair Campus Memphis	231	Critical	52.8%
88	Westside Middle School Memphis	328	Critical	52.7%
89	Lead Cameron Nashville	529	Critical	52.6%
90	Nashville Prep Nashville	187	Critical	52.4%
91	North Side High School Jackson	903	Critical	52.3%
92	Dupont Tyler Middle Hermitage	377	Critical	52.3%
93	Clairfield Elementary Clairfield	69	Critical	52.2%
94	Margaret Allen Middle Nashville	306	Critical	52.0%
95	Promise Academy Memphis	282	Critical	51.8%
96	Sevierville Primary Sevierville	459	Critical	51.4%
97	Jellico High School Jellico	275	Critical	51.3%
98	Mooreland Heights Elementary Knoxville	369	Critical	51.2%
99	De Kalb County High School Smithville	781	Critical	51.1%
100	Hattie Cotton Elementary Nashville	221	Critical	51.1%

← National Rankings All Tennessee Schools Funding Equity

Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts, Chronic Absenteeism Data (SY 2021-22). Schools with fewer than 50 students excluded. Percentage = chronically absent students / total enrollment U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts, Chronic Absenteeism Data (SY 2021-22). Schools with fewer than 50 students excluded. Percentage = chronically absent students / total enrollment

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.