Abraham Lincoln Elementary School vs Sullivan Gardens Elementary

Sullivan Gardens Elementary holds a clear edge in overall rating — 9.3 out of 10 versus Abraham Lincoln Elementary School's 8.6, a 0.7-point gap that translates into a strikingly different state rank: Sullivan Gardens sits at #30 of 1,785 Tennessee elementary schools while Abraham Lincoln Elementary School ranks #143. Both are strong performers in absolute terms, but that 113-position difference in state rank signals a meaningful performance gap, not a marginal one, for parents who want the highest-rated option available in Kingsport.

The academic and growth numbers reinforce that picture. Sullivan Gardens Elementary leads in academic score 9.0 to Abraham Lincoln Elementary School's 8.7 — a 0.3-point difference — and also edges ahead in growth, 9.8 versus 9.5. Growth scores measure how much a school accelerates student learning relative to peers with similar starting points, so Sullivan Gardens outperforming on both dimensions means it is not just enrolling stronger students; it is also producing stronger gains.

The schools diverge sharply on enrollment. Abraham Lincoln Elementary School serves 417 students compared to Sullivan Gardens Elementary's 217 — nearly double the student body. Student-teacher ratios are close: 13.9:1 at Abraham Lincoln Elementary School versus 13.6:1 at Sullivan Gardens Elementary, a difference too small to drive a decision on its own. The smaller total enrollment at Sullivan Gardens, however, often translates to a tighter-knit school culture and easier access to teachers and administrators even when raw ratios are similar.

Both schools serve grades PK through 5 and sit 5.1 miles apart within Kingsport, making a direct comparison genuinely useful for families anywhere between the two campuses. Neither school offers a grade-range advantage over the other, so the decision comes down to the performance and size factors above rather than any structural difference in what years of schooling each campus covers.