Lake Ridge Elementary vs North Side Elementary

North Side Elementary and Lake Ridge Elementary are both high-performing Johnson City, Tennessee elementary schools, but their overall ratings diverge by 0.9 points — North Side Elementary at 9.7/10 versus Lake Ridge Elementary at 8.8/10. That gap is reflected in their state ranks: North Side Elementary sits at #2 of 1,785 Tennessee elementary schools, while Lake Ridge Elementary ranks #82 of 1,785. Both rankings represent elite performance statewide, but North Side's position is exceptional by any measure.

The academic and growth scores tell a more nuanced story. Lake Ridge Elementary edges North Side Elementary in raw academic proficiency, 9.9/10 versus 9.6/10 — a difference of 0.3 points. North Side Elementary, however, leads significantly on growth: 9.9/10 compared to Lake Ridge Elementary's 8.8/10, a 1.1-point gap. That growth score measures how much students advance relative to academic peers over time, meaning North Side Elementary is accelerating student progress at an exceptional rate even beyond where students start.

North Side Elementary enrolls 357 students compared to Lake Ridge Elementary's 652 — a difference of 295 students. The smaller enrollment at North Side translates directly into a tighter student-teacher ratio: 12.3:1 versus 14.8:1 at Lake Ridge Elementary. That means North Side classes average roughly two and a half fewer students per teacher, a meaningful structural difference for families who prioritize individualized attention. Both schools are located 4.4 miles apart within Johnson City, making either accessible to families in much of the city.

One practical distinction for families with younger children: North Side Elementary serves grades PK through 5, offering a pre-kindergarten entry point, while Lake Ridge Elementary begins at kindergarten. Families seeking a single-school experience from pre-K through fifth grade will find only North Side Elementary offers that continuity within this pair.