Thomas Jefferson Elementary School vs Sullivan Gardens Elementary

Sullivan Gardens Elementary holds a slight edge in overall rating — 9.3 out of 10 compared to Thomas Jefferson Elementary School's 9.1 — and ranks substantially higher in Tennessee, sitting at #30 of 1,785 schools statewide versus Thomas Jefferson Elementary School's #56. Both placements are elite, but Sullivan Gardens Elementary's 26-spot advantage in the state rankings represents a meaningful separation among Tennessee's top tier of elementary schools.

The academic picture, however, runs in the opposite direction. Thomas Jefferson Elementary School posts a 9.6 academic score against Sullivan Gardens Elementary's 9.0 — a 0.6-point gap that reflects stronger measured proficiency on state assessments. Sullivan Gardens Elementary offsets this with a growth score of 9.8 versus Thomas Jefferson Elementary School's 9.1, a 0.7-point advantage indicating that Sullivan Gardens Elementary students are gaining ground at a faster rate year over year regardless of where they start. Families weighing current achievement against learning trajectory will find these two schools pulling in different directions.

Thomas Jefferson Elementary School enrolls 507 students compared to Sullivan Gardens Elementary's 217 — more than double the population — giving each campus a distinct feel. Sullivan Gardens Elementary's smaller size pairs with a tighter student-teacher ratio of 13.6:1 versus Thomas Jefferson Elementary School's 14.5:1, meaning each teacher at Sullivan Gardens Elementary serves roughly one fewer student on average. For families who prioritize classroom accessibility and individualized attention, that gap matters in a daily, practical sense. Both schools serve grades PK through 05 and sit 5.8 miles apart within Kingsport, making geography rather than grade configuration the primary logistical differentiator.

Both schools cover the same PK–05 span with no program-level distinctions noted in available data. The choice ultimately reduces to whether a family values the higher raw academic proficiency score at Thomas Jefferson Elementary School, the faster student growth and superior state rank at Sullivan Gardens Elementary, or the smaller, more intimate campus environment Sullivan Gardens Elementary provides at less than half the enrollment.