Oak Ridge Schools

The Oak Ridge City School System has been esteemed for its excellence since it began in 1943. The system has provided a level of education well above the standards set by the Tennessee State Board of Education. One of the system's strengths has always been the active involvement of parents. Administrators seek citizen advice from appointed committees of parents to consider such matters as textbook selection and report card revision.

The city has seven public schools. Four elementary schools serve 1,987 pupils in kindergarten through fifth grade; two junior high schools, grades six through nine, serve 1,381 students; and 1,036 students in grades 10 through 12 attend the high school.

Oak Ridge High School has one of the largest number of National Merit Scholar finalists and semi-finalists in the state and ranks high nationally. Sixteen local students were finalists in 1990. Seniors also consistently beat state and U.S. average on SAT and ACT tests. Of the 321 graduates in 1990, 143 had grade point averages of 3.0 or higher. Nearly 80 percent of the city's high school graduates go on to two-year community colleges or four-year institutions.

All Oak Ridge public schools are accredited by the Southern Association of College and Schools.