Sylvan Park Elementary

schools.mnps.org/sylvan-park-paideia-design-center

450 Students

Elementary School K - 5th

School Overview

Sylvan Park Elementary, located in the historic Sylvan Park neighborhood of Nashville, is a unique public school operating as a Paideia Design Center. As part of the Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) system, the school is distinguished by its commitment to the Paideia philosophy, which emphasizes critical thinking, collaborative learning, and the use of Socratic seminars. This approach moves beyond traditional rote memorization, encouraging students to engage in rigorous dialogue and deep inquiry to develop a comprehensive understanding of their subjects.

The school is deeply integrated into its surrounding community, fostering a culture that values parental involvement and neighborhood pride. By utilizing a design-center model, Sylvan Park provides a specialized curriculum that focuses on both academic excellence and the development of well-rounded, thoughtful citizens. With its combination of a supportive community atmosphere and an intellectually stimulating pedagogy, Sylvan Park serves as a notable example of a specialized magnet-style program within the broader Nashville public school landscape.

450

Total Students

29.9

Full-Time Teachers

15.1

Student/Teacher Ratio

N/A

Free/Reduced Lunch

Student Demographics

Student Demographics Data Table

Student Demographics for Sylvan Park Elementary
Demographic	Student Count
White	300
Hispanic	20
Black	88
Asian	7
Two or More	35

White
300 (66.7 %)
Black
88 (19.6 %)
Two or More
35 (7.8 %)
Hispanic
20 (4.4 %)
Asian
7 (1.6 %)

School Location

School Details

Status:	Open
School Level:	Elementary School
School Type:	Regular School
Charter Status:*	Public Non-Charter
Virtual Instruction:	No virtual instruction
Shared Time Status:	Yes
District:	Davidson County
Phone:	(615)298-8423
Website:	http://schools.mnps.org/sylvan-park-paideia-design-center
Grade Range:	K - 5th
Total Students:	450
Full-Time Teachers (FTE):	29.9
Pupil/Teacher Ratio:	15.1
NSLP Participation:¹	Yes under Community Eligibility Option (CEO)
Qualified Free Lunch:	0
Qualified Reduced Lunch:	0

* Charter Schools: A public charter school is a publicly funded school that operates independently under a legislative contract (or "charter") with a state, school district, or designated authorizing entity. Charters grant these schools greater operational flexibility over curriculum, staffing, and budgeting in exchange for strict accountability to achieve performance standards established in their charter agreement.

¹ National School Lunch Program (NSLP): The National School Lunch Program is a federally assisted meal program operating in public and nonprofit private schools. It provides nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free lunches to eligible children each school day based on household income thresholds or community eligibility options (CEO).

Title I Program Overview: Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) allocates federal financial assistance to local educational agencies and public schools with high percentages of children from low-income families to help ensure that all children meet challenging state academic standards.

Grades Taught

Kindergarten 85

Grade 1 85

Grade 2 83

Grade 3 76

Grade 4 75

Grade 5 46

Grades Taught Data Table

Grades Taught and Student Counts for Sylvan Park Elementary
Grade	Student Count
Kindergarten	85
Grade 1	85
Grade 2	83
Grade 3	76
Grade 4	75
Grade 5	46

Gender Ratio

Student Gender Ratio Data Table

Student Gender Ratio for Sylvan Park Elementary
Gender	Student Count	Percentage
Female	218	48.4%
Male	232	51.6%

Nearby Elementary Schools (Within 10 Miles)