Memphis-Shelby County Schools

Public school district · Shelby County · Tennessee · NCES district ID 4700148

Memphis-Shelby County Schools spent $13,695 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, more than 96% of the other Tennessee districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 (median $11,310). Its 203 schools enrolled 109,114 students in 2024-25; 34.7% of its revenue came from the state. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $14,576 per student, up 6.4% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year). Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 81% (Tennessee: 87.3%).

NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 · Census Bureau school finances 2023-24 · NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 · method

Spending per student among Tennessee's largest districts

Current spending per student excludes construction and debt. Among the 10 districts shown, Memphis-Shelby County Schools ranks 3.

Current spending per student, largest Tennessee districts, FY23Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools $17,808; Hamilton County Schools $14,785; Memphis-Shelby County Schools $13,695; Sevier County School System $12,911; Williamson County Schools $11,899; Sumner County Schools $11,191; Knox County Schools $11,187; Rutherford County Schools $10,708; Clarksville-Montgomery County School System $10,645; Wilson County Schools $9,322; State median, 1,000+ students $11,310.5k10k15k20kMetropolitan Nashville Public …$17,808Hamilton County Schools$14,785Memphis-Shelby County Schools$13,695Sevier County School System$12,911Williamson County Schools$11,899Sumner County Schools$11,191Knox County Schools$11,187Rutherford County Schools$10,708Clarksville-Montgomery County …$10,645Wilson County Schools$9,322State median, 1,000+ students $11,310
Current spending per student, largest Tennessee districts, FY23Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools $17,808; Hamilton County Schools $14,785; Memphis-Shelby County Schools $13,695; Sevier County School System $12,911; Williamson County Schools $11,899; Sumner County Schools $11,191; Knox County Schools $11,187; Rutherford County Schools $10,708; Clarksville-Montgomery County School System $10,645; Wilson County Schools $9,322; State median, 1,000+ students $11,310.5k10k15k20kMetropolitan Nashville Public Schoo…$17,808Hamilton County Schools$14,785Memphis-Shelby County Schools$13,695Sevier County School System$12,911Williamson County Schools$11,899Sumner County Schools$11,191Knox County Schools$11,187Rutherford County Schools$10,708Clarksville-Montgomery County Schoo…$10,645Wilson County Schools$9,322State median, 1,000+ students $11,310
Current spending per student, largest Tennessee districts, FY23Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools $17,808; Hamilton County Schools $14,785; Memphis-Shelby County Schools $13,695; Sevier County School System $12,911; Williamson County Schools $11,899; Sumner County Schools $11,191; Knox County Schools $11,187; Rutherford County Schools $10,708; Clarksville-Montgomery County School System $10,645; Wilson County Schools $9,322; State median, 1,000+ students $11,310.5k10k15k20kMetropolitan Nashville Public Schools$17,808Hamilton County Schools$14,785Memphis-Shelby County Schools$13,695Sevier County School System$12,911Williamson County Schools$11,899Sumner County Schools$11,191Knox County Schools$11,187Rutherford County Schools$10,708Clarksville-Montgomery County School System$10,645Wilson County Schools$9,322State median, 1,000+ students $11,310
Current spending per student, largest Tennessee districts, FY23Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools $17,808; Hamilton County Schools $14,785; Memphis-Shelby County Schools $13,695; Sevier County School System $12,911; Williamson County Schools $11,899; Sumner County Schools $11,191; Knox County Schools $11,187; Rutherford County Schools $10,708; Clarksville-Montgomery County School System $10,645; Wilson County Schools $9,322; State median, 1,000+ students $11,310.5k10k15k20kMetropolitan Nashville Public Schools$17,808Hamilton County Schools$14,785Memphis-Shelby County Schools$13,695Sevier County School System$12,911Williamson County Schools$11,899Sumner County Schools$11,191Knox County Schools$11,187Rutherford County Schools$10,708Clarksville-Montgomery County School Sy…$10,645Wilson County Schools$9,322State median, 1,000+ students $11,310

Where the money came from

$1,742,342,000 in revenue: 34.7% state, 32.8% local and 32.5% federal. Total spending including $211,864,000 of capital outlay was $1,762,239,000, or $16,050 per student; the figure above leaves capital out.

Memphis-Shelby County Schools revenue by source, fiscal year 2022-23State $604,381,000; Local $572,056,000; Federal $565,905,000; total $1,742,342,000.
  • State$604,381,000 35%
  • Local$572,056,000 33%
  • Federal$565,905,000 32%

Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23: current expenditures for elementary and secondary education divided by fall membership; the state median covers 124 districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022. Revenue by source (TOTALREV, TFEDREV, TSTREV, TLOCREV).

Enrollment held steady from 2022-23 to 2023-24

109,797 students in 2022-23, 109,485 students in 2023-24, counted across the schools that reported each year.

Memphis-Shelby County Schools enrollment by school year2022-23: 109,797, 2023-24: 109,485050k100k150k2022-23109,7972023-24109,485
Memphis-Shelby County Schools enrollment by school year2022-23: 109,797, 2023-24: 109,485050k100k150k2022-23109,7972023-24109,485
Memphis-Shelby County Schools enrollment by school year2022-23: 109,797, 2023-24: 109,485050k100k150k2022-23109,7972023-24109,485
Memphis-Shelby County Schools enrollment by school year2022-23: 109,797, 2023-24: 109,485050k100k150k2022-23109,7972023-24109,485

Teachers and students per teacher

School yearStudentsTeachers (FTE)Per teacher
2022-23109,7976824.816.1
2023-24109,4856717.416.3

Source: NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2022-23, 2023-24; sums over the schools reporting each year.

$403,980,000 in teacher salaries in fiscal year 2022-23, $3,679 per student

Memphis-Shelby County Schools booked $403,980,000 of teacher salaries in its 2022-23 finance report and counted 6,885 full-time teachers in its Common Core of Data district staff file for 2022-23 (the school files behind the staffing figures on this page count teachers separately, so the two can differ), or $58,671 of salary spending per teacher. That is more than 61 in 100 Tennessee districts with a figure (state median $57,379, 141 districts). It is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, so the result can differ widely from the average salary the district publishes (its salary schedule gives pay); benefits are left out, and states book salaries differently, so compare districts within one state. For pay, the National Education Association put the average Tennessee teacher salary at $53,619 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).

ProgramTeacher salariesShare
Regular programs$333,611,00082.6%
Special education$54,034,00013.4%
Vocational$9,834,0002.4%
Other programs$6,501,0001.6%

Teacher salaries per student, fiscal years 2018-19 to 2022-23

The district's teacher salary bill divided by its fall enrollment each year: $3,638 in 2018-19, $3,633 in 2019-20, $3,541 in 2020-21, $3,743 in 2021-22, $3,679 in 2022-23.

Memphis-Shelby County Schools teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $3,638, 2019-20: $3,633, 2020-21: $3,541, 2021-22: $3,743, 2022-23: $3,67901k2k3k4k2018-19$3,6382019-20$3,6332020-21$3,5412021-22$3,7432022-23$3,679
Memphis-Shelby County Schools teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $3,638, 2019-20: $3,633, 2020-21: $3,541, 2021-22: $3,743, 2022-23: $3,67901k2k3k4k2018-19$3,6382019-20$3,6332020-21$3,5412021-22$3,7432022-23$3,679
Memphis-Shelby County Schools teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $3,638, 2019-20: $3,633, 2020-21: $3,541, 2021-22: $3,743, 2022-23: $3,67901k2k3k4k2018-19$3,6382019-20$3,6332020-21$3,5412021-22$3,7432022-23$3,679
Memphis-Shelby County Schools teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $3,638, 2019-20: $3,633, 2020-21: $3,541, 2021-22: $3,743, 2022-23: $3,67901k2k3k4k2018-19$3,6382019-20$3,6332020-21$3,5412021-22$3,7432022-23$3,679

Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal years 2019 to 2023: teacher salaries in regular, special, vocational and other programs (Z35 to Z38) and fall membership (V33); NCES Common Core of Data LEA staff file 2022-23, teachers (full-time equivalent).

State test results, 2021-22

In 2021-22, the students tested in Memphis-Shelby County Schools scored proficient or above: 22% in reading and 16% in math, against 35% in reading and 35% in math across Tennessee. Each state writes its own test and sets its own proficiency bar, so compare these within Tennessee, not across states. Where a state published results by grade only, the grades tested are combined, weighted by the students tested in each.

Students proficient or above, 2021-22
SubjectThis districtTennesseeStudents tested
Reading and language arts22%35%43,281
Math16%35%43,171

Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results 2021-22, all students, from ED Data Express (the Data Rescue Project archive; ED has no 2022-23 result for this district): ED shows district results as ranges (for example 20-24%) to protect small groups.

Graduation rate, class of 2023

81% of the 7,461 students in Memphis-Shelby County Schools' class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 87.3% across Tennessee. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out, and counts those who earned a regular diploma by 2023. Every state computes it the same way under federal law, though each sets its own diploma requirements.

Four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rate, class of 2023
This districtTennessee
Four-year graduation rate81%87.3%
Students in the class7,46171,510

Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates 2022-23, all students, from ED Data Express: ED shows district rates as ranges (for example 90-94%) and leaves out small classes.

119 elementary schools, 57,964 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Dexter School1,50918.8All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Snowden Elementary/Middle1,38416.7All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Macon-Hall Elementary1,07015.6All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Belle Forest Community School1,02716.8All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Riverwood Elementary School98515.9All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Treadwell Elementary92113.5All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Richland Elementary90715.3All free (CEP)Not Title I
Chimneyrock Elementary School87415.0All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Parkway Village Elementary85613.1All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Grahamwood Elementary85013.9All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Highland Oaks Elementary82113.3All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Cordova Elementary81417.3All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
The other 107 elementary schools
SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Lowrance Elementary/Middle78716.4All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
White Station Elementary78617.6All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Downtown Elementary78418.9All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Alcy Elementary77514.7All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Shelby Oaks Elementary75115.8All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Westhaven Elementary74019.9All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Kate Bond Elementary School72612.9All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Germanshire Elementary72518.6All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Geeter School70913.7All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Holmes Road Elementary70818.8All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Power Center Academy Elementary School70316.7All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Hamilton School67726.8All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Ross Elementary66521.1All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Southwind Elementary64115.8All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Berclair Elementary63812.1All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Willow Oaks Elementary620not reportedAll free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Lucie E. Campbell Elementary60020.0All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Robert R. Church Elementary59619.3All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Idlewild Elementary59315.2All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Wells Station Elementary59312.6All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Hickory Ridge Elementary58115.8All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Crump Elementary56916.9All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Getwell Elementary55916.1All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Brownsville Road Elementary55016.2All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
William Herbert Brewster Elementary School54812.8All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Ford Road Elementary53620.0All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Sherwood Elementary53118.3All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Germantown Elementary52313.8All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Riverview Elementary/Middle52215.9All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Cromwell Elementary51715.8All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Sea Isle Elementary51417.3All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Kingsbury Elementary50612.0All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Oakhaven Elementary49616.1All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Freedom Prep Elementary - Millbranch49515.5All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
A. B. Hill Elementary48518.0All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Evans Elementary48515.4All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Fox Meadows Elementary47615.8All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Winridge Elementary46917.0All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Believe Memphis Academy Charter School46718.6All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
South Park Elementary46216.1All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Leadership Preparatory Charter School46215.3All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Egypt Elementary45416.3All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Levi Elementary45413.6All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Whitehaven Elementary44918.4All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Bruce Elementary44813.2All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Keystone Elementary44615.7All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Oakshire Elementary44216.7All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Oak Forest Elementary43212.8All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
J. P. Freeman Elementary/Middle43216.1All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Memphis Merit Academy42441.6All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Power Center Academy Elementary - Southeast42318.2All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Vision Preparatory Charter School42114.8All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Memphis School of Excellence Elementary42019.2All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Newberry Elementary41014.4All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Granville T. Woods Academy of Innovation Charter School40619.7All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Star Academy40031.7All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Raleigh-Bartlett Meadows Elementary39814.5All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Douglass Elementary/Middle39312.4All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Perea Elementary School39316.1All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Scenic Hills Elementary39212.2All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Sheffield Elementary38616.2All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Freedom Prep Elementary - Parkrose38619.6All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
KIPP Memphis Collegiate Elementary38130.1All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Cummings Elementary/Middle37911.0All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Journey East Academy37617.8All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
E.E. Jeter Elementary/Middle35613.0All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Memphis Delta Preparatory35115.9All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Frayser-Corning Elementary34721.9All free (CEP)Not reported
Winchester Elementary34414.6All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Aurora Collegiate Academy340not reportedAll free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Memphis School of Excellence Elementary Cordova32419.3All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Jackson Elementary32214.1All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Memphis Business Academy Elementary School32211.9All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Cherokee Elementary32112.3All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Beacon College Preparatory32111.4All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Northaven Elementary32014.4All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Vollentine Elementary31914.5All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Delano Elementary31515.7All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Larose Elementary31313.1All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Peabody Elementary31014.3All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Hawkins Mill Elementary30817.9All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Southern Avenue Charter School Of Academic Excellence Creati30210.2All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Sharpe Elementary30113.7All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Lucy Elementary30113.0All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Barret's Chapel Elementary/Middle30011.6All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Bethel Grove Elementary29017.6All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Georgian Hills Elementary28715.0All free (CEP)Not reported
Whitney Elementary28520.2All free (CEP)Not reported
Promise Academy28221.0All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Memphis STEM Academy27613.3All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Balmoral/Ridgeway Elementary27511.1All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Westside Elementary26917.3All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Double Tree Elementary25925.7All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Gardenview Elementary25613.1All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Compass Community School Hickory Hill Campus24112.8All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Springdale Elementary23111.6All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Compass Community School Berclair Campus23111.0All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Memphis College Preparatory22715.2All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Rozelle Elementary2228.8All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Dunbar Elementary20619.1All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Compass Community School Orange Mound Campus20310.9All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Compass Community School Binghampton Campus20112.2All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Compass Community School Frayser Campus20012.4All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Circles Of Success Learning Academy19512.9All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Memphis Business Academy Hickory Hill Elementary School1837.4All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Ida B. Wells Academy ES/MS997.0All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Arrow Academy of Excellence7619.6All free (CEP)Schoolwide program

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.

32 middle schools, 16,651 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
White Station Middle1,12715.7All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Colonial Middle1,03416.3All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Kate Bond Middle School1,00216.3All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Hickory Ridge Middle80517.0All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Treadwell Middle School76417.3All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Sherwood Middle74315.3All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Havenview Middle69620.4All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
American Way Middle69316.5All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Cordova Middle68023.9All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
A. Maceo Walker Middle64116.9All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Bellevue Middle62517.6All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Germantown Middle60615.9All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
The other 20 middle schools
SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Ridgeway Middle59918.4All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Kingsbury Middle53813.3All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Highland Oaks Middle53717.5All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Mt. Pisgah Middle/High49823.4All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Craigmont Middle47513.9All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Grandview Heights Middle School47219.0All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Raleigh Egypt Middle School46117.6All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Power Center Academy Middle45128.4All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Maxine Smith STEAM Academy43914.0All free (CEP)Not Title I
Memphis Business Academy Middle39911.1All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Chickasaw Middle33014.0All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Power Center Academy Middle - Southeast32313.3All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Memphis Grizzlies Preparatory Charter School30614.8All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Oakhaven Middle30321.3All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
KIPP Memphis Collegiate Middle30110.6All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Georgian Hills Middle24917.1All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Woodstock Middle School24810.3All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Veritas College Preparatory13713.1All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
City University School Girls Preparatory948.9All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Memphis Business Academy Hickory Hill Middle School756.7All free (CEP)Schoolwide program

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.

45 high schools, 31,821 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Cordova High School2,25120.6All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
White Station High2,04616.9All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Germantown High1,71916.6All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Southwind High1,67523.8All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Whitehaven High1,50916.8All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Overton High1,41714.3All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Kingsbury High1,38321.8All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Central High1,33121.2All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Craigmont High96815.3All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Trezevant High88317.2All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Memphis Rise Academy75315.3All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Raleigh-Egypt High72518.5All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
The other 33 high schools
SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Kirby High69916.9All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Ridgeway High69515.2All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Freedom Preparatory Academy Flagship69218.4All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Power Center Academy High School67118.8All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Memphis Academy Of Science Engineering Middle/High66711.6All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Wooddale High66221.7All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Bolton High66117.0All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Soulsville Charter School65111.7All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Melrose High64514.3All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Hamilton High62815.0All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Douglass High60417.1All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
East High58316.3All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Memphis School of Excellence57512.6All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Memphis Business Academy High School52114.8All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Crosstown High School52011.6All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Sheffield High51620.5All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
The Excel Center45740.8All free (CEP)Not Title I
Memphis School of Excellence Cordova44815.9All free (CEP)Not Title I
B. T. Washington High43614.3All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Memphis Virtual Adult High School41813.9All free (CEP)Not reported
Mitchell High37617.3All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Compass Community School Midtown Campus37312.4All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Manassas High36913.4All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Westwood High36113.4All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
KIPP Memphis Collegiate High School34614.8All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Oakhaven High34115.3All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Freedom Prep Middle - Brownlee33519.9All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Middle College High30416.3All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
City University School Of Liberal Arts17921.7All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Northwest Prep Academy1739.0All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Medical District High School14610.2All free (CEP)Not Title I
Hollis F. Price Middle College966.5All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
City University School of Independence132.6All free (CEP)Schoolwide program

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.

7 other schools, 2,678 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Early Childhood Programs93876.8All free (CEP)Not reported
Exceptional Children Special Placements551not reportedAll free (CEP)Not Title I
Carver College and Career Academy4026.3All free (CEP)Not reported
Memphis Virtual School3098.4All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Ridgeway Early Learning Center17813.6All free (CEP)Not reported
Avon School1748.9All free (CEP)Eligible, no program
Shrine School12610.6All free (CEP)Eligible, no program

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.

5 more schools on file: small, closed or in an earlier directory

These records carry fewer federal fields than a full school page needs, so each is summarized here with what NCES reports.

Memphis Virtual Adult High School

High school in Memphis; open in 2024-25; 418 students; 13.9 students per teacher.

Campus School

Elementary school in Memphis; 398 students; 19.4 students per teacher.

University Middle

Middle school in Memphis; 271 students; 14.5 students per teacher.

KIPP Memphis Academy Middle

Middle school in Memphis; 228 students; 10.4 students per teacher.

University High School

High school in Memphis; 96 students; 15.7 students per teacher.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 and earlier directories: the last year each school was listed, its students and its teachers.

Contact Memphis-Shelby County Schools

Source: NCES Common Core of Data, local education agency directory 2024-25. Enrollment, boundaries and school assignment are the district's to confirm.

What to look at next about Memphis-Shelby County Schools

  1. Tennessee districts by spending per studentMemphis-Shelby County Schools ranks 6 of 124 Tennessee districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 on current spending per student in fiscal year 2022-23 ($13,695).#6 of 124
  2. Every school district in TennesseeMemphis-Shelby County Schools is the largest of 148 Tennessee districts, with 109,797 students in fall 2022 (F-33).#1 of 148
  3. Metropolitan Nashville Public SchoolsThe next smaller Tennessee district: 80,651 students in fall 2022, $17,808 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$17,808
  4. Compare Memphis-Shelby County Schools with Metropolitan Nashville Public SchoolsEnrollment, spending, revenue sources and schools, side by side.
  5. Cordova High School, its largest high school2,251 students in 2024-25, 20.6 per teacher.2,251
  6. Teacher salary spending across TennesseeMemphis-Shelby County Schools spent $58,671 in salaries per full-time teacher in fiscal year 2022-23 (state median $57,379); spending, not a salary.$58,671
  7. Find the school district for an addressA home's district decides which public schools it can enroll in.

Source: NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 (spending per student and fall 2022 membership; ranks among the state's districts that reported them); NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (schools).

Questions about Memphis-Shelby County Schools

  1. How many schools and students are in Memphis-Shelby County Schools?
    203 schools were open in 2024-25 (119 elementary, 32 middle, 45 high, 7 other), enrolling 109,114 students, according to the NCES Common Core of Data.
  2. How much does Memphis-Shelby County Schools spend per student?
    $13,695 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), which leaves out construction and debt; the Tennessee median for districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 is $11,310 and the U.S. figure is $16,260. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $14,576 per student, up 6.4% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).
  3. Where does Memphis-Shelby County Schools' money come from?
    $1,742,342,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2022-23: 34.7% state, 32.8% local and 32.5% federal (NCES F-33).
  4. How many children in Memphis-Shelby County Schools live in poverty?
    The Census Bureau estimates that 45,255 of the 129,725 children aged 5 to 17 living within the district's boundaries in 2024, 34.9%, were in families in poverty (Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). It is a model-based estimate for everyone living in the district, not a count of its students; the free-meal shares in the school tables are counts of enrolled students.
  5. How much does Memphis-Shelby County Schools spend on teacher salaries?
    $403,980,000 in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), or $3,679 per student. Divided by the 6,885 full-time teachers in the NCES Common Core of Data for 2022-23 that is $58,671 per teacher, more than 61 in 100 Tennessee districts (state median $57,379). That is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, and the result can differ widely from the average salary a district publishes. The district's salary schedule gives pay. For pay, the National Education Association put the average Tennessee teacher salary at $53,619 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).
  6. How do students in Memphis-Shelby County Schools do on state tests?
    In 2021-22, the students tested in Memphis-Shelby County Schools scored proficient or above: 22% in reading and 16% in math, against 35% in reading and 35% in math across Tennessee. Tennessee's own test sets what proficient means, so results compare within the state, not across states. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22.
  7. What is the graduation rate in Memphis-Shelby County Schools?
    81% of the 7,461 students in Memphis-Shelby County Schools' class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 87.3% across Tennessee. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23.
  8. What is Memphis-Shelby County Schools' NCES district ID?
    4700148. Each of its schools' 12-digit NCES IDs begins with these seven digits.

Reading these figures: how to choose a school district, what Title I means and what an absenteeism rate means. They are for information and are not a substitute for the school's or district's own records.

Sources

Every federal file behind this record
  • NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25: directory, membership, staff and lunch files. nces.ed.gov
  • NCES Common Core of Data, 2021-22 school characteristics: Title I status. nces.ed.gov
  • Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021-22: AP courses, gifted programs, counselors, discipline. civilrightsdata.ed.gov
  • EDFacts, 2022-23: chronic absenteeism. ed.gov
  • EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23: the class of 2023 for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
  • EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22: reading and math proficiency for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
  • NCES Digest of Education Statistics, table 211.60 (2021-22): the state's average teacher salary, from the National Education Association. nces.ed.gov
  • U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024: children aged 5 to 17 and those in families in poverty, by school district. census.gov
  • U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2023-24: per pupil current spending for 2023-24 and 2022-23. census.gov
  • NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, fiscal year 2022-23: district spending and revenue. nces.ed.gov
  • U.S. Census Bureau geocoder and TIGER school districts: the district boundary used by the district finder. census.gov

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances Per pupil current spending by school system · FY 2023-24

Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey Revenue and expenditures by district · FY 2022-23

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School directory, membership, staff and lunch files · 2024-25

Compiled from official source data by .