Enrollment
467
Tennessee · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Memphis, TN
Believe Memphis Academy Charter School
Federal NCES profile for Believe Memphis Academy Charter School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 10/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 470014802489Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Believe Memphis Academy Charter School earns 10/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 98% of Tennessee schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Tennessee schools.
- #33 of 33
- elementary schools in Memphis · Resource Index
- 10
- Resource Index · Lower
- 27.5:1
- large classes for Tennessee
- 467
- students enrolled
Believe Memphis Academy Charter School has class sizes larger than 98% of Tennessee schools. Computed live against every Tennessee school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Believe Memphis Academy Charter School ranks #33 of 33 elementary schools in Memphis, TN.
School address
District: Memphis-Shelby County Schools · Tennessee
NCES ID 470014802489 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
17.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
27.5:1
vs 15.3:1 Tennessee avg
+80% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Believe Memphis Academy Charter School compares with Tennessee and U.S. medians
What stands out at Believe Memphis Academy Charter School
Believe Memphis Academy Charter School is a mid-sized charter elementary school in Memphis, Tennessee, enrolling 467 students.
Class loads run heavy: 27.5:1 is larger than about 98% of Tennessee schools and 80% above the 15.3:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
With 467 students, its enrollment sits close to the Tennessee median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 100% of the 1,838 Tennessee schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Its student body is predominantly African American (97% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 6/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 76.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Memphis-Shelby County Schools spends $13,650 per pupil, 26% above the Tennessee average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 28.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Memphis's elementary schools, it stands alongside Power Center Academy Elementary School (703 students): Believe Memphis Academy Charter School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (27.5:1 vs 16.3:1).
Memphis-Shelby County Schools also operates Cordova High School (2,251 students) and White Station High (2,046 students) alongside Believe Memphis Academy Charter School.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Believe Memphis Academy Charter School compares
Believe Memphis Academy Charter School on the metrics families compare, against Tennessee and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Tennessee | Tennessee avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 27.5:1 | ▲ 80% | 15.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 467 | top 50% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
27.5:1
Leaner classes than 3% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
467
Bigger than 57% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
27.5:1
students per teacher
- 80% above state mean
Top 98% in Tennessee - lower ratio than 2% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
76.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$13,650
per pupil, district-wide
- above Tennessee avg of $10,822
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
African American 96.8%
Two or More 1.9%
Hispanic or Latino 1.1%
White 0.2%
Largest group: African American at 96.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 6.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 6.2, Believe Memphis Academy Charter School is less mixed than the Tennessee school average of 38.3.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Memphis-Shelby County Schools, which includes Believe Memphis Academy Charter School.
$13,650
Per student
+26%
vs Tennessee
Avg $10,822
-18%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 34.5%
State 37.0%
Federal 28.5%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Believe Memphis Academy Charter School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cordova High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| White Station High | Larger | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Germantown High | Larger | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Southwind High | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Whitehaven High | Larger | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Believe Memphis Academy Charter School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,251
- Students per teacher
- 22.1:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 2,046
- Students per teacher
- 18.9:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,719
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 1,675
- Students per teacher
- 26.6:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 1,509
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
Similar elementary schools in Memphis
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Power Center Academy Elementary School
Standard public school
703 students 16.3:1 students per teacher
Idlewild Elementary
Standard public school
593 students 15.6:1 students per teacher
Brownsville Road Elementary
Standard public school
550 students 19.6:1 students per teacher
Leadership Preparatory Charter School
Standard public school
462 students 17.1:1 students per teacher
J. P. Freeman Elementary/Middle
Standard public school
432 students 12.7:1 students per teacher
Memphis Merit Academy
Standard public school
424 students 60.6:1 students per teacher
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Tennessee, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~467 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~27.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Believe Memphis Academy Charter School's federal record.
- Compare Believe Memphis Academy Charter School against another school. Compare schools
- Memphis-Shelby County Schools's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Believe Memphis Academy Charter School
How many students attend Believe Memphis Academy Charter School?
Believe Memphis Academy Charter School has 467 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Memphis, TN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Believe Memphis Academy Charter School?
The student-teacher ratio at Believe Memphis Academy Charter School is 27.5:1, which is 80% higher than the Tennessee average of 15.3:1 and 75% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Believe Memphis Academy Charter School?
The largest demographic group at Believe Memphis Academy Charter School is African American at 96.8% of enrollment, in Memphis, TN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Believe Memphis Academy Charter School?
Believe Memphis Academy Charter School has a Resource Investment Index of 10/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Believe Memphis Academy Charter School rank among elementary schools in Memphis?
By Resource Investment Index, Believe Memphis Academy Charter School ranks #33 of 33 elementary schools in Memphis, TN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Memphis on the city page.
Is Believe Memphis Academy Charter School a good school?
Believe Memphis Academy Charter School earns 10/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 98% of Tennessee schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Tennessee schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Memphis-Shelby County Schools?
Besides Believe Memphis Academy Charter School, Memphis-Shelby County Schools also operates Cordova High School (2,251 students), White Station High (2,046 students), and Germantown High (1,719 students). See the Memphis-Shelby County Schools district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.