Enrollment
1,509
Tennessee · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Cordova, TN
Dexter School
Federal NCES profile for Dexter School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 33/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 470014801907
👥 S:T ratio 24
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 79
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Dexter School earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 90% of Tennessee schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Tennessee.
- #6 of 7
- schools in Cordova · Resource Index
- 33
- Resource Index · Typical
- 18.9:1
- large classes for Tennessee
- 1,509
- students enrolled
Dexter School has class sizes larger than 90% of Tennessee schools. Computed live against every Tennessee school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Dexter School ranks #6 of 7 schools in Cordova, TN.
School address
District: Memphis-Shelby County Schools · Tennessee
NCES ID 470014801907 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
80.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.9:1
vs 15.3:1 Tennessee avg
+24% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Dexter School compares with Tennessee and U.S. medians
What stands out at Dexter School
Dexter School is a large combined-grade school in Cordova, Tennessee, enrolling 1,509 students.
Class loads run heavy: 18.9:1 is larger than about 90% of Tennessee schools and 24% above the 15.3:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Tennessee, bigger than 97% of state schools at 1,509 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,838 scored Tennessee schools.
Its student body is led by African American (75%) and Hispanic or Latino (16%) (diversity index 41/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 755 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 8.4% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
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 Cordova's public schools, it stands alongside Macon-Hall Elementary (1,070 students): Dexter School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (18.9:1 vs 14.7:1).
Memphis-Shelby County Schools also operates Cordova High School (2,251 students) and White Station High (2,046 students) alongside Dexter 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 Dexter School compares
Dexter 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 | 18.9:1 | ▲ 24% | 15.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 1,509 | top 3% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.9:1
Leaner classes than 20% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,509
Bigger than 96% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
18.9:1
students per teacher
- 24% above state mean
Top 90% in Tennessee - lower ratio than 10% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
8.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 755 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
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 74.8%
Hispanic or Latino 16.0%
White 6.4%
Two or More 1.9%
Asian 0.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: African American at 74.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 41.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 41.0, Dexter School is more mixed than the Tennessee school average of 38.3.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Memphis-Shelby County Schools, which includes Dexter 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 Dexter School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cordova High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| White Station High | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Germantown High | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Southwind High | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Whitehaven High | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Dexter 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 other schools in Cordova
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Macon-Hall Elementary
Standard public school
1,070 students 14.7:1 students per teacher
Riverwood Elementary School
Standard public school
985 students 16.7:1 students per teacher
Chimneyrock Elementary School
Standard public school
874 students 14.8:1 students per teacher
Cordova Elementary
Standard public school
814 students 17.3:1 students per teacher
Mt. Pisgah Middle/High
Standard public school
498 students 19.9:1 students per teacher
Memphis School of Excellence Cordova
Standard public school
448 students 24.9:1 students per teacher
Similar other 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 (~1,509 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~18.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Dexter School's federal record.
- Compare Dexter 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 Dexter School
How many students attend Dexter School?
Dexter School has 1,509 students enrolled. It is a public school in Cordova, TN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Dexter School?
The student-teacher ratio at Dexter School is 18.9:1, which is 24% higher than the Tennessee average of 15.3:1 and 20% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Dexter School?
The largest demographic group at Dexter School is African American at 74.8% of enrollment, in Cordova, TN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Dexter School?
Dexter School has a Resource Investment Index of 33/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Dexter School rank among schools in Cordova?
By Resource Investment Index, Dexter School ranks #6 of 7 schools in Cordova, TN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Cordova on the city page.
Is Dexter School a good school?
Dexter School earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 90% of Tennessee schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Tennessee. 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 Dexter 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.