Enrollment
282
Tennessee · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Memphis, TN
Promise Academy
Federal NCES profile for Promise Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 17/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 470014802085Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 20
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Promise Academy earns 17/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 93% of Tennessee schools.
- #93 of 101
- schools in Memphis · Resource Index
- 17
- Resource Index · Lower
- 20.1:1
- large classes for Tennessee
- 282
- students enrolled
Promise Academy has class sizes larger than 93% of Tennessee schools. Computed live against every Tennessee school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Promise Academy ranks #93 of 101 schools in Memphis, TN.
School address
District: Memphis-Shelby County Schools · Tennessee
NCES ID 470014802085 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
14.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.1:1
vs 15.3:1 Tennessee avg
+31% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Promise Academy compares with Tennessee and U.S. medians
What stands out at Promise Academy
Promise Academy is a mid-sized charter combined-grade school in Memphis, Tennessee, enrolling 282 students.
Class loads run heavy: 20.1:1 is larger than about 93% of Tennessee schools and 31% above the 15.3:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Enrollment of 282 puts it in the smaller third of Tennessee schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 98% 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 (86% of enrollment) (diversity index 24/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 51.8% 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 public schools, it stands alongside Snowden Elementary/Middle (1,384 students): Promise Academy is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (20.1:1 vs 16.9:1).
Memphis-Shelby County Schools also operates Cordova High School (2,251 students) and White Station High (2,046 students) alongside Promise Academy.
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 Promise Academy compares
Promise Academy on the metrics families compare, against Tennessee and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Tennessee | Tennessee avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 20.1:1 | ▲ 31% | 15.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 282 | top 80% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20.1:1
Leaner classes than 16% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
282
Bigger than 30% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
20.1:1
students per teacher
- 31% above state mean
Top 93% in Tennessee - lower ratio than 7% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
51.8%
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 86.2%
Hispanic or Latino 12.1%
White 1.1%
Asian 0.4%
Two or More 0.4%
Largest group: African American at 86.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 24.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 24.2, Promise Academy 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 Promise Academy.
$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 Promise Academy 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 | Larger | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Southwind High | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Whitehaven High | Larger | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Promise Academy'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 Memphis
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Snowden Elementary/Middle
Standard public school
1,384 students 16.9:1 students per teacher
Belle Forest Community School
Standard public school
1,027 students 17.4:1 students per teacher
Early Childhood Programs
Standard public school
938 students 62.5:1 students per teacher
Treadwell Elementary
Standard public school
921 students 14.9:1 students per teacher
Richland Elementary
Standard public school
907 students 15.9:1 students per teacher
Parkway Village Elementary
Standard public school
856 students 13.6:1 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 (~282 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Promise Academy's federal record.
- Compare Promise Academy 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 Promise Academy
How many students attend Promise Academy?
Promise Academy has 282 students enrolled. It is a public school in Memphis, TN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Promise Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Promise Academy is 20.1:1, which is 31% higher than the Tennessee average of 15.3:1 and 28% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Promise Academy?
The largest demographic group at Promise Academy is African American at 86.2% of enrollment, in Memphis, TN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Promise Academy?
Promise Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 17/100 (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 Promise Academy rank among schools in Memphis?
By Resource Investment Index, Promise Academy ranks #93 of 101 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 schools in Memphis on the city page.
Is Promise Academy a good school?
Promise Academy earns 17/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 93% of 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 Promise Academy, 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.