Enrollment
302
Tennessee · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Memphis, TN
Southern Avenue Charter School of Academic Excellence Creati
Federal NCES profile for Southern Avenue Charter School of Academic Excellence Creati, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 470014802086Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 63
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 21
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Southern Avenue Charter School of Academic Excellence Creati earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 94% of Tennessee schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Tennessee schools.
- #11 of 33
- elementary schools in Memphis · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 9.2:1
- small classes for Tennessee
- 302
- students enrolled
Southern Avenue Charter School of Academic Excellence Creati has class sizes smaller than 94% of Tennessee schools. Computed live against every Tennessee school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Southern Avenue Charter School of Academic Excellence Creati ranks #11 of 33 elementary schools in Memphis, TN.
School address
District: Memphis-Shelby County Schools · Tennessee
NCES ID 470014802086 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
33.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
9.2:1
vs 15.3:1 Tennessee avg
-40% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Southern Avenue Charter School of Academic Excellence Creati compares with Tennessee and U.S. medians
What stands out at Southern Avenue Charter School of Academic Excellence Creati
Southern Avenue Charter School of Academic Excellence Creati is a mid-sized charter elementary school in Memphis, Tennessee, enrolling 302 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 9.2:1, Southern Avenue Charter School of Academic Excellence Creati is leaner than roughly 94% of Tennessee schools and 40% under the state's 15.3:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Enrollment of 302 puts it in the smaller third of Tennessee schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,838 scored Tennessee schools.
Its student body is predominantly African American (94% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 12/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 31.8% 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 elementary schools, it stands alongside Power Center Academy Elementary School (703 students): Southern Avenue Charter School of Academic Excellence Creati is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (9.2:1 vs 16.3:1).
Memphis-Shelby County Schools also operates Cordova High School (2,251 students) and White Station High (2,046 students) alongside Southern Avenue Charter School of Academic Excellence Creati.
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 Southern Avenue Charter School of Academic Excellence Creati compares
Southern Avenue Charter School of Academic Excellence Creati on the metrics families compare, against Tennessee and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Tennessee | Tennessee avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 9.2:1 | ▼ 40% | 15.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 302 | top 77% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
9.2:1
Leaner classes than 92% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
302
Bigger than 33% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
9.2:1
students per teacher
- 40% below state mean
Top 6% in Tennessee - lower ratio than 94% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
31.8%
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 94.0%
Hispanic or Latino 3.0%
White 1.3%
Two or More 1.0%
Asian 0.7%
Largest group: African American at 94.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 11.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 11.5, Southern Avenue Charter School of Academic Excellence Creati 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 Southern Avenue Charter School of Academic Excellence Creati.
$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 Southern Avenue Charter School of Academic Excellence Creati 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 | Higher S:T ratio |
| Germantown High | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Southwind High | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Whitehaven High | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Southern Avenue Charter School of Academic Excellence Creati'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
Believe Memphis Academy Charter School
Standard public school
467 students 27.5:1 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
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 (~302 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~9.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Southern Avenue Charter School of Academic Excellence Creati's federal record.
- Compare Southern Avenue Charter School of Academic Excellence Creati 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 Southern Avenue Charter School of Academic Excellence Creati
How many students attend Southern Avenue Charter School of Academic Excellence Creati?
Southern Avenue Charter School of Academic Excellence Creati has 302 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Memphis, TN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Southern Avenue Charter School of Academic Excellence Creati?
The student-teacher ratio at Southern Avenue Charter School of Academic Excellence Creati is 9.2:1, which is 40% lower than the Tennessee average of 15.3:1 and 41% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Southern Avenue Charter School of Academic Excellence Creati?
The largest demographic group at Southern Avenue Charter School of Academic Excellence Creati is African American at 94.0% of enrollment, in Memphis, TN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Southern Avenue Charter School of Academic Excellence Creati?
Southern Avenue Charter School of Academic Excellence Creati has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (typical 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 Southern Avenue Charter School of Academic Excellence Creati rank among elementary schools in Memphis?
By Resource Investment Index, Southern Avenue Charter School of Academic Excellence Creati ranks #11 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 Southern Avenue Charter School of Academic Excellence Creati a good school?
Southern Avenue Charter School of Academic Excellence Creati earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 94% 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 Southern Avenue Charter School of Academic Excellence Creati, 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.