Bethel Grove Elementary

Summary:

Bethel Grove Elementary is a public elementary school in Memphis, Tennessee, serving 247 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the Memphis-Shelby County Schools district, which is ranked 134 out of 139 districts in the state and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Bethel Grove Elementary faces significant challenges, with consistently low academic performance. The school consistently ranks in the bottom 10% of Tennessee elementary schools, with proficiency rates in TNReady assessments well below the state and district averages. Interestingly, the school has a higher percentage of African American students (over 92%) compared to the surrounding schools, which range from 40-95% African American. Despite spending around $14,600 per student, which is higher than some nearby schools, the academic outcomes remain poor, suggesting that simply allocating more resources may not be the sole solution.

When compared to nearby schools, such as Peabody Elementary and Compass Community School Orange Mound Campus, Bethel Grove Elementary's performance is significantly lower. These nearby schools show more promising academic performance, with higher proficiency rates and better statewide rankings. Examining the practices and approaches of these higher-performing schools could provide valuable insights to help improve student outcomes at Bethel Grove Elementary.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

2459 Arlington Ave
Memphis, TN 38114-4221

(901) 416-5012

District: Memphis-Shelby County Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
946^th of 1,018 Tennessee Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $15,175

Students who attend Bethel Grove Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Sherwood Middle
High:	Melrose High

Student/teacher ratio: 14.9

Number of students: 299

Racial breakdown:

African American:

93.0%

Hispanic:

3.7%

White:

1.3%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 95.9%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Bethel Grove Elementary ranks worse than 92.9% of elementary schools in Tennessee. It also ranks 88^th among 121 ranked elementary schools in the Memphis-Shelby County Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 10.55. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: African American (93%), Hispanic (3.7%), White (1.3%). (See more...)

Compare Details

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Bethel Grove Elementary is 14.9, which is the 45^th best among 121 elementary schools in the Memphis-Shelby County Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Bethel Grove Elementary employs 20 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Bethel Grove Elementary is $15,175, which is the 44^th highest among 121 elementary schools in the Memphis-Shelby County Schools District.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Bethel Grove Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Bethel Grove Elementary 946^th of 1018 Tennessee public elementary schools. (See Bethel Grove Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

African American students:

Memphis-Shelby County Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Memphis-Shelby County Schools 135^th of 140 Tennessee school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Bethel Grove Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Bethel Grove Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	TN State Percentile
2017	8.01	632^nd	646	2.2%
2018	16.84	875^th	997	12.2%
2019	17.00	862^nd	985	12.5%
2021	8.25	941^st	983	4.3%
2022	13.01	907^th	1000	9.3%
2023	10.52	944^th	1020	7.5%
2024	10.55	946^th	1018	7.1%

See the entire list of Tennessee Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Bethel Grove Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	TN State Percentile
2018	34.44	614^th	877	30.0%
2019	31.33	620^th	821	24.5%
2022	13.91	825^th	858	3.8%
2023	18.56	774^th	865	10.5%
2024	20.52	750^th	853	12.1%

See the entire list of Best Tennessee Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Bethel Grove Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	TN State Percentile
2019	16.92	823^rd	926	11.1%
2021	9.36	895^th	945	5.3%
2022	15.44	858^th	975	12.0%
2023	13.41	896^th	989	9.4%
2024	11.48	919^th	990	7.2%

See the entire list of Best Tennessee Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Bethel Grove Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	TN State Percentile
2019	17.82	812^th	916	11.4%
2021	11.12	861^st	941	8.5%
2022	14.39	880^th	980	10.2%
2023	13.40	899^th	987	8.9%
2024	11.14	932^nd	991	6.0%

See the entire list of Best Tennessee Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Bethel Grove Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	TN State Percentile
2018	35.52	265^th	450	41.1%
2019	36.15	247^th	404	38.9%
2021	19.88	368^th	411	10.5%
2022	24.38	384^th	483	20.5%
2023	24.35	384^th	500	23.2%
2024	23.44	394^th	498	20.9%

See the entire list of Best Tennessee Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Data source: test scores: Tennessee Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Tennessee Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Bethel Grove Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Two or More Races	Total
2014	0	300	0	3	2	1	306
2015	0	295	0	8	1	4	308
2016	0	282	0	6	1	3	292
2017	5	273	0	8	0	8	294
2018	2	256	0	6	0	1	265
2019	1	258	0	6	0	9	274
2020	0	214	0	4	0	7	225
2021	0	203	0	6	0	5	214
2022	1	178	0	9	0	5	193
2023	3	228	1	10	0	5	247
2024	4	278	3	11	0	3	299

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Bethel Grove Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2014	306	19.8	15.4	97.4
2015	308	20.0	15.4	86.4
2016	292	19.0	15.3	95.9
2017	294	19.1	15.3	n/a
2018	265	21.9	12.1	n/a
2019	274	19.0	14.4	n/a
2020	225	16.0	14.0	n/a
2021	214	17.5	12.2	n/a
2022	193	15.0	12.8	n/a
2023	247	14.0	17.6	n/a
2024	299	20.0	14.9	n/a

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Bethel Grove Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2014	306	19.8	15.4	97.4
2015	308	20.0	15.4	86.4
2016	292	19.0	15.3	95.9
2017	294	19.1	15.3	n/a
2018	265	21.9	12.1	n/a
2019	274	19.0	14.4	n/a
2020	225	16.0	14.0	n/a
2021	214	17.5	12.2	n/a
2022	193	15.0	12.8	n/a
2023	247	14.0	17.6	n/a
2024	299	20.0	14.9	n/a

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Bethel Grove Elementary

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$1,039 (7.2%)	$12,352 (85.3%)	$14,486
2020	$1,074 (7.0%)	$13,173 (86.1%)	$15,307
2021	$1,645 (11.3%)	$12,041 (82.5%)	$14,601
2022	$2,904 (17.0%)	$13,052 (76.4%)	$17,073
2023	$2,969 (19.6%)	$11,155 (73.5%)	$15,175

Data source: Tennessee Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Bethel Grove Elementary

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 862^nd of 985 Elementary schools	Ranks 944^th of 1020 Elementary schools	5%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade Mathematics (Bethel Grove Elementary)	16.7	13.8	2.9%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Memphis-Shelby County Schools)	33.3	23.1	10.2%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Tennessee)	43.8	40.5	3.3%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Bethel Grove Elementary)	23.3	17.2	6.1%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Memphis-Shelby County Schools)	22.8	24	1.2%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Tennessee)	36.9	40.5	3.6%
4th Grade Mathematics (Bethel Grove Elementary)	28.6	10	18.6%
4th Grade Mathematics (Memphis-Shelby County Schools)	34.7	23	11.7%
4th Grade Mathematics (Tennessee)	46	43.6	2.4%
5th Grade Mathematics (Bethel Grove Elementary)	28.9	9.5	19.4%
5th Grade Mathematics (Memphis-Shelby County Schools)	32.6	16.2	16.4%
5th Grade Mathematics (Tennessee)	46.2	37.2	9%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Bethel Grove Elementary)	10.5	14.3	3.8%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Memphis-Shelby County Schools)	23.1	22.1	1%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Tennessee)	35.2	37.7	2.5%
All Grades Mathematics (Bethel Grove Elementary)	25	7.4	17.6%
All Grades Mathematics (Memphis-Shelby County Schools)	27.2	17	10.2%
All Grades Mathematics (Tennessee)	40.8	38.1	2.7%
All Grades English Language Arts (Bethel Grove Elementary)	12.6	14	1.4%
All Grades English Language Arts (Memphis-Shelby County Schools)	20.6	20.7	0.1%
All Grades English Language Arts (Tennessee)	33.7	36.6	2.9%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	274	247	9.9%
African American	258	228	11.6%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	0	1
Hispanic	6	10	66.7%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	1	3	200%
Two or More Races	9	5	44.4%

Schools Near Bethel Grove Elementary

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				TNReady Mathematics (2024)							TNReady English Language Arts (2024)							TNReady Science (2024)							TNReady Social Studies (2024)				Per Pupil Expenditures (2023)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	TNReady Mathematics 3rd Grade	TNReady Mathematics 4th Grade	TNReady Mathematics 5th Grade	TNReady Mathematics 6th Grade	TNReady Mathematics 7th Grade	TNReady Mathematics 8th Grade	TNReady Mathematics All Grades	TNReady English Language Arts 3rd Grade	TNReady English Language Arts 4th Grade	TNReady English Language Arts 5th Grade	TNReady English Language Arts 6th Grade	TNReady English Language Arts 7th Grade	TNReady English Language Arts 8th Grade	TNReady English Language Arts All Grades	TNReady Science 3rd Grade	TNReady Science 4th Grade	TNReady Science 5th Grade	TNReady Science 6th Grade	TNReady Science 7th Grade	TNReady Science 8th Grade	TNReady Science All Grades	TNReady Social Studies 6th Grade	TNReady Social Studies 7th Grade	TNReady Social Studies 8th Grade	TNReady Social Studies All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Bethel Grove Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2459 Arlington Ave	Memphis	38114	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(901) 416-5012	299	20	14.9		4 (1.3%)	278 (93.0%)	11 (3.7%)	3 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.0%)	10.5	946^th of 1018 public elementary schools	7.1%		10.5	944^th of 1020 public elementary schools	7.5%	2		16.7	12.1				8.7	14.6	34.5	21.2				22.3	7.3	13.8	9.1				9.7					$15,175	$2,969	$11,155
Compass Community School Orange Mound Campus	Public, Charter	K-8	2718 Lamar AVE	Memphis	38114	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	Yes	No	No	Yes	(901) 743-6700	188	17	11.0		4 (2.1%)	121 (64.4%)	62 (33.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	14.9	895^th of 1018 public elementary schools	12.1%		9.8	956^th of 1020 public elementary schools	6.3%	61		16.7		19.0	25.0	47.4	17.6	8.7	21.1	41.7	14.3	20.0	5.3	19.0	17.4	5.3		14.3	20.0	26.3	14.3	9.5	20.0	15.8	15.0	$17,368	$4,648	$12,404
Dunbar Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2606 Select Ave	Memphis	38114	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(901) 416-5000	198	16	12.1		3 (1.5%)	189 (95.5%)	5 (2.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	6.6	994^th of 1018 public elementary schools	2.4%		11.9	933^rd of 1020 public elementary schools	8.5%	61	15.2	6.9	7.4				10.1	18.2	9.7	7.4				12.1		19.4	7.4				9.9					$17,035	$2,199	$13,177
Nat Burning Orange Mound Day Nursery Learning Inc.	Public	PK	2415 Saratoga	Memphis	38114	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	No	No	No	(n/a)	(901) 324-6520	0				0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Cherokee Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3061 Kimball Ave	Memphis	38114	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(901) 416-5028	368	25	15.0		1 (0.3%)	329 (89.4%)	35 (9.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.8%)	20.3	837^th of 1018 public elementary schools	17.8%		4.8	1008^th of 1020 public elementary schools	1.2%	171	43.8	15.2	18.0				24.4	25.0	20.0	12.0				19.0	31.3	25.8	30.0				28.7					$13,876	$2,594	$9,782
Arrow Academy of Excellence	Public, Charter	K-5	645 Semmes ST	Memphis	38111	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	Yes	No	No	Yes	(901) 207-1891	83	6	15.0		0 (0.0%)	72 (86.7%)	11 (13.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	21.9	823^rd of 1018 public elementary schools	19.2%		25	781^st of 1020 public elementary schools	23.4%	42		40.0					23.7	21.4	33.3					21.1	7.1	26.7					13.2					$19,167	$3,958	$14,894
Peabody Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	2086 Young Ave	Memphis	38104	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(901) 416-4606	324	19	17.0		18 (5.6%)	280 (86.4%)	6 (1.9%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (5.9%)	29.6	738^th of 1018 public elementary schools	27.5%		29	737^th of 1020 public elementary schools	27.7%	1	26.2	34.6	20.8				27.5	35.7	38.5	25.0				33.1	33.3	42.3	14.3				30.1					$13,791	$2,462	$10,541
Memphis College Preparatory	Public, Charter	K-5	1500 Dunn AVE	Memphis	38106	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	Yes	No	No	Yes	(901) 620-6475	239	14	17.7		1 (0.4%)	226 (94.6%)	8 (3.3%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	2 (0.8%)	7.9	982^nd of 1018 public elementary schools	3.5%		7.2	990^th of 1020 public elementary schools	2.9%	8	9.5	28.1	9.3				14.5	9.8	9.4	11.6				10.3		15.6					7.8					$22,886	$8,949	$13,621
Alcy Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1750 E Alcy Rd	Memphis	38114	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(901) 416-3674	732	45	16.3		6 (0.8%)	652 (89.1%)	64 (8.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (1.4%)	6.6	995^th of 1018 public elementary schools	2.3%		8.7	973^rd of 1020 public elementary schools	4.6%	22	5.5	5.0	13.6				7.4	9.2	14.0	23.8				14.5	10.9	7.1	16.0				11.0					$13,943	$2,690	$10,262
Sharpe Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3431 Sharpe Rd	Memphis	38111	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(901) 416-5020	304	22	13.8		2 (0.7%)	113 (37.2%)	185 (60.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.3%)	18.3	859^th of 1018 public elementary schools	15.6%		6.2	997^th of 1020 public elementary schools	2.3%	138	15.6	40.0	5.3				19.5	22.7	37.1	7.9				22.2	23.9	28.6					18.5					$14,986	$2,841	$10,854

Frequently Asked Questions about Bethel Grove Elementary

What schools do graduates of Bethel Grove Elementary attend?

Students who attend Bethel Grove Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Sherwood Middle
High : Melrose High

How many students attend Bethel Grove Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 299 students attended Bethel Grove Elementary.

What district is Bethel Grove Elementary in?

Memphis-Shelby County Schools

Is Bethel Grove Elementary a good school?

Bethel Grove Elementary ranks in the bottom 7.1% of Tennessee elementary schools.

What is the racial makeup of Bethel Grove Elementary?

Students at Bethel Grove Elementary are 93% African American, 4% Hispanic, 1% White, 1% Asian, 1% Two or more races.

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Tennessee Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.