Bruce Elementary

Summary:

Bruce Elementary is a public elementary school in Memphis, Tennessee, serving 495 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.

Bruce Elementary consistently ranks in the bottom 10% of Tennessee elementary schools, with a significantly higher percentage of African American students (82.22%) compared to nearby schools. The school's performance on state assessments (TNReady) is significantly below the district and state averages across all subjects and grade levels, particularly for female students, African American students, Hispanic students, and students from low socioeconomic backgrounds. Despite a relatively low student-teacher ratio, the school's academic performance is struggling, similar to nearby schools like Larose Elementary, Cummings Elementary/Middle, and Rozelle Elementary, suggesting systemic issues within the district.

In contrast, Idlewild Elementary, located about 1.44 miles from Bruce Elementary, performs significantly better academically, with rankings in the top 10-15% of Tennessee elementary schools and much higher proficiency rates on state assessments. This highlights the stark disparities in educational outcomes within the same district, and the school's low performance for homeless students indicates that this vulnerable population is particularly struggling at Bruce Elementary.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

581 S Bellevue Blvd
Memphis, TN 38104-4528

(901) 416-4495

District: Memphis-Shelby County Schools

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

Per Pupil Expenditures: $14,404

Students who attend Bruce Elementary usually attend:

High:

Central High

Student/teacher ratio: 14.7

Number of students: 481

Racial breakdown:

African American:

83.6%

Hispanic:

11.2%

White:

1.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 93.4%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Bruce Elementary ranks worse than 88.1% of elementary schools in Tennessee. It also ranks 72^nd among 121 ranked elementary schools in the Memphis-Shelby County Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 14.78. (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 (83.6%), Hispanic (11.2%), White (1.9%). (See more...)

Compare Details

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Bruce Elementary is 14.7, which is the 36^th best among 121 elementary schools in the Memphis-Shelby County Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Bruce Elementary employs 32.6 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Bruce Elementary is $14,404, which is the 62^nd highest among 121 elementary schools in the Memphis-Shelby County Schools District.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Bruce Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Bruce Elementary 897^th of 1018 Tennessee public elementary schools. (See Bruce Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Homeless students:

Female students:

Male students:

African American students:

Hispanic 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 Bruce Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Bruce Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	TN State Percentile
2018	16.93	874^th	997	12.3%
2019	16.31	869^th	985	11.8%
2021	8.22	942^nd	983	4.2%
2022	11.78	921^st	1000	7.9%
2023	10.56	943^rd	1020	7.5%
2024	14.78	897^th	1018	11.9%

See the entire list of Tennessee Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Bruce Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	TN State Percentile
2018	30.55	667^th	877	23.9%
2019	27.63	662^nd	821	19.4%
2021	14.32	786^th	823	4.5%
2022	23.87	723^rd	858	15.7%
2023	23.71	715^th	865	17.3%
2024	25.00	706^th	853	17.2%

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

Rank History for Homeless students at Bruce Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	TN State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	32.85	16^th	18	11.1%
2024	18.57	16^th	17	5.9%

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

Rank History for Female students at Bruce Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	TN State Percentile
2019	16.78	826^th	926	10.8%
2021	8.19	918^th	945	2.9%
2022	9.84	928^th	975	4.8%
2023	9.24	944^th	989	4.6%
2024	9.52	941^st	990	4.9%

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

Rank History for Male students at Bruce Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	TN State Percentile
2019	19.06	793^rd	916	13.4%
2021	7.60	929^th	941	1.3%
2022	15.53	870^th	980	11.2%
2023	13.98	890^th	987	9.8%
2024	23.68	792^nd	991	20.1%

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

Rank History for African American students at Bruce Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	TN State Percentile
2018	29.44	325^th	450	27.8%
2019	30.86	277^th	404	31.4%
2021	16.14	397^th	411	3.4%
2022	24.34	386^th	483	20.1%
2023	20.06	428^th	500	14.4%
2024	28.04	358^th	498	28.1%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Bruce Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	TN State Percentile
2022	18.70	344^th	363	5.2%
2023	43.45	206^th	387	46.8%
2024	25.95	334^th	415	19.5%

See the entire list of Best Tennessee Elementary Schools for Hispanic 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 Bruce Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2014	6	269	24	67	1	0	3	370
2015	5	250	21	54	2	0	7	339
2016	7	256	18	54	2	0	10	347
2017	5	295	15	59	1	0	18	393
2018	7	393	15	59	0	1	21	496
2019	10	403	12	49	0	1	21	496
2020	14	443	10	59	0	1	19	546
2021	17	428	8	48	0	1	19	521
2022	19	396	6	58	0	0	11	490
2023	14	407	9	59	0	1	5	495
2024	9	402	8	54	0	1	7	481

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 Bruce Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2014	370	26.0	14.2	93
2015	339	23.0	14.7	82.3
2016	347	23.0	15.0	93.4
2017	393	19.7	19.9	n/a
2018	496	27.8	17.8	n/a
2019	496	33.0	15.0	n/a
2020	546	32.9	16.5	n/a
2021	521	34.0	15.3	n/a
2022	490	33.5	14.6	n/a
2023	495	37.5	13.2	n/a
2024	481	32.6	14.7	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 Bruce Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2014	370	26.0	14.2	93
2015	339	23.0	14.7	82.3
2016	347	23.0	15.0	93.4
2017	393	19.7	19.9	n/a
2018	496	27.8	17.8	n/a
2019	496	33.0	15.0	n/a
2020	546	32.9	16.5	n/a
2021	521	34.0	15.3	n/a
2022	490	33.5	14.6	n/a
2023	495	37.5	13.2	n/a
2024	481	32.6	14.7	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 Bruce Elementary

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$1,079 (8.1%)	$11,261 (84.7%)	$13,301
2020	$874 (7.3%)	$10,223 (85.3%)	$11,991
2021	$1,709 (14.1%)	$9,738 (80.3%)	$12,130
2022	$2,802 (19.6%)	$10,503 (73.5%)	$14,297
2023	$2,879 (20.0%)	$10,462 (72.6%)	$14,404

Data source: Tennessee Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Bruce 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 869^th of 985 Elementary schools	Ranks 943^rd of 1020 Elementary schools	4.2%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade Mathematics (Bruce Elementary)	35.8	16.7	19.1%
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 (Bruce Elementary)	11.9	16.7	4.8%
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 (Bruce Elementary)	19.7	22	2.3%
4th Grade Mathematics (Memphis-Shelby County Schools)	34.7	23	11.7%
4th Grade Mathematics (Tennessee)	46	43.6	2.4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Bruce Elementary)	16.7	20.7	4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Memphis-Shelby County Schools)	24.2	27.2	3%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Tennessee)	34.3	43.5	9.2%
5th Grade Mathematics (Bruce Elementary)	23.4	11	12.4%
5th Grade Mathematics (Memphis-Shelby County Schools)	32.6	17.3	15.3%
5th Grade Mathematics (Tennessee)	46.2	41.3	4.9%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Bruce Elementary)	11.7	9.6	2.1%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Memphis-Shelby County Schools)	23.1	19.5	3.6%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Tennessee)	35.2	37	1.8%
All Grades Mathematics (Bruce Elementary)	26.2	16.7	9.5%
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 (Bruce Elementary)	13.3	15.8	2.5%
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	496	495	0.2%
African American	403	407	1%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	12	9	25%
Hispanic	49	59	20.4%
Pacific Islander	1	1
White	10	14	40%
Two or More Races	21	5	76.2%

Schools Near Bruce 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
Bruce Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	581 S Bellevue Blvd	Memphis	38104	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(901) 416-4495	481	33	14.7		9 (1.9%)	402 (83.6%)	54 (11.2%)	8 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	7 (1.5%)	14.8	897^th of 1018 public elementary schools	11.9%		10.6	943^rd of 1020 public elementary schools	7.5%	46	23.5	18.0	14.9				18.7	17.4	29.5	18.4				21.4	23.2	32.8	11.8				21.8					$14,404	$2,879	$10,462
Early Childhood Education	Public	PK	717 Beale ST	Memphis	38103	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	No	No	No	(n/a)	(901) 333-5233	0				0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Cummings Elementary/Middle	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-8	1037 Cummings St	Memphis	38106	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(901) 416-7810	267	23	11.5		0 (0.0%)	257 (96.3%)	3 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.6%)	12.3	927^th of 1018 public elementary schools	8.9%		12.7	922^nd of 1020 public elementary schools	9.6%	5	5.9	25.9	38.5	5.3	12.1	12.5	15.3	17.6	29.6	11.5	13.2	18.2	15.6	17.4	8.8	25.9	15.4	10.5	6.1	21.9	14.2	18.4		18.8	12.6	$16,933	$2,870	$13,127
Bluebird Learning Center	Public	PK	1098 South Bellevue	Memphis	38106	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	No	No	No	(n/a)	(901) 947-1473	0				0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Memphis Learning Academy	Public	PK	1455 Poplar AVE	Memphis	38104	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	No	No	No	(n/a)	(901) 274-7600	0				0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Hanley K-8	Public	PK, KG-8	802 Rozelle ST	Memphis	38104	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(901) 416-5300	572	29	19.8		3 (0.5%)	544 (95.1%)	14 (2.4%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (1.6%)	8.2	980^th of 1018 public elementary schools	3.7%					(n/a)	12.7	9.8						10.7	25.0	5.6	7.7	5.9	5.6	10.6	24.6	19.6		9.6	6.1	5.6	11.7	15.4	5.9	5.6	9.8
Rozelle Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	993 Roland	Memphis	38114	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(901) 416-4612	227	21	11.0		0 (0.0%)	221 (97.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (2.2%)	19.2	845^th of 1018 public elementary schools	17.0%		18.4	846^th of 1020 public elementary schools	17.1%	1		12.9	14.3				8.1	32.5	19.4	35.7				29.3	22.5	29.0	14.3				22.2					$18,716	$2,773	$14,695
Jessie Mahan Day Care Center	Public	PK	929 Delmar	Memphis	38106	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	No	No	No	(n/a)	(901) 523-1848	0				0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Memphis Delta Preparatory	Public, Charter	K-5	1237 College ST	Memphis	38106	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	Yes	No	No	Yes	(901) 251-1010	381	32	12.0		0 (0.0%)	371 (97.4%)	6 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.0%)	6.6	996^th of 1018 public elementary schools	2.2%		6.3	996^th of 1020 public elementary schools	2.4%		6.9		12.7				6.8	15.9	9.5	16.9				14.3	9.6	9.5	11.3				10.1					$22,200	$8,320	$13,564
Idlewild Elementary	Public, Magnet	K-5	1950 Linden Ave	Memphis	38104	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(901) 416-4566	588	37	15.8		240 (40.8%)	240 (40.8%)	36 (6.1%)	13 (2.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	58 (9.9%)	87.1	107^th of 1018 public elementary schools	89.5%		81.9	135^th of 1020 public elementary schools	86.8%	28	58.4	59.6	56.4				58.1	61.8	75.3	66.0				67.6	59.6	74.2	59.6				64.3					$13,305	$2,050	$10,491

Frequently Asked Questions about Bruce Elementary

What is the racial makeup of Bruce Elementary?

Students at Bruce Elementary are 84% African American, 11% Hispanic, 2% White, 2% Asian, 1% Two or more races.

What district is Bruce Elementary in?

Memphis-Shelby County Schools

Is Bruce Elementary a good school?

Bruce Elementary ranks in the bottom 11.9% of Tennessee elementary schools.

What schools do graduates of Bruce Elementary attend?

Students who attend Bruce Elementary usually go on to attend:

High : Central High

How many students attend Bruce Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 481 students attended Bruce Elementary.

Rate Bruce Elementary!

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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.