Downtown Elementary

Summary:

Downtown Elementary is a public elementary school in Memphis, Tennessee, serving 718 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.

Downtown Elementary has consistently ranked in the bottom 20% of Tennessee elementary schools, with significantly below-average performance on state assessments across all grade levels and subject areas. In the 2023-2024 school year, only 13.6% of students were proficient or better in Mathematics, compared to 20% for the district and 39.7% for the state. In English Language Arts, 21.5% of students were proficient or better, compared to 22.4% for the district and 37.6% for the state. The school's performance is particularly low for female students, male students, and students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, ranking in the bottom 20-25% of Tennessee elementary schools.

While Downtown Elementary has relatively high per-student spending and a low student-teacher ratio, the nearby schools, such as KIPP Memphis Collegiate Elementary, Bruce Elementary, and Ida B. Wells Academy Elementary School/Middle School, also perform poorly on state assessments, suggesting that Downtown Elementary may face unique challenges. Addressing the needs of the school's student population and leveraging available resources may be key to driving improvements and better supporting the educational outcomes of its students.

Detail:

Public, Magnet PK, KG-5

10 N 4th St
Memphis, TN 38103-2712

(901) 416-8400

District: Memphis-Shelby County Schools

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

Students who attend Downtown Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Humes Preparatory Academy Middle School
High:	Manassas High

Student/teacher ratio: 18.8

Number of students: 718

Racial breakdown:

African American:

90.9%

Two or more races:

3.8%

White:

2.2%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 79.3%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Downtown Elementary ranks worse than 93% of elementary schools in Tennessee. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 10.44. (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

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Teachers

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Finance

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Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Downtown Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Downtown Elementary 947^th of 1018 Tennessee public elementary schools. (See Downtown 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.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Downtown Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Downtown Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	TN State Percentile
2017	43.58	371^st	646	42.6%
2018	55.80	377^th	997	62.2%
2019	48.39	457^th	985	53.6%
2021	11.70	887^th	983	9.8%
2022	15.88	867^th	1000	13.3%
2023	19.94	825^th	1020	19.1%
2024	10.44	947^th	1018	7.0%

See the entire list of Tennessee Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Downtown Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	TN State Percentile
2018	68.87	152^nd	877	82.7%
2019	72.64	107^th	821	87.0%
2021	14.78	780^th	823	5.2%
2022	25.89	688^th	858	19.8%
2023	28.41	666^th	865	23.0%
2024	16.53	792^nd	853	7.2%

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

Rank History for Female students at Downtown Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	TN State Percentile
2019	54.54	375^th	926	59.5%
2021	14.73	821^st	945	13.1%
2022	15.18	860^th	975	11.8%
2023	20.56	803^rd	989	18.8%
2024	9.80	936^th	990	5.5%

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

Rank History for Male students at Downtown Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	TN State Percentile
2019	41.09	536^th	916	41.5%
2021	8.58	908^th	941	3.5%
2022	20.22	804^th	980	18.0%
2023	23.71	771^st	987	21.9%
2024	12.76	912^th	991	8.0%

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

Rank History for African American students at Downtown Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	TN State Percentile
2018	76.12	64^th	450	85.8%
2019	70.27	82^nd	404	79.7%
2021	24.36	315^th	411	23.4%
2022	29.70	330^th	483	31.7%
2023	34.98	298^th	500	40.4%
2024	21.15	418^th	498	16.1%

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

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Wednesday, September 12, 2018

CONGRATULATIONS and well done!!! Downtown Elementary, on your recent scorecard 4.63 over 5. Close Quote

by a parent
Wednesday, September 12, 2018

Amazing facilities and good classes Close Quote

Enrollment information for Downtown Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2014	27	541	12	14	0	0	5	599
2015	43	504	13	14	0	0	16	590
2016	21	523	4	5	0	0	13	566
2017	14	630	9	9	1	0	16	679
2018	25	595	8	13	2	0	12	655
2019	27	602	3	10	2	0	21	665
2020	22	658	8	11	1	0	22	722
2021	25	641	8	17	0	0	46	737
2022	14	629	3	12	1	1	39	699
2023	16	653	6	13	2	1	27	718

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 Downtown Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2014	599	37.9	15.8	84.6
2015	590	36.0	16.3	69.3
2016	566	38.0	14.8	79.3
2017	679	36.7	18.5	n/a
2018	655	41.9	15.6	n/a
2019	665	41.9	15.8	n/a
2020	722	44.1	16.3	n/a
2021	737	43.5	16.9	n/a
2022	699	45.0	15.5	n/a
2023	718	38.0	18.8	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 Downtown Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2014	599	37.9	15.8	84.6
2015	590	36.0	16.3	69.3
2016	566	38.0	14.8	79.3
2017	679	36.7	18.5	n/a
2018	655	41.9	15.6	n/a
2019	665	41.9	15.8	n/a
2020	722	44.1	16.3	n/a
2021	737	43.5	16.9	n/a
2022	699	45.0	15.5	n/a
2023	718	38.0	18.8	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 Downtown Elementary

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$790 (6.5%)	$10,384 (85.2%)	$12,194
2020	$747 (6.8%)	$9,405 (85.5%)	$10,998
2021	$1,421 (13.1%)	$8,819 (81.3%)	$10,844
2022	$2,726 (20.4%)	$9,802 (73.5%)	$13,341
2023	$2,543 (18.7%)	$10,183 (74.7%)	$13,635

Data source: Tennessee Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Downtown 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 457^th of 985 Elementary schools	Ranks 825^th of 1020 Elementary schools	34.5%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade Mathematics (Downtown Elementary)	38.2	30.7	7.5%
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 (Downtown Elementary)	29.4	35.4	6%
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 (Downtown Elementary)	43.7	14.5	29.2%
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 (Downtown Elementary)	26.9	22.9	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 (Downtown Elementary)	55.8	7.1	48.7%
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 (Downtown Elementary)	34.7	15.2	19.5%
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 (Downtown Elementary)	45.7	17.8	27.9%
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 (Downtown Elementary)	30.2	24.7	5.5%
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	665	718	8%
African American	602	653	8.5%
American Indian	2	2
Asian	3	6	100%
Hispanic	10	13	30%
Pacific Islander	0	1
White	27	16	40.7%
Two or More Races	21	27	28.6%

Schools Near Downtown 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
Downtown Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	10 N 4th St	Memphis	38103	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(901) 416-8400	718	38	18.8		16 (2.2%)	653 (90.9%)	13 (1.8%)	6 (0.8%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	27 (3.8%)	10.4	947^th of 1018 public elementary schools	7.0%		19.9	825^th of 1020 public elementary schools	19.1%	122	19.0	12.3	9.6				13.6	17.1	27.7	18.3				21.5	16.2	20.0	9.6				15.6					$13,635	$2,543	$10,183
Larose Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	864 Willoughby ST	Memphis	38126	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(901) 416-7848	295	23	13.1		1 (0.3%)	286 (96.9%)	6 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.7%)	4.5	1012^th of 1018 public elementary schools	0.6%					(n/a)	11.1						5.1	6.8	13.8	9.3				9.5	6.7	10.0					6.8					$14,562	$2,725	$10,319
KIPP Memphis Collegiate Elementary	Public, Charter	K-5	230 Henry AVE	Memphis	38107	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	Yes	No	No	Yes	(901) 791-9391	536	18	30.0		3 (0.6%)	514 (95.9%)	14 (2.6%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.7%)	22.4	818^th of 1018 public elementary schools	19.6%		22.5	799^th of 1020 public elementary schools	21.7%	19	12.5	11.3	27.4				17.1	26.4	19.7	31.5				25.9	25.0	31.0	39.7				31.9					$16,305	$4,195	$11,794
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	495	38	13.2		14 (2.8%)	407 (82.2%)	59 (11.9%)	9 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	5 (1.0%)	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
Ida B. Wells Academy Elementary School/Middle School	Public	K-8	995 S Lauderdale St	Memphis	38126	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(901) 416-3210	126	18	7.0		0 (0.0%)	117 (92.9%)	4 (3.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (3.2%)	23.3	809^th of 1018 public elementary schools	20.5%		10.7	941^st of 1020 public elementary schools	7.7%	132			54.5	9.5	17.6		28.6			36.4	14.3	29.4		26.8			36.4	14.3	47.1		38.9	19.0	29.4		21.3	$22,614	$2,615	$19,041
Memphis Scholars Caldwell-Guthrie	Public, Charter	PK, KG-5	951 Chelsea AVE	Memphis	38107	Shelby County	Achievement School District	Yes	No	No	Yes	(901) 236-0105	309	14	21.5		2 (0.6%)	306 (99.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	2.3	1018^th of 1018 public elementary schools	0.0%		4.3	1012^th of 1020 public elementary schools	0.8%	6		5.6							5.4							5.9
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	269	24	11.0		0 (0.0%)	261 (97.0%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.2%)	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
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	397	25	15.8		0 (0.0%)	388 (97.7%)	7 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	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
Perea Elementary School	Public, Charter	PK, KG-5	1250 Vollintine AVE	Memphis	38107	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	Yes	No	No	Yes	(901) 203-6420	260	16	16.0		0 (0.0%)	253 (97.3%)	5 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.8%)	28	757^th of 1018 public elementary schools	25.6%		8	983^rd of 1020 public elementary schools	3.6%	226	45.0		21.1				23.8	18.3	18.9	52.6				27.2	16.7	5.7	42.1				19.2					$22,156	$5,383	$16,457
A. B. Hill Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	345 East Olive AVE	Memphis	38106	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(901) 416-7844	618	34	18.0		4 (0.6%)	597 (96.6%)	7 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.5%)	7 (1.1%)	3.5	1015^th of 1018 public elementary schools	0.3%		3.9	1018^th of 1020 public elementary schools	0.2%	3	6.1	5.5							7.3	8.2				6.6	7.6	7.3	5.0				6.6					$13,443	$2,612	$9,894

Frequently Asked Questions about Downtown Elementary

Is Downtown Elementary a good school?

Downtown Elementary ranks in the bottom 7.0% of Tennessee elementary schools.

What schools do graduates of Downtown Elementary attend?

Students who attend Downtown Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Humes Preparatory Academy Middle School
High : Manassas High

What district is Downtown Elementary in?

Memphis-Shelby County Schools

How many students attend Downtown Elementary?

In the 2022-23 school year, 718 students attended Downtown Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Downtown Elementary?

Students at Downtown Elementary are 91% African American, 4% Two or more races, 2% White, 2% Hispanic.

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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.