Southern Avenue Charter School Of Academic Excellence Creati

Summary:

Southern Avenue Charter School Of Academic Excellence Creati is an elementary school in Memphis, Tennessee, serving 337 students in grades K-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.

Despite relatively high per-student spending, Southern Avenue Charter School Of Academic Excellence Creati has consistently ranked in the bottom 20% of Tennessee elementary schools over the past 5 years, with proficiency rates on state assessments (TNReady) that are significantly below the state and district averages across all grade levels and subject areas. For example, in 2023-2024, the school's proficiency rates in Mathematics (17.5%) and English Language Arts (23.8%) were well below the state averages of 39.7% and 37.6%, respectively. The school's performance has also declined over the past few years, with proficiency rates dropping in both subject areas.

Interestingly, nearby charter school Freedom Prep Elementary - Millbranch outperformed Southern Avenue Charter School Of Academic Excellence Creati on state assessments, as did other nearby public schools like Gardenview Elementary and Bethel Grove Elementary, despite serving similar student populations. The school's low performance for certain student subgroups, such as African American students and low-socioeconomic status students, also raises equity concerns and suggests that the school may not be adequately addressing the unique needs of these populations.

Detail:

Public, Charter K-5

2221 Democrat RD
Memphis, TN 38132

(901) 743-7335

District: Memphis-Shelby County Schools

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

Student/teacher ratio: 10.1

Number of students: 337

Racial breakdown:

African American:

94.7%

Hispanic:

2.4%

White:

1.5%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 93.1%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Southern Avenue Charter School Of Academic Excellence Creati ranks worse than 85.9% of elementary schools in Tennessee. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 16.54. (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:

Southern Avenue Charter School Of Academic Excellence Creati:

SchoolDigger ranks Southern Avenue Charter School Of Academic Excellence Creati 874^th of 1018 Tennessee public elementary schools. (See Southern Avenue Charter School Of Academic Excellence Creati 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 Southern Avenue Charter School Of Academic Excellence Creati

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Rank History for all students at Southern Avenue Charter School Of Academic Excellence Creati

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	TN State Percentile
2018	23.92	788^th	997	21.0%
2019	20.62	828^th	985	15.9%
2021	8.79	933^rd	983	5.1%
2022	16.45	857^th	1000	14.3%
2023	38.47	630^th	1020	38.2%
2024	16.54	874^th	1018	14.1%

See the entire list of Tennessee Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Southern Avenue Charter School Of Academic Excellence Creati

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	TN State Percentile
2018	40.26	536^th	877	38.9%
2019	36.41	556^th	821	32.3%
2021	16.56	755^th	823	8.3%
2022	31.49	629^th	858	26.7%
2023	66.61	205^th	865	76.3%
2024	39.06	528^th	853	38.1%

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

Rank History for Female students at Southern Avenue Charter School Of Academic Excellence Creati

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	TN State Percentile
2019	24.93	744^th	926	19.7%
2021	10.52	873^rd	945	7.6%
2022	15.75	852^nd	975	12.6%
2023	34.10	649^th	989	34.4%
2024	18.15	839^th	990	15.3%

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

Rank History for Male students at Southern Avenue Charter School Of Academic Excellence Creati

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	TN State Percentile
2019	16.91	822^nd	916	10.3%
2021	8.58	907^th	941	3.6%
2022	18.09	827^th	980	15.6%
2023	42.54	558^th	987	43.5%
2024	15.67	874^th	991	11.8%

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

Rank History for African American students at Southern Avenue Charter School Of Academic Excellence Creati

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	TN State Percentile
2018	45.15	199^th	450	55.8%
2019	35.41	251^st	404	37.9%
2021	20.82	359^th	411	12.7%
2022	37.27	272^nd	483	43.7%
2023	61.84	145^th	500	71.0%
2024	34.52	317^th	498	36.3%

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:
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Enrollment information for Southern Avenue Charter School Of Academic Excellence Creati

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2014	2	352	0	7	2	0	1	364
2015	2	360	0	7	1	0	2	372
2016	2	421	0	10	1	1	1	436
2017	3	409	0	14	1	0	2	429
2018	6	412	0	17	1	0	4	440
2019	4	340	0	15	1	0	4	364
2020	5	374	0	13	0	0	1	393
2021	5	336	0	13	0	0	2	356
2022	5	304	1	12	0	0	3	325
2023	5	319	1	8	0	0	4	337

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 Southern Avenue Charter School Of Academic Excellence Creati

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2014	364	22.0	16.5	90.7
2015	372	19.0	19.5	90.1
2016	436	21.0	20.7	93.1
2017	429	25.0	17.1	n/a
2018	440	25.0	17.6	n/a
2019	364	21.0	17.3	n/a
2020	393	22.0	17.8	n/a
2021	356	21.6	16.4	n/a
2022	325	22.6	14.3	n/a
2023	337	33.1	10.1	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 Southern Avenue Charter School Of Academic Excellence Creati

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2014	364	22.0	16.5	90.7
2015	372	19.0	19.5	90.1
2016	436	21.0	20.7	93.1
2017	429	25.0	17.1	n/a
2018	440	25.0	17.6	n/a
2019	364	21.0	17.3	n/a
2020	393	22.0	17.8	n/a
2021	356	21.6	16.4	n/a
2022	325	22.6	14.3	n/a
2023	337	33.1	10.1	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 Southern Avenue Charter School Of Academic Excellence Creati

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$917 (8.6%)	$9,563 (89.9%)	$10,640
2020	$828 (7.9%)	$9,489 (90.6%)	$10,474
2021	$1,938 (12.8%)	$12,982 (85.7%)	$15,153
2022	$2,800 (16.6%)	$13,806 (81.7%)	$16,904
2023	$6,099 (26.5%)	$16,580 (72.1%)	$22,994

Data source: Tennessee Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Southern Avenue Charter School Of Academic Excellence Creati

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 828^th of 985 Elementary schools	Ranks 630^th of 1020 Elementary schools	22.3%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade Mathematics (Southern Avenue Charter School Of Academic Excellence Creati)	24.1	22.9	1.2%
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 (Southern Avenue Charter School Of Academic Excellence Creati)	11.1	31.3	20.2%
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 (Southern Avenue Charter School Of Academic Excellence Creati)	21.7	28.3	6.6%
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 (Southern Avenue Charter School Of Academic Excellence Creati)	11.6	34	22.4%
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 (Southern Avenue Charter School Of Academic Excellence Creati)	40	38.2	1.8%
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 (Southern Avenue Charter School Of Academic Excellence Creati)	24.3	36.4	12.1%
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 (Southern Avenue Charter School Of Academic Excellence Creati)	29	30.2	1.2%
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 (Southern Avenue Charter School Of Academic Excellence Creati)	16.1	34	17.9%
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	364	337	7.4%
African American	340	319	6.2%
American Indian	1	0	100%
Asian	0	1
Hispanic	15	8	46.7%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	4	5	25%
Two or More Races	4	4

Schools Near Southern Avenue Charter School Of Academic Excellence Creati

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
Southern Avenue Charter School Of Academic Excellence Creati	Public, Charter	K-5	2221 Democrat RD	Memphis	38132	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	Yes	No	No	Yes	(901) 743-7335	337	33	10.1		5 (1.5%)	319 (94.7%)	8 (2.4%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.2%)	16.5	874^th of 1018 public elementary schools	14.1%		38.5	630^th of 1020 public elementary schools	38.2%	244	25.0	10.0	17.8				17.5	27.1	22.0	22.2				23.8	29.2	24.0	20.5				24.6					$22,994	$6,099	$16,580
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	661	45	14.6		12 (1.8%)	587 (88.8%)	50 (7.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (1.8%)	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
Winchester Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3587 Boeingshire Dr	Memphis	38116	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(901) 416-3152	422	29	14.5		2 (0.5%)	384 (91.0%)	22 (5.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (3.1%)	8.7	974^th of 1018 public elementary schools	4.3%		6.4	995^th of 1020 public elementary schools	2.5%	21	7.0	6.0	14.0				8.9	20.4	15.7	6.0				14.2	21.1	21.6	18.0				20.3					$13,339	$2,554	$9,748
Freedom Prep Elementary - Millbranch	Public, Charter	K-5	3750 Millbranch RD	Memphis	38116	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	Yes	No	No	Yes	(901) 538-9500	551	36	15.5		7 (1.3%)	462 (83.8%)	76 (13.8%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.7%)	44.7	547^th of 1018 public elementary schools	46.3%		26.3	770^th of 1020 public elementary schools	24.5%	223	39.7	25.0	23.0				28.3	48.4	35.5	32.2				37.8	63.5	36.8	47.1				48.2					$12,934	$3,616	$9,003
Believe Memphis Academy Charter School	Public, Charter	K-8	2230 Corry RD	Memphis	38106	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	Yes	No	No	Yes	(901) 881-7970	317	17	18.6		2 (0.6%)	299 (94.3%)	3 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (3.8%)	10.4	951^st of 1018 public elementary schools	6.6%		7.2	989^th of 1020 public elementary schools	3.0%	38		21.1	5.9			5.8	6.6		17.9	5.6	6.1	6.3		7.1		29.7	9.8	13.6	23.3	7.2	15.8	28.4	17.1	6.0	17.9	$21,211	$5,610	$15,285
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	256	17	15.2		0 (0.0%)	244 (95.3%)	9 (3.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	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
Gardenview Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4075 Hartz Dr	Memphis	38116	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(901) 416-3068	295	23	13.1		3 (1.0%)	284 (96.3%)	3 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.7%)	23.1	811^th of 1018 public elementary schools	20.3%		20.7	813^th of 1020 public elementary schools	20.3%	2	13.0	28.2	23.3				22.8	8.7	33.3	40.0				29.3	13.0	35.9	20.0				25.0					$14,891	$2,935	$10,842
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	247	14	17.6		3 (1.2%)	228 (92.3%)	10 (4.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (2.0%)	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	200	18	10.8		2 (1.0%)	139 (69.5%)	55 (27.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (2.0%)	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
Robert R. Church Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4100 Millbranch Rd	Memphis	38116	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(901) 416-0198	645	34	19.2		1 (0.2%)	627 (97.2%)	3 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (1.7%)	11.9	930^th of 1018 public elementary schools	8.6%		11.5	938^th of 1020 public elementary schools	8.0%	8	9.9	21.9	14.9				15.5	21.1	25.7	16.1				20.6	17.1	26.4	13.8				18.6					$13,171	$2,609	$9,667

Frequently Asked Questions about Southern Avenue Charter School Of Academic Excellence Creati

How many students attend Southern Avenue Charter School Of Academic Excellence Creati?

In the 2022-23 school year, 337 students attended Southern Avenue Charter School Of Academic Excellence Creati.

What is the racial makeup of Southern Avenue Charter School Of Academic Excellence Creati?

Students at Southern Avenue Charter School Of Academic Excellence Creati are 95% African American, 2% Hispanic, 1% White, 1% Two or more races.

Is Southern Avenue Charter School Of Academic Excellence Creati a good school?

Southern Avenue Charter School Of Academic Excellence Creati ranks in the bottom 14.1% of Tennessee elementary schools.

What district is Southern Avenue Charter School Of Academic Excellence Creati in?

Memphis-Shelby County Schools

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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.