Star Academy

Summary:

Star Academy is a public charter elementary school in Memphis, Tennessee, serving 285 students in grades K-7. The school has a predominantly African American student population, with 93.68% of students identifying as African American.

Despite the school's high per-student spending of $13,880, Star Academy consistently performs below state and district averages in academic proficiency across all subject areas and grade levels. In the 2023-2024 school year, only 20% of Star Academy students were proficient or better in Mathematics, compared to 39.7% at the state level and 20% at the Memphis-Shelby County Schools district level. Similarly, in English Language Arts, only 19.2% of Star Academy students were proficient or better, compared to 37.6% at the state level and 22.4% at the district level. The school has been ranked among the lowest-performing elementary schools in Tennessee, consistently ranking in the bottom 10% of schools statewide.

When comparing Star Academy to other nearby schools in the Memphis-Shelby County Schools district, the performance gap is even more pronounced. For example, Douglass Elementary/Middle and Lucie E. Campbell Elementary, both located within a 2-mile radius of Star Academy, have significantly higher academic proficiency rates across all subject areas and grade levels. This suggests that the school's challenges may not be solely due to a lack of funding or resources, as the student-teacher ratio at Star Academy has fluctuated over the years, ranging from 18.8 students per teacher in 2020-2021 to 31.6 students per teacher in 2022-2023.

Detail:

Public, Charter K-6

3240 James RD
Memphis, TN 38128

(901) 387-5050

District: Memphis-Shelby County Schools

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

Per Pupil Expenditures: $17,104

Student/teacher ratio: 17.8

Number of students: 331

Racial breakdown:

African American:

93.7%

Hispanic:

3.3%

Two or more races:

1.5%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 89.8%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Star Academy ranks worse than 88.3% of elementary schools in Tennessee. It also ranks 73^rd among 121 ranked elementary schools in the Memphis-Shelby County Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 14.6. (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 (93.7%), Hispanic (3.3%), two or more races (1.5%). (See more...)

Compare Details

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Star Academy is 17.8. 103 elementary schools in the Memphis-Shelby County Schools District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Star Academy employs 18.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Star Academy is $17,104, which is the 22^nd highest among 121 elementary schools in the Memphis-Shelby County Schools District.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Star Academy:

SchoolDigger ranks Star Academy 899^th of 1018 Tennessee public elementary schools. (See Star Academy 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 Star Academy

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Rank History for all students at Star Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	TN State Percentile
2018	26.00	768^th	997	23.0%
2019	14.71	884^th	985	10.3%
2021	6.80	972^nd	983	1.1%
2022	12.77	909^th	1000	9.1%
2023	12.33	925^th	1020	9.3%
2024	14.60	899^th	1018	11.7%

See the entire list of Tennessee Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Star Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	TN State Percentile
2018	48.06	420^th	877	52.1%
2019	20.73	734^th	821	10.6%
2022	27.52	669^th	858	22.0%
2023	25.59	687^th	865	20.6%
2024	28.28	668^th	853	21.7%

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

Rank History for Female students at Star Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	TN State Percentile
2019	9.67	894^th	926	3.5%
2021	9.20	897^th	945	5.1%
2022	12.88	886^th	975	9.1%
2023	13.44	895^th	989	9.5%
2024	24.01	776^th	990	21.6%

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

Rank History for Male students at Star Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	TN State Percentile
2019	21.56	768^th	916	16.2%
2021	8.11	923^rd	941	1.9%
2022	16.13	858^th	980	12.4%
2023	12.58	912^th	987	7.6%
2024	12.19	919^th	991	7.3%

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

Rank History for African American students at Star Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	TN State Percentile
2018	44.81	201^st	450	55.3%
2019	28.62	291^st	404	28.0%
2021	14.64	407^th	411	1.0%
2022	28.14	342^nd	483	29.2%
2023	26.12	370^th	500	26.0%
2024	30.21	342^nd	498	31.3%

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

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

Rank History for Star Academy

Compare

Rank History for all students at Star Academy

Rank History for Female students at Star Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	TN State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	10.18	521^st	560	7.0%

See the entire list of Best Tennessee Elementary Schools for Female 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 Star Academy

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Two or More Races	Total
2014	0	237	0	1	0	0	238
2015	0	231	0	1	1	1	234
2016	0	226	0	7	2	0	235
2017	0	216	1	10	3	0	230
2018	0	235	1	6	2	0	244
2019	1	266	1	5	2	2	277
2020	0	301	2	5	1	2	311
2021	2	283	2	8	3	3	301
2022	2	270	2	8	3	1	286
2023	2	267	0	10	4	2	285
2024	2	310	0	11	3	5	331

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 Star Academy

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2014	238	12.0	19.8	81.9
2015	234	10.0	23.4	61.1
2016	235	14.0	16.7	89.8
2017	230	16.8	13.6	n/a
2018	244	17.7	13.7	n/a
2019	277	20.0	13.8	n/a
2020	311	16.8	18.5	n/a
2021	301	16.0	18.8	n/a
2022	286	12.0	23.8	n/a
2023	285	9.0	31.6	n/a
2024	331	18.5	17.8	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 Star Academy

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2014	238	12.0	19.8	81.9
2015	234	10.0	23.4	61.1
2016	235	14.0	16.7	89.8
2017	230	16.8	13.6	n/a
2018	244	17.7	13.7	n/a
2019	277	20.0	13.8	n/a
2020	311	16.8	18.5	n/a
2021	301	16.0	18.8	n/a
2022	286	12.0	23.8	n/a
2023	285	9.0	31.6	n/a
2024	331	18.5	17.8	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 Star Academy

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$861 (9.0%)	$8,536 (89.3%)	$9,557
2020	$826 (9.2%)	$8,033 (89.1%)	$9,015
2021	$1,352 (9.7%)	$12,134 (87.4%)	$13,880
2022	$2,754 (16.6%)	$13,554 (81.6%)	$16,610
2023	$3,263 (19.1%)	$13,523 (79.1%)	$17,104

Data source: Tennessee Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Star Academy

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 884^th of 985 Elementary schools	Ranks 925^th of 1020 Elementary schools	0.9%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade Mathematics (Star Academy)	20.5	22.5	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 (Star Academy)	12.8	22.5	9.7%
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 (Star Academy)	20.6	21.4	0.8%
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 (Star Academy)	11.8	11.6	0.2%
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 (Star Academy)	25.7	17.9	7.8%
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 (Star Academy)	22.9	17.9	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 (Star Academy)	22.2	17.4	4.8%
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 (Star Academy)	15.7	18.7	3%
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	277	285	2.9%
African American	266	267	0.4%
American Indian	2	4	100%
Asian	1	0	100%
Hispanic	5	10	100%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	1	2	100%
Two or More Races	2	2

Schools Near Star Academy

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
Star Academy	Public, Charter	K-6	3240 James RD	Memphis	38128	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	Yes	No	No	Yes	(901) 387-5050	331	19	17.8		2 (0.6%)	310 (93.7%)	11 (3.3%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.5%)	14.6	899^th of 1018 public elementary schools	11.7%		12.3	925^th of 1020 public elementary schools	9.3%	26	25.7	23.5	6.8	28.1			20.0	28.6	20.0	9.1	21.9			19.2	22.9	14.3		12.5			13.0	9.4			9.4	$17,104	$3,263	$13,523
Scenic Hills Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3450 Scenic Hwy	Memphis	38128	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(901) 416-4342	335	23	14.5		8 (2.4%)	310 (92.5%)	11 (3.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.8%)	9.3	963^rd of 1018 public elementary schools	5.4%		8.3	978^th of 1020 public elementary schools	4.1%	15		12.5					5.2	11.3	29.2	8.9				16.1	14.8	22.9					14.3					$15,435	$3,010	$11,113
Lucie E. Campbell Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3232 Birchfield Dr	Memphis	38127	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(901) 416-1000	629	35	18.2		11 (1.7%)	572 (90.9%)	27 (4.3%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (2.7%)	3.9	1014^th of 1018 public elementary schools	0.4%		4	1016^th of 1020 public elementary schools	0.4%	2										5.0					9.8		5.0				5.9					$13,225	$2,997	$9,242
Primary Prepatory	Public	PK	3274 Range Line	Memphis	38127	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	No	No	No	(n/a)	(901) 358-6535	0				0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Douglass Elementary/Middle	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-8	1650 Ash St	Memphis	38108	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(901) 416-5946	484	32	15.2		1 (0.2%)	453 (93.6%)	20 (4.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.1%)	5.2	1006^th of 1018 public elementary schools	1.2%					(n/a)	5.4				5.7			17.0				7.7		5.3	10.7	7.5			5.7				13.2			$14,283	$2,641	$10,412
Jackson Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3925 Wales Ave	Memphis	38108	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(901) 416-4222	303	22	13.7		14 (4.6%)	50 (16.5%)	238 (78.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	30	737^th of 1018 public elementary schools	27.6%		30.3	722^nd of 1020 public elementary schools	29.2%	15	41.7	37.1	27.7				34.7	30.6	37.1	27.7				31.4	27.8	31.4	19.1				25.4					$16,464	$2,593	$12,515
Promise Academy Spring Hill	Public, Charter	PK, KG-5	3796 Frayser Raleigh RD	Memphis	38128	Shelby County	Tennessee Public Charter School Commission	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(901) 324-4456	387	19	20.9		3 (0.8%)	369 (95.3%)	14 (3.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	16.3	877^th of 1018 public elementary schools	13.9%					(n/a)	14.6	20.6	17.4				17.8	12.5	34.9	32.6				27.4	18.8	20.6	17.4				19.1
Journey Coleman School	Public, Charter	PK, KG-8	3210 Raleigh-Millington RD	Memphis	38128	Shelby County	Achievement School District	Yes	No	No	Yes	(901) 567-7068	630	39	16.1		7 (1.1%)	560 (88.9%)	42 (6.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (3.3%)	11.4	937^th of 1018 public elementary schools	8.0%		14	900^th of 1020 public elementary schools	11.8%	37	7.1	19.4	5.4	9.1	10.0	18.2	11.5		17.9	16.1	13.8	18.3	9.3	13.2	17.4	28.6	19.3	25.8	25.0	13.0	21.8	16.9	20.3	16.7	18.0
Promise Academy	Public, Charter	PK, KG-5	1346 Bryan ST	Memphis	38108	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	Yes	No	No	Yes	(901) 324-4456	266	14	19.0		4 (1.5%)	235 (88.3%)	27 (10.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	27.8	758^th of 1018 public elementary schools	25.5%		14	899^th of 1020 public elementary schools	11.9%	141	48.3	29.3	35.1				36.4	24.1	31.7					19.6	31.0	29.3	13.5				24.3					$26,380	$8,000	$17,188
Memphis STEM Academy	Public, Charter	PK, KG-5	2180 Frayser BLVD	Memphis	38127	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	Yes	No	No	Yes	(901) 708-3001	243	18	13.5		0 (0.0%)	209 (86.0%)	31 (12.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.2%)	39.8	619^th of 1018 public elementary schools	39.2%		46	532^nd of 1020 public elementary schools	47.8%	87	38.7	28.6	58.3				42.2	25.8	25.7	38.9				30.4	41.9	28.6	36.1				35.3					$23,976	$7,491	$16,169

Frequently Asked Questions about Star Academy

What district is Star Academy in?

Memphis-Shelby County Schools

What is the racial makeup of Star Academy?

Students at Star Academy are 94% African American, 3% Hispanic, 2% Two or more races.

Is Star Academy a good school?

Star Academy ranks in the bottom 11.7% of Tennessee elementary schools.

How many students attend Star Academy?

In the 2023-24 school year, 331 students attended Star Academy.

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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.