Is Belle Forest Community School a good school?

Belle Forest Community School ranks in the bottom 9.7% of Tennessee elementary schools.

How many students attend Belle Forest Community School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 1,002 students attended Belle Forest Community School.

What is the racial makeup of Belle Forest Community School?

Students at Belle Forest Community School are 81% African American, 16% Hispanic, 2% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of Belle Forest Community School attend?

Students who attend Belle Forest Community School usually go on to attend: Middle : Hickory Ridge Middle High : Kirby High

Belle Forest Community School

Summary:

Belle Forest Community School is an elementary school in Memphis, Tennessee that serves grades PK-5 and has a student population of 1,002, with a predominantly African American (81.34%) and Hispanic (16.17%) student body.

Despite a relatively high per-student spending of $10,866, Belle Forest Community School consistently underperforms compared to the Memphis-Shelby County Schools district and the state of Tennessee on standardized assessments. In the 2023-2024 school year, only 20.6% of students were proficient or better in Mathematics, and only 17.3% were proficient or better in English Language Arts, significantly lower than the district and state averages. The school has a very low statewide ranking, placing in the bottom 10-15% of Tennessee elementary schools, and struggles the most with its Special Education and Low Socioeconomic Status students.

When compared to nearby schools, Belle Forest Community School is clearly underperforming. For example, Hickory Ridge Elementary, just 1.5 miles away, outperforms Belle Forest Community School on most academic measures. Additionally, two nearby charter schools, Journey East Academy and Compass Community School Hickory Hill Campus, also outperform Belle Forest Community School, despite serving similar student populations. These findings suggest that there may be systemic issues within the school or district that need to be addressed to improve student outcomes.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

3135 Ridgeway
Memphis, TN 38115-2734

(901) 416-7200

District: Memphis-Shelby County Schools

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

Students who attend Belle Forest Community School usually attend:

Middle:	Hickory Ridge Middle
High:	Kirby High

Student/teacher ratio: 16.7

Number of students: 1,002

Racial breakdown:

African American:

81.3%

Hispanic:

16.2%

Two or more races:

2.0%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 93.3%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Belle Forest Community School ranks worse than 90.3% of elementary schools in Tennessee. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 12.89. (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:

Belle Forest Community School:

SchoolDigger ranks Belle Forest Community School 919^th of 1018 Tennessee public elementary schools. (See Belle Forest Community School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

English Language Learner students:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status 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 Belle Forest Community School

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Rank History for all students at Belle Forest Community School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	TN State Percentile
2018	17.83	860^th	997	13.7%
2019	30.82	704^th	985	28.5%
2021	8.13	945^th	983	3.9%
2022	24.16	768^th	1000	23.2%
2023	17.62	856^th	1020	16.1%
2024	12.89	919^th	1018	9.7%

See the entire list of Tennessee Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Belle Forest Community School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	TN State Percentile
2018	28.71	83^rd	95	12.6%
2019	33.81	46^th	66	30.3%
2023	30.94	135^th	164	17.7%
2024	35.99	113^th	178	36.5%

See the entire list of Best Tennessee Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Belle Forest Community School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	TN State Percentile
2021	31.67	261^st	369	29.3%
2022	49.43	179^th	447	60.0%
2023	34.72	348^th	528	34.1%
2024	12.36	581^st	582	0.2%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Belle Forest Community School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	TN State Percentile
2018	24.84	746^th	877	14.9%
2019	47.85	397^th	821	51.6%
2021	11.70	811^th	823	1.5%
2022	38.64	529^th	858	38.3%
2023	30.40	647^th	865	25.2%
2024	26.71	687^th	853	19.5%

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

Rank History for Female students at Belle Forest Community School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	TN State Percentile
2019	34.22	635^th	926	31.4%
2021	9.05	902^nd	945	4.6%
2022	27.45	712^th	975	27.0%
2023	20.09	806^th	989	18.5%
2024	12.40	906^th	990	8.5%

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

Rank History for Male students at Belle Forest Community School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	TN State Percentile
2019	26.21	702^nd	916	23.4%
2021	8.38	917^th	941	2.6%
2022	20.70	796^th	980	18.8%
2023	15.63	870^th	987	11.9%
2024	14.31	889^th	991	10.3%

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

Rank History for African American students at Belle Forest Community School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	TN State Percentile
2018	36.22	261^st	450	42.0%
2019	57.91	128^th	404	68.3%
2021	19.60	370^th	411	10.0%
2022	43.82	229^th	483	52.6%
2023	35.46	296^th	500	40.8%
2024	29.59	345^th	498	30.7%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Belle Forest Community School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	TN State Percentile
2018	40.35	191^st	319	40.1%
2019	30.46	181^st	250	27.6%
2021	23.73	272^nd	324	16.0%
2022	34.16	245^th	363	32.5%
2023	32.00	275^th	387	28.9%
2024	16.36	390^th	415	6.0%

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 Belle Forest Community School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2014	7	828	2	111	0	1	3	952
2015	25	957	2	149	0	0	20	1153
2016	11	984	1	168	0	0	28	1192
2017	10	998	3	159	1	0	29	1200
2018	9	1017	0	170	1	0	22	1219
2019	21	1013	0	142	1	1	24	1202
2020	16	931	1	150	1	1	19	1119
2021	12	912	0	139	1	0	33	1097
2022	9	823	2	154	1	0	24	1013
2023	4	815	0	162	1	0	20	1002

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 Belle Forest Community School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2014	952	53.2	17.8	90.3
2015	1153	55.0	20.9	70.1
2016	1192	62.0	19.2	93.3
2017	1200	62.2	19.2	n/a
2018	1219	56.6	21.5	n/a
2019	1202	58.2	20.6	n/a
2020	1119	66.3	16.8	n/a
2021	1097	59.0	18.5	n/a
2022	1013	62.5	16.2	n/a
2023	1002	59.6	16.7	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 Belle Forest Community School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2014	952	53.2	17.8	90.3
2015	1153	55.0	20.9	70.1
2016	1192	62.0	19.2	93.3
2017	1200	62.2	19.2	n/a
2018	1219	56.6	21.5	n/a
2019	1202	58.2	20.6	n/a
2020	1119	66.3	16.8	n/a
2021	1097	59.0	18.5	n/a
2022	1013	62.5	16.2	n/a
2023	1002	59.6	16.7	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 Belle Forest Community School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$880 (8.5%)	$8,602 (83.5%)	$10,303
2020	$923 (8.8%)	$9,200 (87.4%)	$10,529
2021	$1,709 (15.7%)	$8,586 (79.0%)	$10,866
2022	$2,688 (20.3%)	$9,811 (74.1%)	$13,240
2023	$2,819 (21.2%)	$9,635 (72.4%)	$13,304

Data source: Tennessee Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Belle Forest Community School

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 704^th of 985 Elementary schools	Ranks 856^th of 1020 Elementary schools	12.4%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade Mathematics (Belle Forest Community School)	38.6	30.2	8.4%
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 (Belle Forest Community School)	22.3	22.3
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 (Belle Forest Community School)	37.5	12.8	24.7%
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 (Belle Forest Community School)	27	38	11%
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 (Belle Forest Community School)	26.7	11.7	15%
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 (Belle Forest Community School)	21.7	17.9	3.8%
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 (Belle Forest Community School)	34.4	17.7	16.7%
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 (Belle Forest Community School)	23.7	26.5	2.8%
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	1202	1002	16.6%
African American	1013	815	19.5%
American Indian	1	1
Asian	0	0
Hispanic	142	162	14.1%
Pacific Islander	1	0	100%
White	21	4	81%
Two or More Races	24	20	16.7%

Schools Near Belle Forest Community School

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
Belle Forest Community School	Public	PK, KG-5	3135 Ridgeway	Memphis	38115	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(901) 416-7200	1,002	60	16.7		4 (0.4%)	815 (81.3%)	162 (16.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (2.0%)	12.9	919^th of 1018 public elementary schools	9.7%		17.6	856^th of 1020 public elementary schools	16.1%	63	24.1	20.4	17.5				20.6	13.1	21.4	17.5				17.3	9.7	26.5	21.1				19.1					$13,305	$2,819	$9,635
Winridge Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3500 Ridgeway RD	Memphis	38115	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(901) 416-6618	486	29	16.9		5 (1.0%)	403 (82.9%)	69 (14.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	8 (1.6%)	33.1	694^th of 1018 public elementary schools	31.8%		45	548^th of 1020 public elementary schools	46.3%	146	52.0	9.7	43.9				32.4	40.0	26.0	24.6				29.4	30.6	37.0	29.8				33.0					$14,133	$2,712	$10,472
Balmoral/Ridgeway Elementary	Public, Magnet	K-5	5905 Grosvenor Ave	Memphis	38119	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(901) 416-2128	245	22	11.1		19 (7.8%)	199 (81.2%)	20 (8.2%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.4%)	47.9	506^th of 1018 public elementary schools	50.3%		49.4	482^nd of 1020 public elementary schools	52.7%	24	52.1	39.5	35.4				42.5	54.2	53.8	30.6				45.6	34.0	41.0	18.8				30.6					$16,029	$2,894	$12,045
Fox Meadows Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2960 Emerald St	Memphis	38115	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(901) 416-2530	506	32	15.8		3 (0.6%)	415 (82.0%)	73 (14.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (3.0%)	27.2	764^th of 1018 public elementary schools	25.0%		24.1	789^th of 1020 public elementary schools	22.6%	25	29.1	27.1	18.3				24.9	43.0	25.0	19.7				30.0	38.0	35.0	16.9				30.0					$14,697	$3,236	$10,486
Newberry Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5540 Newberry Ave	Memphis	38115	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(901) 416-2518	403	28	14.3		4 (1.0%)	308 (76.4%)	82 (20.3%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.0%)	58.3	374^th of 1018 public elementary schools	63.3%		27.8	750^th of 1020 public elementary schools	26.5%	376	65.2	39.7	36.5				46.0	54.3	32.3	37.7				40.4	65.2	38.1	63.5				54.0					$13,635	$2,976	$9,566
Compass Community School Hickory Hill Campus	Public, Charter	K-8	3572 Emerald	Memphis	38115	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	Yes	No	No	Yes	(901) 546-9926	255	20	12.7		5 (2.0%)	42 (16.5%)	204 (80.0%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.8%)	44.9	546^th of 1018 public elementary schools	46.4%		34.3	678^th of 1020 public elementary schools	33.5%	132	34.8	43.5	24.0	48.0	38.5	47.4	39.9	26.1	60.9	36.0	44.0	33.3	26.3	36.4	21.7	26.1		36.0	23.1	34.2	24.9	40.0	38.5	36.8	38.2	$16,434	$3,441	$12,677
Hickory Ridge Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3890 Hickory Hill RD	Memphis	38115	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(901) 416-1195	670	43	15.7		9 (1.3%)	486 (72.5%)	166 (24.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (1.3%)	23.4	805^th of 1018 public elementary schools	20.9%		12.8	919^th of 1020 public elementary schools	9.9%	114	38.2	20.2	29.9				29.6	22.5	29.8	24.1				25.4	31.5	30.1	14.0				25.2					$14,339	$2,880	$10,449
Journey East Academy	Public, Charter	K-5	6870 Winchester RD	Memphis	38115	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	Yes	No	No	Yes	(901) 567-7086	347	20	17.7		5 (1.4%)	279 (80.4%)	62 (17.9%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	39.7	620^th of 1018 public elementary schools	39.1%		32.3	703^rd of 1020 public elementary schools	31.1%	83	17.0	42.3	48.1				37.2	34.0	42.3	25.9				34.9	25.5	39.4	40.7				36.0					$17,280	$5,159	$11,805
Power Center Academy Elementary School	Public, Charter	K-5	3540 S. Mendenhall ST	Memphis	38115	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	Yes	No	No	Yes	(901) 310-2999	720	43	16.7		6 (0.8%)	498 (69.2%)	214 (29.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	40.4	611^th of 1018 public elementary schools	40.0%		17.3	859^th of 1020 public elementary schools	15.8%	248	38.9	49.6	29.4				39.3	36.1	30.8	18.5				28.2	39.8	54.2	28.6				40.9					$19,051	$5,164	$13,571
Cornerstone Prep School	Public, Charter	K-1	5221 Cottonwood RD	Memphis	38118	Shelby County	Tennessee Public Charter School Commission	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(901) 416-3640	33	0	100.0		3 (9.1%)	24 (72.7%)	5 (15.2%)	1 (3.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)																										$28,010	$2,635	$25,375

Belle Forest Community School

Belle Forest Community School:

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Memphis-Shelby County Schools:

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Rank History for Belle Forest Community School

Rank History for all students at Belle Forest Community School

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Belle Forest Community School

Rank History for Special Education students at Belle Forest Community School

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Belle Forest Community School

Rank History for Female students at Belle Forest Community School

Rank History for Male students at Belle Forest Community School

Rank History for African American students at Belle Forest Community School

Rank History for Hispanic students at Belle Forest Community School

Enrollment information for Belle Forest Community School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Belle Forest Community School

Student/Teacher Ratio Belle Forest Community School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Belle Forest Community School

Impact of COVID-19 on Belle Forest Community School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Belle Forest Community School

Frequently Asked Questions about Belle Forest Community School

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