Lester Prep

Summary:

Lester Prep is a public charter middle school in Memphis, Tennessee, serving 211 students in grades 6-8, with a predominantly African American student population of 92.42%. Despite its relatively low student-teacher ratio of 10:1, the school consistently ranks in the bottom 20% of Tennessee middle schools and significantly underperforms the state and district averages across all subject areas.

Lester Prep's academic performance is particularly low for its African American and low socioeconomic status student subgroups, ranking in the bottom 30-40% of Tennessee middle schools. However, the school's special education students perform relatively better, ranking in the top 35% of Tennessee middle schools. This stark contrast in academic performance suggests that factors beyond just staffing resources, such as school leadership, curriculum, and instructional practices, may be contributing to the school's struggles.

Interestingly, Lester Prep's student racial makeup is in stark contrast to some of the nearby schools, such as Maxine Smith STEAM Academy and University Middle, which have a much lower percentage of African American students. Exploring opportunities for collaboration and shared best practices with these higher-performing schools could provide valuable insights for improving Lester Prep's academic outcomes, particularly for its African American and low socioeconomic status students. Targeted interventions and a focus on evidence-based practices may also be crucial in driving meaningful improvements for this school.

Detail:

Public, Charter 6-8

320 Carpenter ST
Memphis, TN 38112

(901) 416-3640

District: Tennessee Public Charter School Commission

SchoolDigger Rank:
472^nd of 587 Tennessee Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $19,262

Student/teacher ratio: 11.5

Number of students: 219

Racial breakdown:

African American:

93.6%

Hispanic:

4.1%

White:

0.9%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Lester Prep ranks worse than 80.4% of middle schools in Tennessee. It also ranks 2^nd among 3 ranked middle schools in the Tennessee Public Charter School Commission District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 20.49. (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 (93.6%), Hispanic (4.1%), two or more races (0.9%). (See more...)

Compare Details

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Lester Prep is 11.5. 2 middle schools in the Tennessee Public Charter School Commission District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Lester Prep employs 19 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Lester Prep is $19,262, which is the highest among 4 middle schools in the Tennessee Public Charter School Commission District!

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Lester Prep:

SchoolDigger ranks Lester Prep 472^nd of 587 Tennessee public middle schools. (See Lester Prep in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

African American students:

Tennessee Public Charter School Commission:

SchoolDigger ranks Tennessee Public Charter School Commission 124^th of 140 Tennessee school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Lester Prep

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Rank History for all students at Lester Prep

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	TN State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	17.00	493^rd	594	17.0%
2024	20.49	472^nd	587	19.6%

See the entire list of Tennessee Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Lester Prep

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	TN State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	46.90	109^th	299	63.5%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Lester Prep

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	TN State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	27.55	389^th	514	24.3%
2024	31.83	363^rd	510	28.8%

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

Rank History for Female students at Lester Prep

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	TN State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	20.68	452^nd	560	19.3%
2024	19.68	452^nd	554	18.4%

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

Rank History for Male students at Lester Prep

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	TN State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	15.11	490^th	557	12.0%
2024	20.53	453^rd	560	19.1%

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

Rank History for African American students at Lester Prep

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	TN State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	28.66	211^th	316	33.2%
2024	33.21	193^rd	318	39.3%

See the entire list of Best Tennessee Middle 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

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Enrollment information for Lester Prep

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Year	White	African American	Hispanic	American Indian	Two or More Races	Total
2022	0	0	0	0	0	0
2023	4	195	10	1	1	211
2024	2	205	9	1	2	219

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 Lester Prep

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2022	0	n/a	n/a	n/a
2023	211	21.0	10.0	n/a
2024	219	19.0	11.5	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 Lester Prep

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2022	0	n/a	n/a	n/a
2023	211	21.0	10.0	n/a
2024	219	19.0	11.5	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 Lester Prep

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2023	$4,584 (23.8%)	$14,678 (76.2%)	$19,262

Data source: Tennessee Department of Education

Schools Near Lester Prep

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 Algebra I (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 6th Grade	TNReady Mathematics 7th Grade	TNReady Mathematics 8th Grade	TNReady Mathematics All Grades	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 Algebra I 8th Grade	TNReady Algebra I All Grades	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
Lester Prep	Public, Charter	6-8	320 Carpenter ST	Memphis	38112	Shelby County	Tennessee Public Charter School Commission	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(901) 416-3640	219	19	11.5		2 (0.9%)	205 (93.6%)	9 (4.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.9%)	20.5	472^nd of 587 public middle schools	19.6%		17	493^rd of 594 public middle schools	17.0%	21	8.9	10.9	24.6	14.2	6.3	9.4		6.9			25.3	25.4	23.0	24.6	47.4	36.5	16.4	34.7	$19,262	$4,584	$14,678
Maxine Smith STEAM Academy	Public	6-8	750 E Parkway S	Memphis	38104	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	No	No	No	No	(901) 416-4536	397	24	16.8		120 (30.2%)	215 (54.2%)	33 (8.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (7.3%)	98.2	9^th of 587 public middle schools	98.5%		96.7	17^th of 594 public middle schools	97.1%	8	62.2	64.8		68.8	76.4	76.5	65.1	73.3			87.2	86.8		87.0	87.8	89.0	88.1	88.3	$11,963	$2,001	$9,014
Treadwell Middle School	Public	6-8	920 N Highland St	Memphis	38122	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(901) 416-6100	662	37	17.7		39 (5.9%)	222 (33.5%)	374 (56.5%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	24 (3.6%)	15.4	504^th of 587 public middle schools	14.1%		12.5	529^th of 594 public middle schools	10.9%	25	7.4	10.6	7.6	8.6	14.4	12.7	9.0	12.2	20.0	20.0	22.9	32.4	11.5	22.7	21.4	44.4	11.4	26.3	$13,598	$2,652	$9,792
University Middle	Public	6-8	330 Innovation DR	Memphis	38152	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	No	No	No	No	(901) 678-2285	268	26	10.3		141 (52.6%)	87 (32.5%)	12 (4.5%)	8 (3.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (7.5%)	91.8	33^rd of 587 public middle schools	94.4%		92.3	31^st of 594 public middle schools	94.8%	2	73.8	68.8	27.9	58.9	75.0	74.2	60.7	69.8	85.0	85.0	80.0	84.9	47.8	72.9	80.0	84.9	70.8	78.6	$7,206	$2,001	$4,626
Kingsbury Middle	Public	6-8	1276 N Graham St	Memphis	38122	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(901) 416-6040	502	30	16.7		36 (7.2%)	100 (19.9%)	343 (68.3%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (4.0%)	8.8	561^st of 587 public middle schools	4.4%		6.5	580^th of 594 public middle schools	2.4%	19	16.2	10.8	11.4	12.8	6.7	10.7	10.7	9.4			8.7	25.8	16.9	17.2	5.4	8.7	5.4	6.5	$12,229	$2,704	$9,210
Sherwood Middle	Public	6-8	3480 Rhodes Ave	Memphis	38111	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(901) 416-4870	670	46	14.5		4 (0.6%)	468 (69.9%)	185 (27.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (1.8%)	4.2	587^th of 587 public middle schools	0.0%		4.1	592^nd of 594 public middle schools	0.3%	5						5.4					9.8	11.3		8.1		8.0		5.2	$13,317	$3,013	$9,574
Bellevue Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	575 S Bellevue Blvd	Memphis	38104	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(901) 416-4488	606	35	17.4		7 (1.2%)	527 (87.0%)	37 (6.1%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	32 (5.3%)	26.9	433^rd of 587 public middle schools	26.2%		29.6	423^rd of 594 public middle schools	28.8%	10	10.5	14.5	18.9	14.5	18.4	23.3	14.4	18.8	53.8	53.8	27.7	51.0	24.6	35.1	29.5	38.5	30.1	32.9	$12,795	$2,416	$9,517
Humes Preparatory Academy Middle School	Public, Charter	6-8	659 N Manassas ST	Memphis	38107	Shelby County	Achievement School District	Yes	No	No	Yes	(901) 443-7575	192	16	12.0		1 (0.5%)	187 (97.4%)	2 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.0%)	4.4	586^th of 587 public middle schools	0.2%		6.8	576^th of 594 public middle schools	3.0%	10															9.7	9.8	5.3	7.9
Veritas College Preparatory	Public, Charter	6-8	1500 Dunn AVE	Memphis	38106	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	Yes	No	No	Yes	(901) 526-1900	135	11	12.2		0 (0.0%)	125 (92.6%)	5 (3.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (3.0%)	9	558^th of 587 public middle schools	4.9%		12.5	530^th of 594 public middle schools	10.8%	28	6.8		10.8	7.1	6.8	8.9	16.2	10.3			9.1	11.1	8.1	9.5	20.5	24.4	8.1	18.3	$19,979	$5,577	$14,086
KIPP Memphis Collegiate Middle	Public, Charter	6-8	230 Henry AVE	Memphis	38107	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	Yes	No	No	Yes	(901) 791-9390	300	24	12.7		5 (1.7%)	278 (92.7%)	11 (3.7%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.3%)	18.8	478^th of 587 public middle schools	18.6%		19.2	477^th of 594 public middle schools	19.7%	1	15.0	20.0	14.1	16.4	13.0	11.8	13.8	12.8			22.0	29.4	28.8	26.4	34.0	22.4	25.0	27.5	$20,529	$5,499	$14,714

Frequently Asked Questions about Lester Prep

What district is Lester Prep in?

Tennessee Public Charter School Commission

How many students attend Lester Prep?

In the 2023-24 school year, 219 students attended Lester Prep.

What is the racial makeup of Lester Prep?

Students at Lester Prep are 94% African American, 4% Hispanic.

Is Lester Prep a good school?

Lester Prep ranks in the bottom 19.6% of Tennessee middle schools.

Rate Lester Prep!

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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.