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Ida B. Wells Academy Elementary School/Middle School

Public Grades K-8

877^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,009 Tennessee Elementary Schools

Better than 13% of Tennessee elementary schools

Summary

Ida B. Wells Academy Elementary School/Middle School is a public school located in Memphis, Tennessee, serving grades K-8 with a total enrollment of 98 students. The school is part of the Memphis-Shelby County Schools district, which is ranked 135 out of 139 districts in the state and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Ida B. Wells Academy consistently performs below the district and state averages across all subject areas and grade levels. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, the school's proficiency rates in Mathematics (27.6%), English Language Arts (25%), and Science (28.9%) were significantly lower than the Memphis-Shelby County Schools (22.6%, 23.7%, and 26.6%) and state (42.2%, 38.9%, and 46.1%) averages. The school also has high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 18.9% to 29.5% over the past few years, which is much higher than the district and state averages. Additionally, Ida B. Wells Academy's performance for specific student subgroups, such as female students, male students, African American students, and low socioeconomic status students, is consistently lower than the state averages for those subgroups.

Despite the higher spending per student, which has increased from $17,998 in 2020-2021 to $32,098 in 2023-2024, Ida B. Wells Academy continues to struggle academically. The nearby schools in the Memphis-Shelby County Schools district, such as A.B. Hill Elementary, Cummings Elementary/Middle, and Bruce Elementary, also perform below the state averages but generally outperform Ida B. Wells Academy across various academic metrics. The consistent underperformance of Ida B. Wells Academy and the nearby schools suggests a need for more targeted interventions and support to address the specific challenges faced by these schools and the district as a whole.

Students ?

6.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$29,906

Per pupil spending ?

97.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

995 S Lauderdale St
Memphis, TN 38126-5624

(901) 416-3210

District: Memphis-Shelby County Schools

Racial breakdown:

African American:

96.0%

Two or more races:

3.0%

Hispanic:

1.0%

See top rated Tennessee elementary schools

Compare Ida B. Wells Academy Elementary School/Middle School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 8th percentile in 2018 → 13th in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 5 percentile points since 2018

✓Small classes — about 6 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Tennessee average (26% vs 43% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (13th percentile)

!Social Studies scores 27 pts below the Tennessee average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school26%

District avg25%

Tennessee avg43%

Elementary school

877^th of 1,009

Tennessee public elementary schools ?

Bottom 13%▲ up 6 pts since 2018

From bottom 8% (2018) to bottom 13% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Tennessee Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

475^th of 583

Tennessee public middle schools ?

Bottom 19%▼ down 36 pts since 2017

From top 45% (2017) to bottom 19% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Tennessee Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

66^th of 120Elementary Schools in the Memphis-Shelby County Schools

135^th of 139Memphis-Shelby County Schools among Tennessee districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Elementary school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2025	15.7	877 of 1009	13.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	23.3	809 of 1018	20.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	10.7	941 of 1020	7.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	15.3	876 of 1000	12.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	17.1	821 of 983	16.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	21.7	816 of 985	17.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	12.7	922 of 997	7.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2025	32.1	341 of 498	31.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	38.3	294 of 498	41.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	24.2	386 of 500	22.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	31.9	306 of 483	36.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	31.8	258 of 411	37.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	36.1	248 of 404	38.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	24.5	366 of 450	18.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2025	13.9	883 of 986	10.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	7.5	965 of 990	2.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	10.3	936 of 989	5.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	8.7	905 of 945	4.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	9.4	897 of 926	3.1%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2025	32.1	638 of 843	24.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	22.8	732 of 853	14.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	17.7	785 of 865	9.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	15.2	809 of 858	5.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	20.7	705 of 823	14.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	23.8	710 of 821	13.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	23.1	764 of 877	12.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2019	10.8	878 of 916	4.1%	☆☆☆☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2025	19.9	475 of 583	18.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	21.4	467 of 587	20.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	12.0	534 of 594	10.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	9.6	533 of 569	6.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	10.0	519 of 576	9.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	23.0	463 of 574	19.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	24.9	446 of 563	20.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	53.3	163 of 362	55.0%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2025	37.1	183 of 312	41.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	37.0	171 of 318	46.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	23.4	241 of 316	23.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	20.2	248 of 299	17.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	21.8	218 of 277	21.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	34.6	180 of 293	38.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	42.4	137 of 284	51.8%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2025	20.8	447 of 546	18.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	14.5	484 of 554	12.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	10.0	522 of 560	6.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	12.2	492 of 552	10.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	12.1	480 of 538	10.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	25.4	419 of 529	20.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2025	41.1	290 of 490	40.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	36.2	321 of 510	37.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	21.5	431 of 514	16.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	15.1	459 of 495	7.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	19.4	419 of 483	13.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	36.8	324 of 490	33.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	48.7	229 of 481	52.4%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2023	20.9	448 of 557	19.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	18.3	449 of 523	14.1%	★☆☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Elementary school

African American (2025)32nd percentile+18 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)24th percentile+11 vs school

Female (2025)10th percentile-3 vs school

Male (2019)4th percentile-13 vs school

Middle school

African American (2025)41st percentile+23 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)41st percentile+22 vs school

Male (2023)20th percentile+9 vs school

Female (2025)18th percentile~ school

By subject vs Tennessee (2024-2025) ?

Science29%-17 vs state

Mathematics28%-15 vs state

English Language Arts25%-14 vs state

Social Studies22%-27 vs state

★

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Schools Near Ida B. Wells Academy Elementary School/Middle School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				TNReady Mathematics (2025)							TNReady English Language Arts (2025)							TNReady Science (2025)							TNReady Social Studies (2025)				Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
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 (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	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
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	98	16	6.1		0 (0.0%)	94 (95.9%)	1 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (3.1%)	15.7	877^th of 1009 public elementary schools	13.1%		23.3	809^th of 1018 public elementary schools	20.5%	68				22.2	14.3	28.6	27.6				22.2		21.4	25.0				22.2	35.7	28.6	28.9	18.5	35.7	14.3	21.8	$29,906	$1,375	$27,032
Larose Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	864 Willoughby ST	Memphis	38126	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(901) 416-7848	316	17	18.5		0 (0.0%)	307 (97.2%)	5 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.3%)	4.4	1000^th of 1009 public elementary schools	0.9%		4.5	1012^th of 1018 public elementary schools	0.6%	12	6.8	11.6	12.1				10.0	11.4	13.0	9.1				11.4	6.8	11.1	15.2				10.7					$16,651	$1,606	$13,802
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	544	37	14.7		3 (0.6%)	524 (96.3%)	5 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.7%)	8 (1.5%)	3.6	1006^th of 1009 public elementary schools	0.3%		3.5	1015^th of 1018 public elementary schools	0.3%	9	8.5		5.1					7.2		10.3				7.0		6.3	12.8				6.3					$14,480	$2,226	$11,177
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	381	32	12.0		0 (0.0%)	371 (97.4%)	6 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.0%)	7.3	973^rd of 1009 public elementary schools	3.6%		6.6	996^th of 1018 public elementary schools	2.2%	23	5.6	11.1					6.2	12.5	12.7	15.0				13.3	11.3	25.4	25.0				20.1					$7,538	$1,901	$5,271
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	267	23	11.5		0 (0.0%)	257 (96.3%)	3 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.6%)	8	962^nd of 1009 public elementary schools	4.7%		12.3	927^th of 1018 public elementary schools	8.9%	35	17.1	7.9	33.3	9.8	8.9		12.2	7.5	17.9	22.2	12.2	13.3		12.6		10.5	13.9	9.8	6.7		7.7	5.0	8.9			$15,100	$1,238	$12,674
Circles Of Success Learning Academy	Public, Charter	K-5	867 South Parkway East	Memphis	38106	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	Yes	No	No	Yes	(901) 322-7978	217	11	19.7		0 (0.0%)	216 (99.5%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20.5	836^th of 1009 public elementary schools	17.1%		8.9	970^th of 1018 public elementary schools	4.7%	134	20.7		38.5				19.8	48.3	8.0	19.2				26.3	20.7	15.4	15.4				17.3					$16,131	$1,501	$14,264
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	481	33	14.7		9 (1.9%)	402 (83.6%)	54 (11.2%)	8 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	7 (1.5%)	12.5	915^th of 1009 public elementary schools	9.3%		14.8	897^th of 1018 public elementary schools	11.9%	18		12.5	26.0				13.3	21.5	20.3	30.6				23.6	17.9	20.3	18.0				18.8					$15,528	$1,613	$12,743
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	762	44	17.3		19 (2.5%)	701 (92.0%)	11 (1.4%)	3 (0.4%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (3.3%)	17.9	861^st of 1009 public elementary schools	14.7%		10.4	947^th of 1018 public elementary schools	7.0%	86	15.9	21.6	22.3				19.8	30.2	34.3	26.9				30.2	21.4	15.7	29.2				22.6					$13,875	$1,496	$11,448
Hamilton School	Public	PK, KG-8	1478 Wilson ST	Memphis	38106	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(901) 416-7832	654	37	17.7		3 (0.5%)	586 (89.6%)	52 (8.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (2.0%)	3.1	1007^th of 1009 public elementary schools	0.2%		4.5	1011^th of 1018 public elementary schools	0.7%	4	5.8	5.6						11.9	13.0		5.2			5.1	5.8	9.3			11.6		6.3		7.0			$13,150	$1,842	$10,428
Rozelle Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	993 Roland	Memphis	38114	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(901) 416-4612	227	21	11.0		0 (0.0%)	221 (97.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (2.2%)	14.2	896^th of 1009 public elementary schools	11.2%		19.2	845^th of 1018 public elementary schools	17.0%	51	20.0	18.8	13.8				17.7	22.9	31.3	24.1				26.0	11.4	31.3	24.1				21.9					$19,287	$1,415	$16,430

Frequently Asked Questions about Ida B. Wells Academy Elementary School/Middle School

How many students attend Ida B. Wells Academy Elementary School/Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 99 students attended Ida B. Wells Academy Elementary School/Middle School.

What is the racial makeup of Ida B. Wells Academy Elementary School/Middle School?

Students at Ida B. Wells Academy Elementary School/Middle School are 96% African American, 3% Two or more races, 1% Hispanic.

Is Ida B. Wells Academy Elementary School/Middle School a good school?

Ida B. Wells Academy Elementary School/Middle School ranks in the bottom 13.1% of Tennessee elementary schools.

What district is Ida B. Wells Academy Elementary School/Middle School 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.