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B. T. Washington High School

Q: Is B. T. Washington High School a good school?

B. T. Washington High School ranks in the bottom 22.8% of Tennessee high schools.

Q: How many students attend B. T. Washington High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 436 students attended B. T. Washington High School.

Q: What is the racial makeup of B. T. Washington High School?

Students at B. T. Washington High School are 98% African American, 2% Hispanic.

Q: What schools feed into B. T. Washington High School?

B. T. Washington High School is fed by the following schools: Elementary : Cummings Elementary/Middle School Elementary : Larose Elementary School

Public Grades 6-12

309^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 400 Tennessee High Schools

Better than 23% of Tennessee high schools

Summary

B. T. Washington High School is a public school in Memphis, TN, serving 436 students in grades 6–12 as part of Memphis-Shelby County Schools, a district ranked in the bottom 3% of Tennessee districts. The school itself has struggled in state rankings, placing 309th out of 400 Tennessee high schools in 2025–2026 — the 23rd percentile with a 1-star rating. That marks an improvement from the prior year's 16th percentile, but it remains far below its pre-pandemic performance, when it ranked in the 60th percentile in 2018–2019.

Despite the overall ranking, B. T. Washington has two meaningful strengths. Its chronic absenteeism rate was 17.9% in 2024–2025, essentially matching the state average of 18.3% and far better than the district average of 30.2%. Among nearby schools, only Middle College High School and Hollis F. Price Middle College posted lower rates. Algebra II is another bright spot: 40.4% of students scored proficient, above the district rate of 23.0% and the state rate of 37.3%, and higher than most nearby schools — only Medical District High School fared better. However, Algebra I proficiency was just 5.4%, which suggests the students reaching advanced math represent a small, successful group.

Core academic proficiency remains very low. English Language Arts proficiency was 5.9%, Biology 10.9%, Geometry 12.5%, Science 8.3%, and Social Studies 7.4% — all far below district and state averages. The graduation rate was 80.8%, below the district (84.1%) and state (90.5%), though it outperforms Hamilton High School (75.7%) and Manassas High School (75.2%). The dropout rate of 17.8% has worsened in recent years. Notably, B. T. Washington spends $17,605 per student, more than several higher-performing neighbors like Central High School, Crosstown High School, and Compass Community School Midtown Campus, yet those schools achieve dramatically better outcomes. Strong attendance suggests students are showing up; the challenge lies in translating that engagement into academic growth.

436

Students ?

11.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$17,605

Per pupil spending ?

84.9%

Directly certified for free meals (2024-25) ?

715 S Lauderdale St
Memphis, TN 38126

(901) 416-7240

District: Memphis-Shelby County Schools

Feeder schools for B. T. Washington High School:

Elementary:	Cummings Elementary/Middle School
	Larose Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

African American:

97.7%

Hispanic:

1.6%

Two or more races:

0.7%

See top rated Tennessee high schools

Compare B. T. Washington High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 23rd percentile in 2016 → 23rd in 2026

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 11 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Tennessee average (12% vs 44% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (23rd percentile)

!Graduation rate below the Tennessee average (81% vs 90%)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school12%

District avg26%

Tennessee avg44%

Middle school

591^st of 594

Tennessee public middle schools ?

Bottom 1%▬ steady since 2018

See the entire ranking list of Tennessee Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

High school

309^th of 400

Tennessee public high schools ?

Bottom 23%▬ steady since 2016

See the entire ranking list of Tennessee High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

20^th of 42High Schools in the Memphis-Shelby County Schools

137^th of 141Memphis-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)

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	3.1	591 of 594	0.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	3.4	582 of 583	0.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	4.1	591 of 594	0.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	7.2	556 of 574	3.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	4.2	559 of 563	0.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	8.5	325 of 328	0.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	8.7	312 of 312	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	11.3	315 of 316	0.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	16.6	267 of 293	8.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	11.8	277 of 284	2.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2025	5.5	538 of 546	1.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	7.5	515 of 529	2.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	6.1	477 of 478	0.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	5.8	490 of 490	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	15.6	452 of 490	7.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	8.5	476 of 481	1.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2025	3.1	550 of 550	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	5.3	555 of 560	0.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	6.7	550 of 557	1.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	7.6	518 of 529	2.1%	☆☆☆☆☆

High school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	25.3	309 of 400	22.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	19.2	328 of 389	15.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	24.7	305 of 392	22.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	23.6	314 of 384	18.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	8.9	335 of 358	6.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	42.3	181 of 347	47.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	49.5	138 of 342	59.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	45.0	168 of 341	50.7%	★★★☆☆
2016	27.0	272 of 351	22.5%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	30.2	161 of 230	30.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	27.3	174 of 233	25.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	36.6	132 of 240	45.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	24.9	183 of 239	23.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	15.9	201 of 222	9.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	45.1	98 of 208	52.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	57.1	49 of 187	73.8%	★★★★☆
2018	60.3	44 of 199	77.9%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2025	20.8	310 of 365	15.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	22.5	297 of 365	18.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	25.3	284 of 366	22.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	13.2	309 of 350	11.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	27.2	260 of 340	23.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	62.1	84 of 337	75.1%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	25.6	251 of 308	18.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	19.9	284 of 324	12.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	42.9	181 of 337	46.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	43.2	170 of 330	48.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	16.4	293 of 322	9.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	33.6	218 of 317	31.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	76.0	24 of 302	92.1%	★★★★★
2018	50.3	107 of 308	65.3%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2025	16.2	325 of 368	11.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	32.7	242 of 366	33.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	23.2	285 of 359	20.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	56.0	104 of 329	68.4%	★★★☆☆

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)

Middle school

Female (2025)1st percentile~ school

African American (2026)1st percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)<1st percentile~ school

Male (2025)<1st percentile~ school

High school

African American (2026)30th percentile+7 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)19th percentile-4 vs school

Female (2025)15th percentile~ school

Male (2025)12th percentile-4 vs school

By subject vs Tennessee (2025-2026) ?

Algebra II40%+3 vs state

English II21%-37 vs state

Geometry12%-30 vs state

Biology I11%-39 vs state

Science8%-39 vs state

Social Studies7%-44 vs state

English Language Arts6%-35 vs state

Algebra I5%-27 vs state

★

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Schools Near B. T. Washington High School

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				TNReady Mathematics (2026)				TNReady English Language Arts (2026)				TNReady Algebra I (2026)						TNReady Algebra II (2026)					TNReady Biology I (2026)					TNReady Integrated Math I (2026)		TNReady Integrated Math II (2026)					TNReady Integrated Math III (2026)					TNReady US History (2026)					TNReady English I (2026)					TNReady English II (2026)					TNReady Geometry (2026)					TNReady Science (2026)				TNReady Social Studies (2026)				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	Directly certified (2024-25)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	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 9th Grade	TNReady Algebra I 10th Grade	TNReady Algebra I 11th Grade	TNReady Algebra I 12th Grade	TNReady Algebra I All Grades	TNReady Algebra II 9th Grade	TNReady Algebra II 10th Grade	TNReady Algebra II 11th Grade	TNReady Algebra II 12th Grade	TNReady Algebra II All Grades	TNReady Biology I 9th Grade	TNReady Biology I 10th Grade	TNReady Biology I 11th Grade	TNReady Biology I 12th Grade	TNReady Biology I All Grades	TNReady Integrated Math I 9th Grade	TNReady Integrated Math I All Grades	TNReady Integrated Math II 9th Grade	TNReady Integrated Math II 10th Grade	TNReady Integrated Math II 11th Grade	TNReady Integrated Math II 12th Grade	TNReady Integrated Math II All Grades	TNReady Integrated Math III 9th Grade	TNReady Integrated Math III 10th Grade	TNReady Integrated Math III 11th Grade	TNReady Integrated Math III 12th Grade	TNReady Integrated Math III All Grades	TNReady US History 9th Grade	TNReady US History 10th Grade	TNReady US History 11th Grade	TNReady US History 12th Grade	TNReady US History All Grades	TNReady English I 8th Grade	TNReady English I 9th Grade	TNReady English I 10th Grade	TNReady English I 12th Grade	TNReady English I All Grades	TNReady English II 9th Grade	TNReady English II 10th Grade	TNReady English II 11th Grade	TNReady English II 12th Grade	TNReady English II All Grades	TNReady Geometry 9th Grade	TNReady Geometry 10th Grade	TNReady Geometry 11th Grade	TNReady Geometry 12th Grade	TNReady Geometry 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
B. T. Washington High School	Public	6-12	715 S Lauderdale St	Memphis	38126	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(901) 416-7240	454	40	11.3	84.9%	0 (0.0%)	444 (97.8%)	6 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.9%)	25.3	309^th of 400 public high schools	22.8%		19.2	328^th of 389 public high schools	15.7%	19	6.9	< 5%	< 5%	< 5%	10.3	5.5	< 5%	5.9		5.6				5.4			43.2	40.0	40.4			16.2	< 5%	10.9																			< 5%			< 5%		21.7			20.8		13.3			12.5	10.3	7.3		8.3	7.1	7.3	7.7	7.4	$17,605	$1,757	$14,389
Medical District High School	Public	9-12	737 Union Avenue	Memphis	38103	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	No	No	No	No	(901) 416-9698	111	10	11.5	45.9%	5 (4.5%)	89 (80.2%)	13 (11.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (3.6%)	54.7	160^th of 400 public high schools	60.0%		65.1	93^rd of 389 public high schools	76.1%	67										20.0				20.0			40.0		50.0	43.5				43.5																			13.0			13.0		86.2			86.2		48.0			50.0									$16,088	$1,046	$14,676
Hollis F. Price Middle College	Public	9-12	807 Walker Ave	Memphis	38126	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(901) 435-1765	105	10	10.9	59.4%	0 (0.0%)	96 (91.4%)	6 (5.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.9%)	22.2	326^th of 400 public high schools	18.5%		35.1	246^th of 389 public high schools	36.8%	80										6.3				6.3		5.6			< 5%	41.2				40.0																			5.9			5.9		42.1			42.1			25.9		28.6									$22,539	$1,300	$20,872
Soulsville Charter School	Public, Charter	6-12	1115 College Street	Memphis	38106	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	Yes	No	No	Yes	(901) 261-6366	656	59	11.0	72.2%	1 (0.2%)	633 (96.5%)	4 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (2.7%)	14	358^th of 400 public high schools	10.5%		20	322^nd of 389 public high schools	17.2%	36	9.1	22.8	21.3	17.9	11.1	18.8	15.7	15.3												23.1	< 5%			20.6	8.7	8.7		14.0			13.8			< 5%		< 5%			8.0		9.4		13.2			13.2		31.2			31.2						20.2	27.7	28.7	25.6	39.4	48.5	34.3	40.6	$18,101	$1,463	$15,785
Central High School	Public, Magnet	9-12	306 S Bellevue Blvd	Memphis	38104	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(901) 416-4500	1,300	79	16.4	54.7%	45 (3.5%)	1,086 (83.5%)	99 (7.6%)	13 (1.0%)	3 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	54 (4.2%)	30	286^th of 400 public high schools	28.5%		22.1	317^th of 389 public high schools	18.5%	31										18.4				18.0		47.6	23.2	10.0	24.7	51.9	21.8	13.3		29.2															31.8	21.1	29.5		15.7			15.7		38.3			38.0	76.2	34.3	62.2		40.4									$12,857	$1,348	$10,898
Memphis Academy Of Science Engineering Middle/High	Public, Charter	6-12	1266 Poplar Ave	Memphis	38104	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	Yes	No	No	Yes	(901) 333-1580	696	48	14.4	60.3%	1 (0.1%)	633 (90.9%)	47 (6.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (2.2%)	29.1	290^th of 400 public high schools	27.5%		16.1	342^nd of 389 public high schools	12.1%	52	13.5	12.3	20.5	15.5	27.2	18.5	9.0	18.3		16.2				16.1			24.0		25.0		25.6			30.3														31.0	26.3		30.4		26.3			26.3		42.5			42.1		22.7			22.2	23.6	25.0	15.9	21.4	37.1	27.5	31.8	32.3	$17,299	$1,623	$15,310
Crosstown High School	Public, Charter	9-12	1365 Tower Avenue	Memphis	38104	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	Yes	No	No	Yes	(901) 401-5505	499	36	13.7	41.5%	153 (30.7%)	266 (53.3%)	57 (11.4%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (4.0%)	55.9	150^th of 400 public high schools	62.5%		54.9	150^th of 389 public high schools	61.4%											11.0				10.9						50.0	46.9			46.5			81.0	21.6			30.4		84.6	36.0		40.9							44.9			44.9		65.6			65.9														$14,982	$1,175	$13,440
Hamilton High School	Public	9-12	1363 E Person Ave	Memphis	38106	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(901) 416-7838	647	32	20.4	76.1%	1 (0.2%)	592 (91.5%)	34 (5.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (3.1%)	7.8	387^th of 400 public high schools	3.3%		5.2	388^th of 389 public high schools	0.3%	1										5.0				5.6		18.8	7.4	< 5%	8.1		< 5%	12.3		9.4																	< 5%		< 5%			< 5%	9.1	11.9			12.1		< 5%	< 5%		< 5%									$14,949	$2,304	$11,585
Compass Community School Midtown Campus	Public, Charter	9-12	61 N. McLean Boulevard	Memphis	38104	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	Yes	No	No	Yes	(901) 276-1221	356	31	11.6	55.0%	10 (2.8%)	115 (32.3%)	221 (62.1%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.5%)	37.6	250^th of 400 public high schools	37.5%		37.8	229^th of 389 public high schools	41.1%	21										15.8				15.7			26.9		27.5			47.9		47.2															50.0		47.6		15.8			15.5		35.4			33.0		29.2			29.0									$13,992	$1,421	$12,205
Manassas High School	Public	9-12	1111 N Manassas St	Memphis	38107	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(901) 416-3244	362	16	22.9	77.5%	4 (1.1%)	338 (93.4%)	7 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (3.3%)	27.2	298^th of 400 public high schools	25.5%		14.9	345^th of 389 public high schools	11.3%	47										19.4				18.4		10.9	30.8		20.2		35.5	27.3		33.7																			< 5%			< 5%		20.3			19.0		22.2	19.2		22.6									$16,426	$1,954	$13,219

Frequently Asked Questions about B. T. Washington High School

What district is B. T. Washington High School in?

Memphis-Shelby County Schools

How many students attend B. T. Washington High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 436 students attended B. T. Washington High School.

What is the racial makeup of B. T. Washington High School?

Students at B. T. Washington High School are 98% African American, 2% Hispanic.

Is B. T. Washington High School a good school?

B. T. Washington High School ranks in the bottom 22.8% of Tennessee high schools.

What schools feed into B. T. Washington High School?

B. T. Washington High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Cummings Elementary/Middle School
Elementary : Larose Elementary School

Rate B. T. Washington High School!

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Latest Tennessee data All new data »

2025–26 TNReady test scoresAug 25, 2026

2024–25 dropout ratesApr 2, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataFeb 27, 2026

2024–25 attendance dataDec 18, 2025

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.