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Cummings Elementary/Middle School

Q: Is Cummings Elementary/Middle School a good school?

Cummings Elementary/Middle School ranks in the bottom 2.4% of Tennessee elementary schools.

Q: How many students attend Cummings Elementary/Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 379 students attended Cummings Elementary/Middle School.

Q: What is the racial makeup of Cummings Elementary/Middle School?

Students at Cummings Elementary/Middle School are 98% African American.

Public, Magnet Grades PK, KG-8

995^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,019 Tennessee Elementary Schools

Better than 2% of Tennessee elementary schools

Summary

Cummings Elementary/Middle School in Memphis, TN, serves 379 students in grades PK-8 and is part of Memphis-Shelby County Schools, one of Tennessee's lowest-performing districts. Cummings has fallen to the 2nd percentile statewide (995th of 1,019 Tennessee schools) in 2025-26, down from the 10th percentile in 2022-23, and now posts some of the lowest proficiency rates in its immediate cluster of nearby schools.

Academic proficiency at Cummings is extremely low across every subject, with 5.6% of students proficient in math, 10.9% in English Language Arts, 9.3% in science, and 11.8% in social studies in 2025-26. Nearby schools dramatically outperform Cummings: Rozelle Elementary School posted 28.7% math proficiency and 43.7% ELA proficiency, while Ida B. Wells Academy Elementary School/Middle School posted 26.8% math and 31.0% ELA. The school's effectiveness for key student groups has also declined: African American students fell from the 25th percentile to the 7th percentile statewide between 2023-24 and 2025-26, and low socioeconomic status students dropped from the 11th percentile to the 2nd percentile. To make matters worse, proficiency has fallen sharply from prior years—math dropped from 15.3% to 5.6% and ELA from 17.4% to 10.9%—even as attendance has improved.

Chronic absenteeism is a defining challenge at Cummings. In 2024-25, the school reported a 48.7% chronic absenteeism rate, compared to 30.2% for the district and 18.3% statewide. Schools with lower absenteeism—Peabody Elementary School at 13.9%, Ida B. Wells at 20.7%, and Rozelle at 25.2%—are also the area's strongest performers. Cummings spends roughly $15,100 per student, which is more than Memphis Delta Preparatory School ($7,538) and Hamilton School ($13,150), yet its test scores are generally lower or comparable. The comparison to Ida B. Wells is particularly revealing: both schools serve similar grade spans and sit about a mile apart, yet Ida B. Wells achieves dramatically higher proficiency in math (26.8% vs. 5.6%) and ELA (31.0% vs. 10.9%) with a chronic absenteeism rate less than half of Cummings' (20.7% vs. 48.7%). Better outcomes are clearly possible in the same neighborhood, making urgent targeted intervention at Cummings especially important.

379

Students ?

11.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

82.3%

Directly certified for free meals (2024-25) ?

1037 Cummings St
Memphis, TN 38106

(901) 416-7810

District: Memphis-Shelby County Schools

Students who attend Cummings Elementary/Middle School usually attend:

High:

B. T. Washington High School

Racial breakdown:

African American:

98.2%

Hispanic:

0.8%

Two or more races:

0.8%

See top rated Tennessee elementary schools

Compare Cummings Elementary/Middle School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 6th percentile in 2018 → 2nd in 2026

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 12 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Tennessee average (9% vs 45% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (2nd percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (49% vs 18% Tennessee)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school9%

District avg26%

Tennessee avg45%

Elementary school

995^th of 1,019

Tennessee public elementary schools ?

Bottom 2%▼ down 4 pts since 2018

From bottom 6% (2018) to bottom 2% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Tennessee Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

582^nd of 594

Tennessee public middle schools ?

Bottom 2%▬ steady since 2018

See the entire ranking list of Tennessee Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

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)

Elementary school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	5.6	995 of 1019	2.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	8.0	962 of 1009	4.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	12.3	927 of 1018	8.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	12.7	922 of 1020	9.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	12.1	919 of 1000	8.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	11.4	925 of 985	6.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	11.3	936 of 997	6.1%	☆☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	13.6	461 of 498	7.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	17.5	443 of 498	11.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	25.7	374 of 498	24.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	25.4	377 of 500	24.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	26.4	363 of 483	24.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	23.4	327 of 404	19.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	24.9	359 of 450	20.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2025	8.6	949 of 986	3.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	14.1	883 of 990	10.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	12.0	908 of 989	8.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	13.8	874 of 975	10.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	5.7	943 of 945	0.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	14.3	850 of 926	8.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	10.0	810 of 823	1.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	15.5	792 of 843	6.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	19.8	760 of 853	10.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	21.7	741 of 865	14.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	24.4	715 of 858	16.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	18.9	749 of 821	8.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	28.5	698 of 877	20.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2025	12.1	908 of 984	7.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	13.1	902 of 991	9.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	16.5	856 of 987	13.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	9.1	947 of 980	3.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	11.7	871 of 916	4.9%	☆☆☆☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	5.0	582 of 594	2.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	5.2	575 of 583	1.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	11.6	526 of 587	10.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	7.0	575 of 594	3.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	5.6	567 of 569	0.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	6.1	569 of 574	0.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	5.8	551 of 563	2.1%	☆☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	12.4	313 of 328	4.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	12.8	297 of 312	4.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	24.2	243 of 318	23.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	16.1	296 of 316	6.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	15.3	283 of 299	5.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	13.8	290 of 293	1.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	15.5	266 of 284	6.3%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2025	6.5	533 of 546	2.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	11.8	506 of 554	8.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	6.8	550 of 560	1.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	5.8	550 of 552	0.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	7.4	519 of 529	1.9%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	8.2	471 of 478	1.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	12.8	465 of 490	5.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	26.3	398 of 510	22.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	11.8	493 of 514	4.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	12.4	470 of 495	5.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	9.5	486 of 490	0.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	12.7	457 of 481	5.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2025	8.4	527 of 550	4.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	20.4	454 of 560	18.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	10.2	523 of 557	6.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	7.9	526 of 540	2.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

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

Male (2025)8th percentile+3 vs school

African American (2026)7th percentile+5 vs school

Female (2025)4th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)2nd percentile~ school

Middle school

African American (2026)5th percentile+3 vs school

Male (2025)4th percentile+3 vs school

Female (2025)2nd percentile~ school

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

By subject vs Tennessee (2025-2026) ?

Social Studies12%-40 vs state

English Language Arts11%-30 vs state

Science9%-38 vs state

Mathematics6%-37 vs state

★

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Schools Near Cummings Elementary/Middle 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 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 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
Cummings Elementary/Middle School	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	82.3%	0 (0.0%)	257 (96.3%)	3 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.6%)	5.6	995^th of 1019 public elementary schools	2.4%		8	962^nd of 1009 public elementary schools	4.7%	33	8.3	< 5%	11.1	7.3	< 5%	< 5%	5.6	13.9	< 5%	11.4	13.0	13.2	8.9	10.9	19.4	< 5%	16.7	7.1	7.4	7.0	9.3	8.9	13.0	14.0	11.8	$15,100	$1,238	$12,674
Memphis Delta Preparatory School	Public, Charter	K-5	1237 College Street	Memphis	38106	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	Yes	No	No	Yes	(901) 251-1010	381	32	12.0	86.3%	0 (0.0%)	371 (97.4%)	6 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.0%)	6.9	978^th of 1019 public elementary schools	4.0%		7.3	973^rd of 1009 public elementary schools	3.6%	5	9.8	11.9	15.9				12.7	17.6	9.0	16.4				14.0	23.5	10.4	21.0				17.8					$7,538	$1,901	$5,271
Circles Of Success Learning Academy	Public, Charter	K-5	1299 E. McLemore	Memphis	38106	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	Yes	No	No	Yes	(901) 322-7978	217	11	19.7	78.5%	0 (0.0%)	216 (99.5%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	28	774^th of 1019 public elementary schools	24.0%		20.5	836^th of 1009 public elementary schools	17.1%	62	27.3	< 5%	48.0				25.0	51.5	36.7	16.0				36.4	30.3	6.7	8.0				15.9					$16,131	$1,501	$14,264
Bruce Elementary School	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	62.5%	9 (1.9%)	402 (83.6%)	54 (11.2%)	8 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	7 (1.5%)	17	878^th of 1019 public elementary schools	13.8%		12.5	915^th of 1009 public elementary schools	9.3%	37	19.4	14.3	40.8				23.5	20.9	22.2	24.0				22.2	26.9	23.4	36.0				28.2					$15,528	$1,613	$12,743
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	83.8%	0 (0.0%)	94 (95.9%)	1 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (3.1%)	33.2	719^th of 1019 public elementary schools	29.4%		15.7	877^th of 1009 public elementary schools	13.1%	158				40.0	18.2	25.0	26.8				13.3	36.4	8.3	31.0				33.3	27.3	25.0	32.9	40.0	72.7	16.7	49.0	$29,906	$1,375	$27,032
Rozelle Elementary School	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	68.0%	0 (0.0%)	221 (97.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (2.2%)	38.7	649^th of 1019 public elementary schools	36.3%		14.2	896^th of 1009 public elementary schools	11.2%	247	25.9	34.5	25.8				28.7	37.0	51.7	41.9				43.7	33.3	51.7	38.7				41.4					$19,287	$1,415	$16,430
Hamilton School	Public	K-8	1478 Wilson Street	Memphis	38106	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(901) 416-7832	654	37	17.7	78.0%	3 (0.5%)	586 (89.6%)	52 (8.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (2.0%)	2.6	1019^th of 1019 public elementary schools	0.0%		3.1	1007^th of 1009 public elementary schools	0.2%	12	< 5%	7.3	< 5%	< 5%	6.6	5.2	< 5%	11.3	7.5	5.4	< 5%	< 5%	< 5%	5.4	< 5%	9.1	< 5%	< 5%	< 5%	5.3	< 5%	< 5%	< 5%	5.2	< 5%	$13,150	$1,842	$10,428
Larose Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	864 Willoughby Street	Memphis	38126	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(901) 416-7848	316	17	18.5	78.9%	0 (0.0%)	307 (97.2%)	5 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.3%)	5.9	989^th of 1019 public elementary schools	2.9%		4.4	1000^th of 1009 public elementary schools	0.9%	11	8.9	6.5	14.9				10.1	14.0	8.7	14.9				12.7	17.2	< 5%	19.1				13.9					$16,651	$1,606	$13,802
A. B. Hill Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	345 East Olive Avenue	Memphis	38106	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(901) 416-7844	544	37	14.7	80.2%	3 (0.6%)	524 (96.3%)	5 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.7%)	8 (1.5%)	2.6	1018^th of 1019 public elementary schools	0.1%		3.6	1006^th of 1009 public elementary schools	0.3%	12	< 5%	< 5%	< 5%				< 5%	12.3	5.2	< 5%				5.6	7.0	12.1	< 5%				6.3					$14,480	$2,226	$11,177
Memphis College Preparatory School	Public, Charter	K-5	1500 Dunn Avenue	Memphis	38106	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	Yes	No	No	Yes	(901) 620-6475	239	14	17.7	78.4%	1 (0.4%)	226 (94.6%)	8 (3.3%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	2 (0.8%)	6.2	984^th of 1019 public elementary schools	3.4%		4.3	1001^st of 1009 public elementary schools	0.8%	17	18.2	13.0	7.3				12.5	24.2	20.0	12.2				18.5	12.1	10.9	9.8				10.8					$15,486	$1,477	$13,643

Frequently Asked Questions about Cummings Elementary/Middle School

What schools do graduates of Cummings Elementary/Middle School attend?

Students who attend Cummings Elementary/Middle School usually go on to attend:

High : B. T. Washington High School

How many students attend Cummings Elementary/Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 379 students attended Cummings Elementary/Middle School.

What district is Cummings Elementary/Middle School in?

Memphis-Shelby County Schools

What is the racial makeup of Cummings Elementary/Middle School?

Students at Cummings Elementary/Middle School are 98% African American.

Is Cummings Elementary/Middle School a good school?

Cummings Elementary/Middle School ranks in the bottom 2.4% of Tennessee elementary schools.

Rate Cummings Elementary/Middle School!

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Latest Tennessee data All new data »

2025–26 graduation ratesNewOct 29, 2026

2025–26 TNReady test scoresAug 25, 2026

2024–25 dropout ratesApr 2, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataFeb 27, 2026

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.