Levi Elementary School

Levi Elementary School is a PK–5 school in Memphis, Tennessee, serving 454 students within the Memphis-Shelby County Schools district, a district that ranks near the bottom of the state. The school’s performance has been deeply concerning, with a 0-star rating and a state rank in the bottom 1% of Tennessee elementary schools. In 2025–2026, only 11.5% of students were proficient in math, 14.7% in English language arts, and 12.6% in science—far below state averages of 43%, 40.6%, and 46.9%. Perhaps most striking is the chronic absenteeism rate of 52.7%, meaning more than half of students miss significant school days. That rate is nearly double the district average and more than six times higher than J.P. Freeman Elementary/Middle School, a nearby school with just 8.4% chronic absenteeism and proficiency rates above 50% in all core subjects.

Levi’s test scores trail several neighboring schools by enormous margins. For example, Whitehaven Elementary achieves math proficiency at 34.5% and ELA at 44.1%, while J.P. Freeman reaches 54.9% in math and 56.6% in ELA. Even Freedom Prep Elementary - Millbranch School, less than four miles away, posts math proficiency at 37.2% and ELA at 48.2%. Levi’s math proficiency is less than one-third of Whitehaven’s and about one-fifth of J.P. Freeman’s. Spending does not explain the gap—Levi spends $14,418 per student, which is mid-range compared with nearby schools. Some lower-spending schools outperform Levi, while higher-spending schools like Double Tree Elementary perform just as poorly, suggesting that funding alone is not the answer.

What makes Levi unique is its dramatic decline. As recently as 2018–2019, the school ranked in the 53rd percentile with a 3-star rating, but it collapsed to the 6th percentile by 2021–2022 and has stayed in the bottom 2–6% ever since. There are small signs of improvement—math proficiency rose from 6.7% to 11.5% and chronic absenteeism dropped from 59.4% to 52.7% over two years—but absolute levels remain extraordinarily low. The most urgent focus for Levi must be attendance; with over half of students chronically absent, no curriculum or funding increase can work effectively. Grade-level data also shows 4th graders outperforming 3rd and 5th graders, which may point to a strong teacher or targeted intervention worth investigating. The contrast with J.P. Freeman, just three miles away, proves that high achievement is possible in the same area—but only with a comprehensive strategy centered on attendance, instruction, and student support.