Melrose High

Melrose High is a public high school located in Memphis, Tennessee, serving 710 students in grades 9-12 as part of the Memphis-Shelby County Schools district. Despite increased funding, the school consistently ranks among the lowest-performing high schools in Tennessee, with significantly lower proficiency rates on state assessments compared to district and state averages across all subject areas.

Melrose High's academic struggles are reflected in its fluctuating four-year graduation rate, which has ranged from 70.4% to 89.2% in recent years, and its high dropout rate, which has reached as high as 27.4%. The school has also experienced concerning rates of chronic absenteeism, ranging from 18.9% to 68.7% in recent years. In contrast, nearby schools like White Station High, Central High, and Middle College High generally outperform Melrose High across various academic metrics, suggesting that the challenges faced by Melrose High may be more school-specific rather than solely district-wide.

While Melrose High's per-student spending has increased over the years, from $10,281 in 2020-2021 to $13,528 in 2023-2024, the school's academic performance and other key metrics have not shown significant improvement, indicating that simply increasing funding may not be the sole solution to the school's challenges. The school's student-teacher ratio, which is comparable to nearby schools and the district average, suggests that the academic struggles may be influenced by factors beyond just the student-teacher ratio, such as curriculum, instructional practices, and school culture.