Robert R. Church Elementary School

Robert R. Church Elementary School serves 596 students in grades PK-5 in Memphis, TN, within the Memphis-Shelby County Schools district, and recently posted its best statewide ranking in years — climbing from the 10th percentile to the 28th percentile. The school's test scores now beat the district average by wide margins in every subject: math proficiency is 31.3% versus 22.1% for the district, ELA is 37.9% versus 24.6%, and science is 35.5% versus 28.4%. While Church still trails the state average, especially in math and science, it is one of the stronger traditional neighborhood schools in its area.

Church sits in the upper-middle of a highly variable local cluster. It clearly outperforms several nearby schools, including Winchester Elementary, where just 11.3% of students are proficient in math and 11.2% in ELA, and Gardenview Elementary, which posts 14.5% math and 17.4% ELA proficiency. However, it trails a few neighbors like Whitehaven Elementary and Oakhaven Elementary, which both post proficiency rates above 44% in math. Notably, Church achieves these results while spending less per student ($14,209) than many nearby schools — and it outperforms Southern Avenue Charter School Of Academic Excellence Creati, which spends over $29,000 per student.

The school's improvement has been dramatic. Math proficiency nearly tripled from 12.7% to 31.3% in a single year, and science proficiency more than doubled. The school's results for African American and low-income students also improved sharply in the latest year. However, two concerns stand out. Chronic absenteeism affects 37.8% of students — about double the state rate, though down sharply from 53.1% two years ago. And proficiency declines as students move from 3rd to 5th grade, with the school's advantage over the district nearly disappearing by 5th grade. If Church can keep improving attendance and sustain academic momentum into upper elementary, it may keep climbing.