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Dexter School

Public Grades PK, KG-8

923^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,019 Tennessee Elementary Schools

Better than 9% of Tennessee elementary schools

Summary

Dexter School is a large PK-8 school in Cordova, Tennessee, serving 1,509 students within the Memphis-Shelby County Schools district. Overall academic performance is well below both district and state averages, with math proficiency at 14.8%, English language arts at 19.4%, and science at 24.3% — compared to state averages near 43%, 41%, and 47% respectively. Within the local area, Dexter is essentially tied with Beacon College Preparatory School as the lowest-performing school among nearby options. The contrast is stark: Richland Elementary School posts math proficiency near 69%, and Riverwood Elementary School and Memphis School of Excellence Elementary Cordova both reach the mid-to-upper 40s.

There are genuine bright spots. Social studies is a clear strength, with all-grades proficiency at 47.6% — close to the state average and far above the district's 28.7%. Notably, 7th grade social studies proficiency hits 59.9%, actually exceeding the state average, while 8th grade social studies (51.9%) and 8th grade science (40.0%) also outperform the district by wide margins. English Language Learner students are another positive signal, ranking in the 54th percentile statewide with a 3-star rating. However, special education outcomes are a major concern, with these students ranking in the bottom 5-7% of schools statewide serving similar populations. This dramatic gap suggests the school has found effective supports for some high-need groups but not others.

Chronic absenteeism has more than doubled since 2020-2021, rising from 11.1% to 25.6% — meaning about one in four students is now chronically absent. While that's better than the district rate of 30.2%, it's far worse than high-achieving nearby schools like Richland Elementary at 7.4% and Oak Elementary School at 10.3%. Spending is not the issue: at roughly $13,955 per student, Dexter spends nearly the same as Richland ($14,373) and Riverwood ($13,968). The school's challenges likely stem more from attendance, special education support, and overall instructional effectiveness than from a lack of resources.

1,509

Students ?

16.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$13,955

Per pupil spending ?

75.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

7105 Dexter Road
Cordova, TN 38016

(901) 416-0355

District: Memphis-Shelby County Schools

Racial breakdown:

African American:

74.8%

Hispanic:

16.0%

White:

6.4%

See top rated Tennessee elementary schools

Compare Dexter School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 22nd percentile in 2018 → 9th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Tennessee average (23% vs 45% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (9th percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (26% vs 18% Tennessee)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school23%

District avg26%

Tennessee avg45%

Elementary school

923^rd of 1,019

Tennessee public elementary schools ?

Bottom 9%▼ down 13 pts since 2018

From bottom 22% (2018) to bottom 9% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Tennessee Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

451^st of 594

Tennessee public middle schools ?

Bottom 24%▲ up 9 pts since 2023

From bottom 15% (2023) to bottom 24% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Tennessee Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

76^th of 120Elementary 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)

Elementary school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	11.7	923 of 1019	9.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	13.1	911 of 1009	9.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	16.1	883 of 1018	13.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	12.3	926 of 1020	9.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	16.3	858 of 1000	14.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	12.6	873 of 983	11.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	30.6	705 of 985	28.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	25.4	774 of 997	22.4%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	22.7	399 of 498	19.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	24.5	391 of 498	21.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	26.2	372 of 498	25.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	20.3	426 of 500	14.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	27.4	351 of 483	27.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	20.4	362 of 411	11.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	49.8	164 of 404	59.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	39.0	243 of 450	46.0%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2025	46.7	98 of 211	53.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	54.2	56 of 178	68.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	39.7	99 of 164	39.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	32.4	123 of 165	25.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	38.8	64 of 101	36.6%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2025	11.7	912 of 986	7.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	13.9	886 of 990	10.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	14.4	888 of 989	10.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	22.0	772 of 975	20.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	16.2	805 of 945	14.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	26.7	726 of 926	21.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	29.9	340 of 458	25.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	30.8	304 of 424	28.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	41.3	245 of 415	41.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	29.7	292 of 387	24.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	38.0	222 of 363	38.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	46.0	152 of 324	53.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	55.9	73 of 250	70.8%	★★★★☆
2018	41.0	185 of 319	42.0%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	22.6	694 of 823	15.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	27.5	682 of 843	19.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	22.2	737 of 853	13.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	17.8	782 of 865	9.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	17.6	792 of 858	7.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	15.4	773 of 823	6.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	50.0	373 of 821	54.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	42.0	516 of 877	41.2%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2025	15.7	868 of 984	11.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	19.1	835 of 991	15.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	10.9	929 of 987	5.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	10.6	925 of 980	5.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	10.5	870 of 941	7.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	35.2	600 of 916	34.5%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	17.2	615 of 641	4.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	18.3	590 of 618	4.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	19.9	541 of 582	7.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	17.1	504 of 528	4.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	25.9	681 of 849	19.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	17.6	761 of 840	9.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	34.3	572 of 847	32.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	41.7	489 of 852	42.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	15.8	789 of 844	6.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	20.1	714 of 812	12.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	46.5	420 of 841	50.1%	★★★☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	26.8	451 of 594	24.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	19.9	474 of 583	18.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	20.6	471 of 587	19.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	15.9	504 of 594	15.2%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	35.8	200 of 328	39.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	25.2	236 of 312	24.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	26.6	233 of 318	26.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	26.4	228 of 316	27.8%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2025	87.1	5 of 100	95.0%	★★★★★
2024	68.5	13 of 73	82.2%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2025	27.8	410 of 546	24.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	23.5	435 of 554	21.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	17.2	473 of 560	15.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	54.6	119 of 302	60.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	47.9	141 of 286	50.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	46.2	142 of 285	50.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	34.8	181 of 285	36.5%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	44.5	258 of 478	46.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	31.0	359 of 490	26.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	28.1	382 of 510	25.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	23.2	422 of 514	17.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2025	17.3	471 of 550	14.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	19.1	464 of 560	17.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	15.2	489 of 557	12.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	29.3	258 of 349	26.1%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2024	25.7	396 of 504	21.4%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Elementary school

English Language Learner (2025)54th percentile+44 vs school

Hispanic (2026)26th percentile+16 vs school

African American (2026)20th percentile+10 vs school

White (2026)20th percentile+10 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)16th percentile+6 vs school

Male (2025)12th percentile~ school

Female (2025)8th percentile~ school

Special Education (2026)4th percentile-5 vs school

Middle school

English Language Learner (2025)95th percentile+76 vs school

Hispanic (2026)61st percentile+37 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)46th percentile+22 vs school

African American (2026)39th percentile+15 vs school

Special Education (2026)26th percentile~ school

Female (2025)25th percentile+6 vs school

White (2024)21st percentile~ school

Male (2025)14th percentile-4 vs school

By subject vs Tennessee (2025-2026) ?

Social Studies48%-4 vs state

Science24%-23 vs state

English Language Arts19%-21 vs state

Mathematics15%-28 vs state

★

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Schools Near Dexter 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	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	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 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
Dexter School	Public	PK, KG-8	7105 Dexter Road	Cordova	38016	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(901) 416-0355	1,490	90	16.5		106 (7.1%)	1,065 (71.5%)	252 (16.9%)	14 (0.9%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.1%)	50 (3.4%)	11.7	923^rd of 1019 public elementary schools	9.4%		13.1	911^th of 1009 public elementary schools	9.7%	12	17.2	15.4	12.7	16.1	23.0	14.8	23.9	29.4	18.0	14.1	16.1	11.9	19.4	22.1	27.4	16.9	16.2	24.1	40.0	24.3	31.7	59.9	51.9	47.6	$13,955	$1,727	$11,429
Shelby Oaks Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	6053 Summer Ave	Memphis	38134	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(901) 416-4305	764	46	16.6		67 (8.8%)	504 (66.0%)	161 (21.1%)	7 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	23 (3.0%)	37.3	670^th of 1019 public elementary schools	34.2%		21.2	831^st of 1009 public elementary schools	17.6%	161	49.1	21.1	25.0			31.9	48.1	20.4	42.0				36.7	52.8	14.7	41.0				36.0					$14,120	$1,480	$11,615
Memphis School of Excellence Elementary Cordova	Public, Charter	K-5	8350 Macon Road	Cordova	38018	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	Yes	No	No	Yes	(901) 707-8146	317	22	14.7		24 (7.6%)	226 (71.3%)	54 (17.0%)	3 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (3.2%)	53.5	457^th of 1019 public elementary schools	55.2%		24.2	801^st of 1009 public elementary schools	20.6%	344	51.0	51.1	37.2			44.9	47.1	44.7	42.3				44.3	51.0	42.6	46.2				46.6					$14,404	$1,339	$12,699
Kate Bond Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2727 Kate Bond Road	Bartlett	38133	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(901) 416-0020	787	53	14.8		84 (10.7%)	342 (43.5%)	333 (42.3%)	9 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (2.4%)	23.5	818^th of 1019 public elementary schools	19.7%		27.9	756^th of 1009 public elementary schools	25.1%	62	21.5	20.9	29.6			23.9	35.9	20.7	22.9				27.1	40.3	34.5	34.3				36.6					$15,175	$1,785	$12,527
Riverwood Elementary School	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	1330 Stern Ln	Cordova	38016	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(901) 416-2310	1,018	58	17.6		116 (11.4%)	654 (64.2%)	156 (15.3%)	25 (2.5%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	66 (6.5%)	55	439^th of 1019 public elementary schools	56.9%		48.9	499^th of 1009 public elementary schools	50.5%	60	50.0	50.3	39.4			47.0	52.1	50.7	45.1				49.6	40.4	48.0	39.8				42.8					$13,968	$1,300	$11,900
Chimneyrock Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	8601 Chimneyrock Blvd	Cordova	38016	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(901) 416-2067	931	49	19.0		84 (9.0%)	615 (66.1%)	182 (19.5%)	8 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	41 (4.4%)	29.9	753^rd of 1019 public elementary schools	26.1%		41.3	591^st of 1009 public elementary schools	41.4%	162	25.8	55.2	17.0			33.6	30.6	46.0	24.5				34.3	22.5	43.7	26.4				31.3					$14,699	$1,628	$12,170
Altruria Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	6641 Deermont Drive	Bartlett	38134	Shelby County	Bartlett City Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(901) 373-2600	763	50	15.3		505 (66.2%)	119 (15.6%)	62 (8.1%)	18 (2.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	59 (7.7%)	75.9	191^st of 1019 public elementary schools	81.3%		75.7	189^th of 1009 public elementary schools	81.3%	2	59.1	63.0	62.4			61.6	58.7	52.0	51.1				53.7	52.3	60.6	58.6				57.4					$13,779	$888	$12,414
Cordova Elementary School	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	750 N Sanga Rd	Cordova	38018	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(901) 416-1700	783	50	15.7		74 (9.5%)	554 (70.8%)	107 (13.7%)	6 (0.8%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	40 (5.1%)	30.3	750^th of 1019 public elementary schools	26.4%		27.2	764^th of 1009 public elementary schools	24.3%	14	23.0	28.6	23.2			25.1	37.2	45.8	30.3				38.3	34.5	42.5	35.4				37.7					$14,463	$1,656	$11,794
Richland Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	5440 Rich Rd	Memphis	38120	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	No	No	No	No	(901) 416-2148	911	57	15.9		464 (50.9%)	289 (31.7%)	67 (7.4%)	46 (5.0%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	44 (4.8%)	89.1	96^th of 1019 public elementary schools	90.6%		91.6	77^th of 1009 public elementary schools	92.4%	19	60.8	68.1	81.1			69.3	68.0	66.0	70.5				68.0	64.2	65.2	73.8				67.4					$14,373	$924	$12,742
Oak Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3573 Oak Road	Bartlett	38135	Shelby County	Bartlett City Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(901) 373-2646	700	47	15.0		420 (60.0%)	93 (13.3%)	89 (12.7%)	26 (3.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	72 (10.3%)	66	299^th of 1019 public elementary schools	70.7%		74.2	201^st of 1009 public elementary schools	80.1%	98	46.2	67.3	54.7			56.3	44.2	50.9	46.3				47.2	41.3	61.8	58.9				54.0					$14,222	$905	$12,819

Frequently Asked Questions about Dexter School

What district is Dexter School in?

Memphis-Shelby County Schools

Is Dexter School a good school?

Dexter School ranks in the bottom 9.4% of Tennessee elementary schools.

How many students attend Dexter School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,509 students attended Dexter School.

What is the racial makeup of Dexter School?

Students at Dexter School are 75% African American, 16% Hispanic, 6% White, 2% Two or more races.

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Latest Tennessee data All new data »

2025–26 TNReady test scoresNewAug 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.