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Ida B. Wells Elementary

Public, Magnet Grades PK, KG-5

855^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,009 Tennessee Elementary Schools

Better than 15% of Tennessee elementary schools

Summary

Ida B. Wells Elementary is a public magnet elementary school in Nashville, Tennessee, serving grades PK-5 with a total enrollment of 204 students. The school has consistently ranked in the bottom tier of Tennessee elementary schools, with a statewide ranking between 744 and 982 out of around 850-1020 schools over the past decade and a 0 or 1 out of 5 star rating from SchoolDigger, indicating poor overall performance.

Ida B. Wells Elementary consistently underperforms the state and district averages in proficiency rates for TNReady Mathematics, English Language Arts, and Science assessments across all grade levels. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, the school's proficiency rates were 32.3% in Mathematics, 17.9% in English Language Arts, and 21.1% in Science, compared to the state averages of 42.2%, 38.9%, and 46.1%, respectively. The school's performance is particularly low in English Language Arts, where the proficiency rates are about half the state average. Compared to nearby schools, Ida B. Wells Elementary generally performs worse than Lockeland Elementary, a high-performing magnet school, and better than Murrell at Glenn School, a very small school with extremely low proficiency rates.

Ida B. Wells Elementary has consistently high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 18.9% to 27.8% over the past few years, significantly higher than the state and district averages. The school has also seen a significant increase in per-student spending, from $16,828 in 2020-2021 to $27,848 in 2023-2024, and an improvement in student-teacher ratio, from 14.4 in 2021-2022 to 11.6 in 2023-2024. However, these changes have not yet translated into improved academic outcomes for the school, suggesting that simply increasing funding and resources may not be enough to drive meaningful change.

241

Students ?

11.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$20,928

Per pupil spending ?

93.8%

Free/discounted lunch ?

244 Foster ST
Nashville, TN 37207

(615) 291-6361

District: Davidson County

Students who attend Ida B. Wells Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Jere Baxter Middle
High:	Maplewood High

Racial breakdown:

African American:

88.0%

Hispanic:

4.6%

White:

3.3%

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Compare Ida B. Wells Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 1st percentile in 2019 → 15th in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 15th (2025) from a 1st-percentile low (2019)

✓Small classes — about 12 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Tennessee average (24% vs 42% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (15th percentile)

!Science scores 25 pts below the Tennessee average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school24%

District avg32%

Tennessee avg42%

855^th of 1,009

Tennessee public elementary schools ?

Bottom 15%▲ up 8 pts since 2015

From bottom 7% (2015) to bottom 15% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Tennessee Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

45^th of 79Elementary Schools in the Davidson County

122^nd of 139Davidson County 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)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2025	18.4	855 of 1009	15.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	28.6	747 of 1018	26.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	15.9	871 of 1020	14.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	8.5	968 of 1000	3.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	4.7	979 of 985	0.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	6.4	982 of 997	1.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	15.7	791 of 855	7.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2014	7.9	820 of 853	3.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	27.3	744 of 846	12.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	52.0	428 of 820	47.8%	★★☆☆☆
2011	15.6	747 of 818	8.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2010	27.5	646 of 809	20.1%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2025	34.3	325 of 498	34.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	49.8	220 of 498	55.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	34.3	304 of 500	39.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	18.5	447 of 483	7.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	11.2	399 of 404	1.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	15.5	430 of 450	4.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2025	14.5	876 of 986	11.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	26.0	760 of 990	23.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	24.0	766 of 989	22.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	8.4	943 of 975	3.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	7.1	914 of 926	1.3%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2025	34.9	618 of 843	26.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	40.7	506 of 853	40.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	20.5	757 of 865	12.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	13.7	829 of 858	3.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	9.0	813 of 821	1.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	9.2	869 of 877	0.9%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2025	23.2	794 of 984	19.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	25.2	768 of 991	22.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	11.9	920 of 987	6.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	8.6	951 of 980	3.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)

African American (2025)35th percentile+19 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)27th percentile+11 vs school

Male (2025)19th percentile+4 vs school

Female (2025)11th percentile-4 vs school

By subject vs Tennessee (2024-2025) ?

Mathematics32%-10 vs state

Science21%-25 vs state

English Language Arts18%-21 vs state

2.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a parent
Thursday, January 16, 2020

Lack of care in the teachers instead of teaching the children they worry so much about home life which is none of their concern. My child is severely lacking in help in learning Close Quote

Schools Near Ida B. Wells Elementary

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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 (2025)				Ranking (2024)				TNReady Mathematics (2025)							TNReady English Language Arts (2025)							TNReady Science (2025)							TNReady Social Studies (2025)				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 (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	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
Ida B. Wells Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	244 Foster ST	Nashville	37207	Davidson County	Davidson County	No	Yes	No	Yes	(615) 291-6361	204	18	11.6		6 (2.9%)	178 (87.3%)	13 (6.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.9%)	18.4	855^th of 1009 public elementary schools	15.3%		28.6	747^th of 1018 public elementary schools	26.6%	108	20.6	30.0	46.9				32.3	14.7	10.0	29.0				17.9	20.6	20.0	22.6				21.1					$20,928	$1,588	$18,155
Murrell at Glenn School	Public	K-8	322 Cleveland ST	Nashville	37207	Davidson County	Davidson County	No	No	No	Yes	(615) 298-8070	34	14	2.4		7 (20.6%)	23 (67.6%)	2 (5.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (5.9%)								(n/a)																										$130,350	$34,814	$92,957
Warner Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	626 Russell ST	Nashville	37206	Davidson County	Davidson County	No	Yes	No	Yes	(615) 291-6395	390	28	14.1		65 (16.7%)	297 (76.2%)	8 (2.1%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	17 (4.4%)	29.6	744^th of 1009 public elementary schools	26.3%		36.6	653^rd of 1018 public elementary schools	35.9%	91	29.4	33.9	31.0				31.4	31.9	45.8	33.3				37.1	27.9	35.6	21.4				29.0					$19,155	$1,651	$16,499
Explore Community School	Public, Charter	K-8	707 S 7th ST	Nashville	37206	Davidson County	Davidson County	Yes	No	No	Yes	(615) 784-8222	560	30	18.6		157 (28.0%)	330 (58.9%)	32 (5.7%)	2 (0.4%)	2 (0.4%)	2 (0.4%)	35 (6.3%)	31.8	715^th of 1009 public elementary schools	29.1%		27.8	759^th of 1018 public elementary schools	25.4%	44	17.2	43.1	26.8	10.9	11.3	22.4	23.1	13.6	50.8	40.3	17.4	15.1	16.3	27.3	17.2	60.0	41.7	21.7	30.2	33.3	35.4	24.4	37.7	34.7	32.7	$27,355	$1,925	$24,185
KIPP Kirkpatrick Elementary School	Public, Charter	K-4	1000 Sevier ST	Nashville	37206	Davidson County	Davidson County	Yes	No	No	Yes	(615) 226-4484	330	14	23.5		9 (2.7%)	286 (86.7%)	22 (6.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (3.9%)	18.7	851^st of 1009 public elementary schools	15.7%		12.9	918^th of 1018 public elementary schools	9.8%	67	29.3	23.4					26.6	16.0	29.7					22.3	25.3	35.9					30.2					$19,638	$2,177	$16,747
Hattie Cotton Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	1033 West Greenwood AVE	Nashville	37206	Davidson County	Davidson County	No	Yes	No	Yes	(615) 262-6981	216	19	11.6		22 (10.2%)	148 (68.5%)	41 (19.0%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.9%)	9.2	951^st of 1009 public elementary schools	5.7%		8.7	975^th of 1018 public elementary schools	4.2%	24	18.4	20.7	20.0				19.6	5.3	13.8	8.0				8.7	5.3	37.9					14.1					$22,896	$1,456	$20,187
Shwab Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1500 Dickerson RD	Nashville	37207	Davidson County	Davidson County	No	No	No	Yes	(615) 262-6725	317	22	14.4		19 (6.0%)	102 (32.2%)	187 (59.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.8%)	31.4	718^th of 1009 public elementary schools	28.8%		24.1	798^th of 1018 public elementary schools	21.6%	80	30.6	42.1	38.9				37.3	36.1	39.5	19.4				31.8	36.1	36.8	19.4				30.9					$21,137	$2,001	$17,952
Lockeland Elementary	Public, Magnet	K-5	105 South 17th ST	Nashville	37206	Davidson County	Davidson County	No	Yes	No	No	(615) 258-1330	322	19	16.6		276 (85.7%)	11 (3.4%)	19 (5.9%)	3 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (4.0%)	99.2	2^nd of 1009 public elementary schools	99.8%		99.1	7^th of 1018 public elementary schools	99.3%	5	89.5	86.0					90.4	94.7	84.2					92.8	93.0											$16,612	$837	$15,182
Jones Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	1800 9th AVE	Nashville	37208	Davidson County	Davidson County	No	Yes	No	Yes	(615) 291-6382	242	22	11.2		7 (2.9%)	205 (84.7%)	16 (6.6%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (5.4%)	4.9	997^th of 1009 public elementary schools	1.2%		5.6	1002^nd of 1018 public elementary schools	1.6%	5		12.1	8.8				7.8	11.4	21.2					11.8	11.4	12.1	5.9				9.8					$21,458	$1,860	$18,259
Purpose Prep	Public, Charter	K-5	220 Venture CIR	Nashville	37228	Davidson County	Davidson County	Yes	No	No	Yes	(615) 724-0705	419	13	32.2		18 (4.3%)	374 (89.3%)	14 (3.3%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (2.6%)	66.7	275^th of 1009 public elementary schools	72.7%		56.6	394^th of 1018 public elementary schools	61.3%	119	39.7	60.7	44.2				48.0	55.6	76.8	62.3				64.5	39.7	50.0	48.1				45.6					$19,048	$1,673	$16,114

Frequently Asked Questions about Ida B. Wells Elementary

What district is Ida B. Wells Elementary in?

Davidson County

What schools do graduates of Ida B. Wells Elementary attend?

Students who attend Ida B. Wells Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Jere Baxter Middle
High : Maplewood High

What is the racial makeup of Ida B. Wells Elementary?

Students at Ida B. Wells Elementary are 88% African American, 5% Hispanic, 3% White, 3% Two or more races.

How many students attend Ida B. Wells Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 241 students attended Ida B. Wells Elementary.

Is Ida B. Wells Elementary a good school?

Ida B. Wells Elementary ranks in the bottom 15.3% of Tennessee elementary schools.

Rate Ida B. Wells Elementary!

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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.