Summary:
Zip code 38016 (Cordova, TN) contains 6 schools in the Memphis-Shelby County Schools district — 4 elementary schools, 1 middle/high school, and 1 traditional high school — serving roughly 7,187 students from pre-K through 12th grade. The district ranks in the 3rd percentile statewide (137th of 141), so families should interpret school ratings within that challenging context.
Riverwood Elementary School is the clear standout: it ranks in the 57th percentile, the only school in the zip above the state median, and beats state averages in both Math (47.0%) and ELA (49.6%) while running about 25 points above district averages in each subject. It also has the lowest chronic absenteeism in the zip at 17.0%. Cordova High School is the secondary standout, climbing from the 17th to the 26th percentile. It tops its district in 5 of 7 end-of-course subjects and posts an 88.2% graduation rate, though 38.9% chronic absenteeism is a red flag. Dexter School is the most surprising: despite ranking in the 9th percentile, its Social Studies proficiency (47.6%) approaches the state's 51.4%, with 7th grade scores above the state average.
Spending doesn't drive results. Chimneyrock Elementary School spends the most ($14,699 per student) yet fell from the 48th to the 26th percentile, with a sharp drop between 4th and 5th grade. Mt. Pisgah Middle/High School, which serves grades 6–9, has the zip's lowest Math and ELA scores despite relatively low absenteeism (17.9%). Macon-Hall Elementary School sits in the 18th percentile and is also trending down. Families should weigh the strong bright spots at Riverwood Elementary School and Cordova High School against the high absenteeism and declining scores elsewhere in the zip.
Thank you for your feedback!