Best Public Schools in Zip Code 38103

Zip code 38103 in Memphis, Tennessee, is served by three schools within the Memphis-Shelby County Schools district — Downtown Elementary School (PK–5), Memphis Grizzlies Preparatory Charter School (5–8), and Medical District High School (9–12) — enrolling 1,236 students in a district ranked 137th of 141 in Tennessee. The strongest overall school is Medical District High School, ranked in the 60th percentile (3 stars) among Tennessee high schools, with standout English II proficiency of 86.2% and strong Algebra II and Geometry scores at 50% each. Memphis Grizzlies Preparatory Charter School is the middle-school bright spot, ranking in the 37th percentile with exceptional 8th-grade math (52.9% proficient, more than triple the district rate) and solid science (42.9%) and social studies (45.2%) results. Downtown Elementary School, the largest school at 784 students, is the area of concern — ranked in the 7th percentile (0 stars) with every subject below district and state averages and a 33.2% chronic absenteeism rate.

While the district context is challenging, individual schools can still deliver strong results. Medical District High School has declined from a 90th-percentile ranking (5 stars) in 2023–2024 to a 60th-percentile ranking (3 stars) in 2025–2026, but its upper-level course results remain impressive — English II is 86.2% while English I is just 13%, a striking 73-point gap. Memphis Grizzlies Preparatory Charter School similarly shows uneven math: 8th-grade math is excellent at 52.9%, but 7th-grade math is just 15.1%. Spending per student ranges from $13,875 at Downtown Elementary School to $16,860 at Memphis Grizzlies Preparatory Charter School and $16,088 at Medical District High School, and the higher-spending schools generally outperform Downtown.

Chronic absenteeism is a major concern at two schools: Downtown Elementary School (33.2%) and Memphis Grizzlies Preparatory Charter School (26.4%) both exceed the state rate of 18.3%, while Medical District High School reported a very low 8.3% rate in 2023–2024. The zip code offers a full K–12 pipeline, but enrollment drops sharply from 784 elementary students to 306 middle and 146 high school students. Overall, Medical District High School and Memphis Grizzlies Preparatory Charter School show meaningful bright spots despite the low-performing district, while Downtown Elementary School needs the most support based on proficiency, ranking, and attendance data.