Best High Schools in Zip Code 38108

ZIP code 38108 in Memphis, TN contains two public high schools serving grades 9–12: Douglass High School and KIPP Memphis Collegiate High School, both part of the Memphis-Shelby County Schools district, which ranks 137th out of 141 Tennessee districts.

These two schools offer very different profiles. Douglass is the clear academic leader: in 2025–2026 it ranked 217th out of 400 Tennessee high schools (46th percentile, 2 stars), a dramatic improvement from 379th just two years earlier. It now outperforms its district in every tested subject—for example, 33.3% proficient in Algebra I versus the district’s 18.1%—and even beats the state in Algebra I. KIPP, by contrast, ranks 352nd (12th percentile, 1 star) and falls below the district in all subjects, with Algebra I proficiency at just 7.5%. However, KIPP is the better graduation performer: its 86.3% graduation rate beats Douglass’s 76.0% and the district’s 84.1%, and its dropout rate (11.3%) is far lower than Douglass’s 22.9%.

Both schools face serious challenges around attendance and engagement. Chronic absenteeism is 52.3% at Douglass and 62.2% at KIPP—far above the state average of 18.3%—and neither school meets state benchmarks across the board. KIPP spends slightly more per student ($14,844 vs. $14,158) yet posts roughly half of Douglass’s average proficiency (17.1% vs. 33.6%), though its higher spending may support graduation and dropout prevention. For families, the choice comes down to a school that is rapidly improving academically (Douglass) versus one that keeps more students on track to graduate (KIPP), with both still well below state averages in most categories and absenteeism a critical issue for both.