Summary:
Zip code 38111 in Memphis, Tennessee, contains a single public high school—East High School—serving grades 9 through 12 with 583 students, and it is part of Memphis-Shelby County Schools, a district that ranks near the bottom of Tennessee but is home to this standout school.
East High is performing remarkably well given its district context. While Memphis-Shelby County Schools ranks 137th out of 141 districts in Tennessee, East High consistently lands in the top 20% of high schools statewide, earning 4- and 5-star ratings on SchoolDigger. The school’s 2022–2023 graduation rate was 98.3% with a dropout rate of just 1.7%, far better than the district’s 84.1% graduation rate and 14.4% dropout rate. Chronic absenteeism is also a strength: only 14.2% of students are chronically absent, compared to 30.2% for the district and 18.3% for the state. The school spends $14,791 per student, which is a solid investment, and its rankings have been strong and stable, moving from 39th in 2023–2024 to 67th in 2024–2025 and back up to 43rd in 2025–2026—the variability likely reflecting normal cohort changes rather than any downward trend.
Academically, East High excels in nearly every subject on the TNReady assessments. In 2025–2026, the school beat the state average in Algebra II, Biology I, US History, English I, English II, and Geometry. The standout subjects are Biology I (74.8% proficient vs. 49.8% statewide) and English II (87.8% proficient vs. 58.1% statewide), both more than double the district rate. The school improved markedly in Geometry, Biology I, and English II from the prior year, though US History saw a notable decline. The one weak spot is Algebra I, where only 26.4% of students are proficient—below the state’s 32.3%—yet Algebra II proficiency is a strong 50%, suggesting students rebound significantly as they advance. For parents, East High is an academically strong, engaging school that defies its district’s overall reputation.
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