Summary:
ZIP code 38112 in Memphis, Tennessee, contains just one middle school: Lester Prep, a public charter school serving 204 students in grades 6–8 under the oversight of the Tennessee Public Charter School Commission.
Lester Prep ranks 517th out of 594 middle schools statewide (13th percentile) and holds a 1-out-of-5-star Schooldigger rating. Academic proficiency trails state averages by wide margins in every tested subject. In math, only 11.9% of students score proficient versus 43.0% statewide. ELA proficiency is 13.0% compared to 40.6% statewide, science is 21.6% versus 46.9%, and social studies is 29.9% versus 51.4%. Chronic absenteeism is especially alarming: 48.1% of students are chronically absent, nearly 2.6 times the state rate of 18.3%. The school spends $18,343 per student, yet outcomes remain near the bottom of the state, suggesting resource investment is not translating into results. Specific trouble spots include 7th-grade math (5.6% proficient) and 8th-grade ELA (5.2% proficient).
On a more positive note, the school improved slightly in every subject from 2024-2025 to 2025-2026, with ELA showing the largest gain at +6.0 points. The strongest grade-level performance is 6th-grade social studies at 39.5% proficiency, approaching the state average of 50.7%. State ranking, however, has slipped from the 20th percentile in 2023-2024 to 12th in 2024-2025, before a marginal rebound to 13th in 2025-2026. For parents evaluating this area, Lester Prep faces clear academic challenges, and the district comparison—the charter commission—ranks in the bottom 10% of Tennessee districts. Attendance, engagement, and targeted math and reading supports appear to be the most urgent priorities.
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