Summary:
ZIP code 38119 in Memphis, Tennessee is home to exactly two elementary schools — Oak Forest Elementary School (432 students, grades PK–5) and Balmoral/Ridgeway Elementary School (275 students, grades K–5) — both of which belong to the Memphis-Shelby County Schools district, a district that ranks in the 3rd percentile statewide despite these two schools performing in the top half of Tennessee elementary schools.
Balmoral/Ridgeway Elementary School is the clear academic leader in the area. It ranks 295th out of 1,019 Tennessee elementary schools (71st percentile, 4 stars) and posts the highest test scores in all three subjects: 56.6% proficient in math, 51.0% in English Language Arts, and 50.0% in science — all above state averages. It is particularly strong in 4th grade, with 64.8% proficiency in math. Meanwhile, Oak Forest Elementary School ranks 420th (59th percentile, 3 stars) and excels in efficiency and attendance. Oak Forest Elementary School's chronic absenteeism rate is 20.4%, notably better than Balmoral/Ridgeway Elementary School's 25.1%, and it spends less per student ($15,283 vs. $16,958). Oak Forest Elementary School also made a big leap in math, jumping from 40% to 51.2% proficiency in one year.
Both schools dramatically outperform their district's averages, making them bright spots in the Memphis-Shelby County Schools system. However, both schools share two notable trends: 3rd-grade English Language Arts is a clear weakness — Oak Forest Elementary School sits at 37.5% and Balmoral/Ridgeway Elementary School at 42.4%, both below the state average of 44.9% — while 4th-grade math is a shared strength, with both schools well above the state average. Chronic absenteeism is a concern at both schools, exceeding the state average of 18.3%. The power balance between the two schools has also shifted: Oak Forest Elementary School led in 2023–24 (74th percentile), but Balmoral/Ridgeway Elementary School took over in 2024–25 and has remained ahead since.
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