Summary:
Zip code 38133 in Bartlett, Tennessee is served by two public elementary schools—Kate Bond Elementary School and Bon Lin Elementary School—both educating grades PK through 5 with nearly identical enrollments of just over 700 students each, yet delivering vastly different academic experiences despite sitting just minutes apart.
For parents, the standout choice is clear: Bon Lin Elementary School is a top-tier school with a 5-star rating and an elite 91st-percentile state ranking (90th out of 1,019 elementary schools). Its proficiency rates are exceptional—69.1% in math, 66.9% in ELA, and 70.7% in science—roughly 25 to 30 points above Tennessee state averages, and it keeps chronic absenteeism low at just 8.7%. In stark contrast, Kate Bond Elementary School holds a 0-star rating and ranks in the 20th percentile (818th in the state), with proficiency rates of only 23.9% in math, 27.1% in ELA, and 36.6% in science—all below state averages—while its chronic absenteeism rate of 17.7% is more than double Bon Lin’s. The achievement gap between the two schools is massive, reaching 45 percentage points in math proficiency alone.
The single biggest factor separating these schools is district affiliation: Kate Bond Elementary School belongs to Memphis-Shelby County Schools, which ranks 137th out of 141 Tennessee districts, while Bon Lin Elementary School is in Bartlett City Schools, ranked a stellar 15th out of 141. Notably, per-student spending is almost identical ($15,175 vs. $14,715), so money alone does not explain the outcomes—district effectiveness, school leadership, and attendance patterns clearly matter far more. For any parent evaluating this zip code, the choice of school (and therefore district) is decisive.
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