Summary:
ZIP code 38138 in Germantown, Tennessee, contains 7 schools serving grades K-12 across two very different districts: Germantown Municipal Schools, ranked 5th in Tennessee, and Memphis-Shelby County Schools, ranked 137th. This district divide is the single biggest factor in school performance here. The three Germantown Municipal elementary schools—Forest Hill Elementary School, Farmington Elementary School, and Riverdale Elementary School—are among the top 5% of elementary schools in the state. Math proficiency ranges from 72% to 82%, compared to the 43% state average. Riverdale also stands out for its strong Algebra I program, with 80% proficiency at a time when the state average is just 29.4%.
Secondary options in the ZIP are far weaker. Germantown Middle School ranks in the bottom quarter of Tennessee middle schools, with proficiency rates around 18–34% in core subjects. Germantown High School is below state averages in most subjects, with a graduation rate of 86.4% versus 90.5% statewide and a dropout rate nearly double the state's. Chronic absenteeism follows the same pattern: the Germantown Municipal elementary schools are all below 8%, but Germantown Elementary School sits at 16.8%, Germantown Middle at 22.9%, and Germantown High at 29.1%.
Spending does not predict outcomes. Farmington Elementary and Germantown Elementary spend almost the same amount per student, yet Farmington's math proficiency is 82.4% versus 35.1% at Germantown Elementary. The Germantown Online Academy of Learning serves just 84 students in an alternative setting and spends the least, with mixed results. For families, the clear takeaway is that ZIP code 38138 offers exceptional elementary schools within Germantown Municipal Schools, but the only traditional middle and high schools belong to Memphis-Shelby County Schools and currently trail state averages—making the district boundary the most important thing to understand when evaluating schools in this area.
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