Original Research by School Decision on Memphis Street Academy Cs @ Jp Jones
Memphis Street Academy CS @ JP Jones is a middle school serving grades five through eight in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania. The school enrolls a middle-sized cohort of students, with a student body that is predominantly Hispanic and Black, and a small representation of white and multiracial students. Asian enrollment is minimal.
The school's operational status is now subject to serious legal and administrative uncertainty. In June 2022, the Philadelphia Board of Education voted to invoke a surrender clause in the school's charter after determining it had failed to meet seven of fourteen academic and attendance benchmarks it had contractually agreed to meet. These unmet targets included mathematics growth on state assessments and chronic absenteeism rates. Since that vote, Memphis Street Academy has operated on an expired charter while contesting the closure decision. In July 2025, a federal judge ruled the surrender clause enforceable and ordered the school to close. The school's operator, American Paradigm Schools, has appealed that ruling and continues to operate the school during the appeals process. For families considering enrollment, the school's continued existence beyond the appeals timeline is not assured, and contingency planning for an alternative middle school is essential before committing a student's placement here.
State assessment proficiency data and four-year graduation rates were not available, which is consistent with the school serving only middle grades where state testing does not occur and therefore cannot be reported at the district level. Chronic absenteeism, however, is tracked and reportable. The school's chronic absenteeism rate places it in the bottom quartile among Philadelphia County's districts, indicating a substantial attendance challenge that aligns with one of the specific benchmarks the district cited when voting for closure.
Per-pupil current spending at Memphis Street Academy falls in the upper range among county districts, suggesting resources are being allocated at or above typical district levels.
Academic programming information, course offerings, staff composition, and detailed enrollment support services were not available in the public data. Families considering the school should request this information directly while also obtaining clarity from the operator and the district on the timeline and likely outcome of the ongoing appeal, as well as what transition support would be available to students if the closure is ultimately upheld.
See more original research from School Decision →