The top reported proficiency rate is 25% in English language arts. The lowest is 5% in Social studies.
Original Research by School Decision on Holmes Road Elementary
Holmes Road Elementary serves students from prekindergarten through fifth grade in Memphis, within the Memphis-Shelby County Schools district. This is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet school. The school is located on East Holmes Road in the southern part of the city, in the 38116 ZIP code.
The student body is large for an elementary school serving these grades. Enrollment is concentrated overwhelmingly among Black students, who make up the vast majority of the population. The remainder of the student body is a mix of Hispanic students, students of two or more races, White students, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander students, and American Indian or Alaska Native students. Data on the share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch was not available in the source reporting, nor were counts of students with disabilities or English learners.
State testing results are where this school’s profile becomes most concrete. On Tennessee’s TNReady assessments, the school’s proficiency rates are low across all tested subjects for the most recent year. In English language arts, roughly a quarter of students scored at the proficient level or above. In math, the share was lower still. Science proficiency came in below that of math. Social studies data is older, from a year when the assessment itself underwent changes, making direct comparison unreliable. On a composite proficiency index that averages performance across all tested subjects and grades, Holmes Road Elementary falls in the bottom quartile among schools in Shelby County. A parent evaluating academic performance here will see that the school faces considerable challenges in moving students to grade-level proficiency on state standards.
Housing context around the school reflects a moderate-cost area relative to the rest of the country. Home values in the ZIP code are below the national benchmark, and monthly rents are also lower than the national median. The area has seen a slight decline in home values year over year, while rents have held roughly steady. For a family considering moving into the attendance zone, the housing market is more accessible than many parts of the Memphis metro area.
Memphis as a city offers a wide range of cultural and recreational amenities that are publicly documented. Tom Lee Park on the downtown riverfront underwent a major renovation in recent years, adding ballcourts, walking trails, and bike infrastructure. Shelby Farms Park in East Memphis is among the largest urban parks in the country. Overton Park houses the Memphis Zoo and sits next to Rhodes College. Cultural landmarks include the National Civil Rights Museum, Graceland, Sun Studio, and the Stax Museum of American Soul Music. The Memphis Area Transit Authority provides public bus service, with board members appointed by the mayor. The FedExForum downtown is home to the NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies.
The school is part of Memphis-Shelby County Schools, the largest district in Tennessee. Information on recent district-level changes, such as school closures under the Reimagining 901 plan or a property tax referendum, was not available in the data provided, so those developments cannot be assessed here. A parent wanting to understand the district’s current direction should seek out those details directly from the district.
In sum, Holmes Road Elementary is a large, predominantly Black elementary school in a moderately priced Memphis neighborhood. Its academic results on state tests are low relative to other schools in Shelby County, which is the central fact a parent would need to investigate further with the school itself. The city of Memphis provides a rich set of parks, cultural institutions, and professional sports, all within reach of families living in this part of the city. No graduation rate is reported because the school does not serve high school grades.
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