The top reported proficiency rate is 40% in Science. The lowest is 18% in Social studies.
Original Research by School Decision on Winridge Elementary
Winridge Elementary is a regular public school in Memphis, within the Memphis-Shelby County Schools system, serving students from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. It sits in the 38115 zip code, on Ridgeway Road in the eastern part of the city. The school is not a charter or magnet school.
The student body is about four hundred children, with the largest single grade in kindergarten and fairly even numbers across first through fifth. The demographic profile is heavily concentrated: the overwhelming majority of students are Black, and a substantial share of the remaining students are Hispanic. The school’s enrollment is predominantly from those two groups, with very small numbers of white, Asian, multiracial, or other students. Data on how many students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, receive special education services, or are learning English was not available, which means readers should note those gaps and ask the school directly if those factors matter for their family’s decision.
State testing results are drawn from Tennessee’s TNReady assessments, and they give a clear picture of where Winridge stands relative to its peers. In math, about two out of every five students scored at the proficient level or above. In English language arts, that figure was closer to one in three. In science, again about two out of five students met the proficiency bar. A social studies result is available from several years ago and showed a much lower proficiency rate, but that test has since undergone both a name change and a cut-score change, making that old figure unreliable for comparison today. The composite picture places Winridge in the bottom quartile for overall proficiency when compared to the other districts in Shelby County. A parent considering this school will want to understand these outcomes in the context of the school’s approach to instruction and any supports in place for students who are not yet meeting grade-level benchmarks.
The school’s setting is Memphis, a large city with a nationally recognized set of cultural and civic amenities. Tom Lee Park completed a major renovation recently, Shelby Farms Park is among the largest urban parks in the country, and Overton Park houses the Memphis Zoo. Beale Street, the National Civil Rights Museum, Graceland, and Sun Studio are all in the city. The Memphis Area Transit Authority provides public bus service, and the mayor appoints the board members to that authority. For a family living in or moving to this part of Memphis, the area offers an urban environment with extensive park space and well-known cultural institutions. Housing values and rents in the 38115 zip code are below the state and national benchmarks, and both home values and rents have seen a slight year-over-year decline. The median household income nationally is in the mid-eighties, and national mortgage rates have been in the mid-six percent range, but these are broad figures that will vary locally.
Because Winridge is an elementary school only, there is no graduation rate to report. No data on chronic absenteeism, discipline rates, or course access was available in the record. Readers who are concerned about school climate, staff-to-student ratios, or enrichment offerings such as art, music, or physical education will need to seek that information directly from the school or the district. The district itself, Memphis-Shelby County Schools, has been the subject of recent publicly reported discussions about school closures under the Reimagining 901 plan, as well as a referendum on property taxes, but the specifics of those changes and how they affect Winridge specifically are not included in the data provided here. A parent should ask the district or school for any updates on boundary changes, program shifts, or capital investments that may touch this building.
Winridge Elementary is a school with moderate academic performance relative to its Shelby County peers, serving a predominantly Black and Hispanic student population in an urban Memphis neighborhood. The area offers the amenities of a large city, and the local housing market is relatively affordable by wider state and national measures. Families who value a small elementary setting within a large district and want to understand its academic profile will find that the school’s proficiency rates are below the county median, and further inquiry into instructional supports and school climate is warranted.
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