The top reported proficiency rate is 34% in Science. The lowest is 29% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Kate Bond Elementary School
Kate Bond Elementary School is a regular public elementary school in Bartlett, a suburban community just outside Memphis. It serves students from prekindergarten through fifth grade and is part of the Memphis-Shelby County Schools district, one of the largest in Tennessee. The school’s enrollment is sizable for an elementary campus, drawing from a diverse student body in which Black and Hispanic students each make up a substantial share of the population, followed by a smaller number of White students and a modest representation of students who identify as Asian or of two or more races.
Bartlett describes itself as a primarily residential suburb that maintains a small-town character. The city’s built environment is auto-oriented, with houses at typical suburban densities and commercial corridors along major roads. The historic core, Bartlett Station, sits along Stage Road and has received targeted revitalization efforts. Median home values in the area are around the national norm, making it a moderately priced market relative to some parts of the region. The city has seen steady growth in recent years and maintains an active planning department. For families, the neighborhood around Kate Bond Elementary offers a standard suburban setting with easy highway access to Memphis.
Academically, state testing results for the most recent school year show that in math and English language arts, just under a third of students scored at the proficient level on the TNReady assessments. In science, slightly more than a third reached that threshold. Participation rates were high, meaning nearly all enrolled students took the tests. When compared with other districts in Shelby County, the school’s overall proficiency index sits in the bottom quarter of that comparison set. This pattern points to a school where student performance is lower on average than many of its peers across the county, which could be a relevant factor for families weighing options. Because the school does not serve grades beyond fifth, there is no graduation rate to report.
Several pieces of information that parents often ask about are missing from the available data. There is no information on the share of students eligible for free or reduced-price meals, the percentage of students receiving special education services, or the number of English learners enrolled. Likewise, chronic absenteeism and discipline rates are not reported here. A family considering the school may want to contact the school directly for those details to get a fuller picture of the support systems and climate.
Kate Bond Elementary operates as a standard neighborhood school within a large urban district. Its size means students are part of a large peer group, and the diversity of the student body reflects the surrounding area. The school’s academic results are a clear area to examine further. Parents who value test performance as a measure may want to look into what interventions or programs are in place, while those focused on community fit may find the suburban Bartlett setting and the school’s demographic makeup align with their preferences. Without additional program offerings or extracurricular data in this profile, it is hard to gauge what enrichment opportunities exist beyond the core curriculum. The district’s scale can provide both resources and bureaucracy, and families new to Memphis-Shelby County Schools may benefit from learning about school-level supports directly from the principal’s office.
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