The top reported proficiency rate is 28% in Social studies. The lowest is 17% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Memphis Business Academy Middle
Memphis Business Academy Middle is a public charter school serving grades six through eight in Memphis, Tennessee, and operates under the authority of the Memphis-Shelby County Schools district. The school’s location is in a mid-sized city on the Mississippi River, a place defined by riverfront parks such as Tom Lee Park, cultural landmarks including the National Civil Rights Museum and Graceland, and institutions like FedExForum. The Memphis Area Transit Authority provides bus service; the mayor appoints its board members.
State testing data for the school year that ended in 2025 shows outcomes that are far below the midpoint among its peers. On the TNReady assessments, proficiency rates across all tested subjects fell in the bottom quarter when compared with other districts in Shelby County. In math, roughly one in five students scored at the proficient level or above. In English language arts the share was slightly lower, and in science it was lower still. Social studies saw a somewhat higher proficiency rate, though still well below the county median. Across the four tested subjects, the overall proficiency index placed the school in the bottom quartile. A parent considering this school will want to understand the academic support structures in place and how the school is working to raise these numbers.
The student body is composed predominantly of Black students, with a smaller but still sizable Hispanic population and very few White or multiracial students. Enrollment is modest for a middle school, with roughly balanced numbers across grades six, seven, and eight. Data on the share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price meals is missing from the available records, as is data on students with disabilities and English learners. Without that information, it is not possible to gauge the intensity of economic or language support needs on campus. The same gap applies to chronic absenteeism rates and discipline outcomes, so a family cannot assess the school’s attendance climate or disciplinary patterns from this evidence.
As a charter school, Memphis Business Academy Middle operates with a degree of autonomy from the district but remains part of the larger Memphis-Shelby County Schools system. No program offerings were listed in the available data, so the extent of electives, career exploration, or specialized academic tracks is not documented here. The school’s name suggests a business-oriented focus, but no curriculum details or course catalogs were provided to confirm that emphasis.
The broader district context includes recent changes that a parent may wish to investigate. The district brief contained queries about school closures under the Reimagining 901 plan and about a property tax referendum in recent years, but the results of those searches were not included, so the current status of consolidation or funding shifts is unclear. Similarly, information about staffing ratios, course access, or teacher qualifications was not available.
Memphis itself offers a range of civic and cultural assets. The Mississippi River is a defining geographic anchor. Shelby Farms Park is one of the largest urban parks in the country, Overton Park houses the Memphis Zoo, and Beale Street serves as a historic entertainment corridor. The city’s public library system serves residents across neighborhoods. These are context for a family moving to or living in Memphis, but they do not directly speak to what a student’s daily experience at this middle school would be.
For a family weighing academic fit, the core takeaway is that Memphis Business Academy Middle’s state test results place it in a very low tier relative to other schools in the county. A parent should look further into the school’s improvement strategies, the support available for students who are below grade level, and whether any specialized programs or partnerships exist that are not reflected in the data. Without graduation rates, chronic absenteeism figures, or special population data, several important dimensions of school quality remain unknown.
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