Original Research by School Decision on Jessie Mahan Day Care Center
Jessie Mahan Day Care Center is a regular public school in Memphis, part of Memphis-Shelby County Schools, and it serves only pre-kindergarten. That makes it an early childhood program rather than a full K-12 school, which has implications for what data is available and what a family can expect. The school is located on Delmar Avenue in Memphis, in a neighborhood that sits within the 38106 zip code. Because it serves only four-year-olds, the typical academic metrics that parents often look for—state test scores, graduation rates, college readiness indicators—do not apply here. Those measures are tied to elementary and secondary grades, and this center is not part of that pipeline in the same way.
Enrollment data was reported as zero, which appears to be a data anomaly rather than a reflection of the actual number of children attending; the school is listed as open by the state. No demographic breakdown by race or ethnicity or by free-and-reduced-price lunch status was available for this report. Similarly, information on special education services, English learner support, staffing, discipline, and attendance was missing. A parent considering this center would need to contact the school directly to learn about the daily program, class sizes, teacher qualifications, and the kind of early learning curriculum in place.
The housing market in the zip code offers a picture of the surrounding area. Home values are well below both state and national benchmarks, and values have been declining over the past year. Rents are also down slightly, and the area is more affordable than much of the Memphis region. That affordability comes in the context of a city that has experienced gradual population loss over decades, even as downtown sees major public and private investment. The school is part of Memphis-Shelby County Schools, a large urban district that has undergone significant restructuring in recent years, though specific recent changes to the district were not available in the provided data.
Memphis itself is a major mid-South city with a strong logistics economy anchored by FedEx, along with a well-known music and tourism sector. The city is car-dependent outside the downtown core, and the area around the school is a mix of residential and commercial corridors. Families living in or considering this part of South Memphis would find a program that focuses on the earliest stage of formal education. Since no academic performance data exists for pre-K, a parent cannot evaluate this center in the same way they would a school serving tested grades. The center’s value will rest on its facilities, staff, and daily practices—details that are not captured in the public data available here.
For a family looking for pre-kindergarten care within the Memphis-Shelby County system, Jessie Mahan Day Care Center is an option, but the public record provides little beyond its existence and location. A visit and a conversation with the school are essential to understand what the program offers, how it supports early development, and whether it fits a family’s needs. The absence of typical K-12 metrics is not a negative judgment; it simply reflects the nature of a school that serves only four-year-olds.
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