Original Research by School Decision on Crosstown High School
Crosstown High School is a charter high school in Memphis, serving ninth through twelfth grade. It operates as a regular public charter school within the Memphis-Shelby County Schools district. The school’s enrollment is small for a high school, with roughly even distribution across the four grade levels. The student body is racially diverse: a majority of students are Black, a substantial share are white, and smaller groups include Hispanic students, students who identify with two or more races, and a very small number of Asian students. Federal data on economic disadvantage, special education, and English learner status were not reported in the most recent available data, so a family looking for that information would need to contact the school directly.
Housing in the school’s ZIP code has seen a modest decline in both home values and rents over the past year. Nationally, home values and rents have been relatively flat, so this local dip is worth noting for families considering a move. The typical rent in the area is below a typical mortgage payment for a median-priced home, and the local rent-to-income ratio is in line with the national average, suggesting that renting is an accessible option for many households.
A significant gap in the available data is the complete absence of state assessment results, a four-year graduation rate, and any other academic performance metrics. For a regular high school serving tested grades, these are the standard measures parents rely on to understand academic outcomes. The data does not give a reason for the missing information. A parent or guardian should ask the school directly for its most recent state test scores, graduation rate, college readiness indicators, and any career or dual-enrollment offerings to form a clear picture of student achievement and postsecondary preparation.
Crosstown High School is located in Memphis, a city defined by the Mississippi River and its cultural and civic institutions. The downtown Tom Lee Park underwent a major renovation in recent years, and Shelby Farms Park in East Memphis is among the largest urban parks in the country. Overton Park in midtown is home to the Memphis Zoo and sits near Rhodes College. Beale Street and the historic entertainment district remain a central gathering place. The Memphis Area Transit Authority provides public bus service across the city. Cultural landmarks include the National Civil Rights Museum, Graceland, Sun Studio, and the Stax Museum of American Soul Music. The FedExForum downtown hosts the NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies. While these features define the broader city, the school’s immediate neighborhood context and local amenities were not part of the available data.
The district brief included queries about school closures and a property tax referendum, but no detailed findings were available. Because that information could not be confirmed, it is left out of this account. What is clear is that Crosstown High School is a small charter high school in Memphis with a diverse student body, set in a city with rich cultural resources, and with a notable absence of publicly reported academic outcome data that many families expect when evaluating a high school.
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