The top reported proficiency rate is 25% in Science. The lowest is 19% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Compass Community School Binghampton Campus
Compass Community School Binghampton Campus is a public charter school in Memphis serving kindergarten through eighth grade. It sits within the Memphis-Shelby County Schools district but operates independently under its own charter. The school serves a largely Hispanic student body, with a smaller Black student population and a handful of students from other racial backgrounds. The enrollment across grades is fairly balanced for its size, and the school does not serve high school grades, so there is no graduation rate to report.
For a family considering this school, the state testing data from the most recent year shows where academic performance stands. In math, reading and language arts, science, and social studies, the share of students scoring at proficient or above was below what is typical across the district and well below the median among districts in Shelby County. The school’s overall proficiency index sits in the bottom quartile relative to other districts in the county. The test participation rate was very high, so these results reflect nearly the entire student body. A parent will want to understand how the school uses this information to guide instruction and whether it is on a trajectory of improvement. The data does not include multi-year trends, so it is not possible to tell from this record whether performance has been rising or falling over time.
The school’s student body is composed predominantly of students from Hispanic backgrounds, with Black students making up about a quarter of enrollment. White students and those of other races make up a much smaller share. Financial data on the share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch was not available, so that economic marker is missing from this profile. Information on students with disabilities and English learners was also missing from the data. Because the school is a charter, it sets its own calendar and instructional approach within the terms of its charter agreement with the district.
The surrounding community is Memphis, a large city anchored by the Mississippi River. The city offers a riverfront park that underwent a major renovation in recent years, plus a very large urban park in the eastern part of the city, and an older park in midtown that houses a zoo. Downtown, Beale Street functions as a cultural hub. The public library system covers the city, and public bus service is run by the Memphis Area Transit Authority. Cultural landmarks include the National Civil Rights Museum, Graceland, Sun Studio, and the Stax Museum of American Soul Music. The FedExForum downtown is home to the NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies. The housing market in the immediate area, based on the zip code tied to the school, is on the lower end compared to national benchmarks. Home values have seen a decline over the prior year, while rents have risen. At the broader economic level, the national unemployment rate and median household income data from this period provide context for the overall affordability picture.
The school’s charter status means it exists as an alternative to the traditional assigned neighborhood school within Memphis-Shelby County Schools. Families apply to attend, and if demand exceeds capacity, a lottery is used. Because the school ends at eighth grade, families will need to plan for a high school transition. The district brief indicated that the parent district has been undergoing a planning process around school closures and facility use, though specific details about how that might affect this campus were not included in this record. A parent evaluating this school should visit, ask about academic supports, and understand the school’s plan for moving proficiency rates higher over time.
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