The top reported proficiency rate is 82% in Math. The lowest is 79% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Tara Oaks Elementary School
Tara Oaks Elementary School sits within Collierville, a Memphis suburb that blends a historic town square with sprawling residential subdivisions and major retail corridors. The school serves students from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade, and as a regular public elementary it feeds into the Collierville Schools district, which became independent from Shelby County Schools after a voter-approved measure. That independence, paired with the district’s reputation for strong academic outcomes, anchors much of what families consider when they look at this school.
On state assessments, Tara Oaks’s students post results that place the school among the stronger elementary options in the county. Across the tested subjects -- math, English language arts, and science -- proficiency rates cluster in a range that is well above the median for districts in Shelby County. In fact, the school’s overall proficiency index sits in the top quartile relative to those districts. For a parent, that means the typical student here is meeting grade-level expectations at a rate that signals consistent instruction. Social studies data exists only from several years ago and under a different assessment, so it does not provide a current read. Because Tara Oaks is an elementary school, there is no graduation rate to consider, and no chronic absenteeism data was available for comparison.
The student body reflects Collierville’s broader demographics. The majority of students are white, with sizable Asian and Black populations and smaller shares of Hispanic and multiracial students. Economic disadvantage data, such as free or reduced-price lunch eligibility, was not reported, nor were counts of students with disabilities or English learners. That absence means a family cannot directly assess the school’s support infrastructure for those populations from this snapshot. The school enrolls a substantial number of students for an elementary, with all grade levels from kindergarten through fifth grade drawing well-populated classrooms.
Collierville’s housing market is expensive relative to national norms, and a family moving into the area should anticipate that high home values and rents reflect the suburb’s desirability. Home prices saw a modest year-over-year decline recently, but the long trajectory has been upward, driven by sustained population growth. The town has added new schools and residential developments over the past decade, and the creation of an independent school district in 2014 was itself a sign that the community had outgrown the county system. The historic downtown square, the public library, and the performing arts theatre give the town a civic center, but the school campuses are spread across suburban neighborhoods. Commuting times are typical for a Memphis-area suburb, and the local economy includes logistics and manufacturing employers tied to the region.
A parent looking at Tara Oaks will find a school where academic expectations are high and where the majority of students meet them. The strong proficiency rates suggest a learning environment that does not struggle with the basics of instruction. The student composition is diverse but not so diverse that any single group dominates; a family should consider whether that peer mix aligns with their preferences. The school does not have a Title I designation, and the absence of free lunch data makes it hard to gauge socioeconomic range directly. For a family already anchored in Collierville’s housing market or considering relocation, this school is one of several elementary options in a district that has built a reputation for consistently strong results. The growth context means the town and district are still expanding, which can bring both new resources and growing pains, though nothing in the available data signals disruption at Tara Oaks itself. It fits a family that prioritizes solid academic foundations, values a suburban setting with a historic core, and can manage the cost of living.
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