Balmoral/Ridgeway Elementary vs J. P. Freeman Elementary/Middle

Balmoral/Ridgeway Elementary holds a 0.4-point overall rating advantage over J. P. Freeman Elementary/Middle — 9.3/10 versus 8.9/10 — and that gap is reflected in their Tennessee state ranks: Balmoral/Ridgeway Elementary sits at #20 of 1,785 schools statewide while J. P. Freeman Elementary/Middle ranks #75 of 1,785. Both finishes place these Memphis schools among the state's top 5%, but the 55-rank spread is meaningful in a field this competitive.

The academic and growth scores tell a split story. J. P. Freeman Elementary/Middle leads on raw academic proficiency with a 9.7/10 academic score compared to Balmoral/Ridgeway Elementary's 9.2/10 — a half-point advantage that signals higher tested achievement levels. Balmoral/Ridgeway Elementary counters on trajectory: its 9.3/10 growth score beats J. P. Freeman Elementary/Middle's 8.4/10 by nearly a full point, meaning students at Balmoral/Ridgeway Elementary are making faster year-over-year gains relative to academic expectations. Families weighing where a child starts versus where a school takes them will find these two metrics pulling in opposite directions.

Balmoral/Ridgeway Elementary enrolls 271 students against J. P. Freeman Elementary/Middle's 493 — a difference that shapes daily school life. The smaller enrollment at Balmoral/Ridgeway Elementary pairs with a tighter student-teacher ratio of 12.3:1 versus 14.9:1 at J. P. Freeman Elementary/Middle, translating to roughly two and a half fewer students per classroom on average. Families who prioritize individual attention and a close-knit campus feel will find those numbers at Balmoral/Ridgeway Elementary more favorable.

The grade span is the most operationally significant structural difference between the two schools. Balmoral/Ridgeway Elementary serves kindergarten through fifth grade only, meaning families will navigate a middle school transition at sixth grade. J. P. Freeman Elementary/Middle runs from kindergarten through eighth grade, keeping students in one building through middle school and eliminating that transition entirely. The two campuses sit 11.2 miles apart in Memphis, so proximity to home will also factor into many families' decisions.