Balmoral/Ridgeway Elementary vs Southwind Elementary

Balmoral/Ridgeway Elementary holds a 0.5-point overall edge over Southwind Elementary — 9.4/10 against 8.9/10 — a gap that translates into a meaningful difference in state standing. Balmoral/Ridgeway ranks #12 of 1785 schools in Tennessee, placing it in the top 1% statewide. Southwind Elementary ranks #58 of 1785, which remains elite — top 4% — but the 46-position gap between schools just 5.6 miles apart signals a real quality differential rather than a statistical tie.

Academically, the two schools are locked at identical scores: Balmoral/Ridgeway Elementary and Southwind Elementary both earn a 9.2/10 academic score, meaning proficiency and test performance are statistically equivalent between them. Where they split is on growth: Southwind Elementary edges ahead with a 9.5/10 growth score versus Balmoral/Ridgeway Elementary's 9.3/10, indicating that Southwind students are gaining ground at a slightly faster rate year over year. The overall ratings gap between the schools therefore reflects stronger equity or environment sub-scores at Balmoral/Ridgeway rather than academic or growth dominance.

The most concrete structural difference between the two schools is size and classroom density. Balmoral/Ridgeway Elementary enrolls 271 students with a 12.3:1 student-teacher ratio, while Southwind Elementary serves 661 students — more than double — at a 16.1:1 ratio. That 3.8-student-per-teacher gap compounds across every classroom and every school day, giving Balmoral/Ridgeway students meaningfully more individual adult attention. Families who prioritize smaller-community dynamics and lower class density will find a sharper contrast here than anywhere else in the comparison.

One practical distinction for families with younger children: Southwind Elementary serves grades PK–05, offering pre-kindergarten on site, while Balmoral/Ridgeway Elementary begins at kindergarten (KG–05). Parents seeking a single-campus path from pre-K through fifth grade will find only Southwind can provide it, regardless of the overall rating difference.