Ida B. Wells Academy ES/MS vs Compass Community School Frayser Campus

Ida B. Wells Academy ES/MS edges out Compass Community School Frayser Campus by 0.2 rating points — 8.1 versus 7.9 out of 10 — but both schools rank well above the Tennessee median. Ida B. Wells places #268 of 1785 schools statewide, while Compass Community School Frayser Campus comes in at #326 of 1785. Both scores put these Memphis schools in the top 20% of the state, a meaningful distinction from most district peers.

The sharpest contrast between the two schools sits in academic proficiency. Ida B. Wells Academy ES/MS scores 8.4 out of 10 on academics versus Compass Community School Frayser Campus's 6.2 — a 2.2-point gap that reflects meaningfully different levels of tested proficiency in reading and math. Growth tells the opposite story: the two schools are essentially tied, with Compass Community School Frayser Campus posting a 9.9 growth score against Ida B. Wells's 9.8. Both schools are exceptional at accelerating students relative to their starting points, which matters especially in communities where incoming skill gaps are common.

Structurally, the schools serve the same KG–08 grade span but differ significantly in scale and staffing. Ida B. Wells Academy ES/MS enrolls 98 students with a 6.1:1 student-teacher ratio — one of the lowest ratios available at any Memphis public school. Compass Community School Frayser Campus serves 204 students at a 12.0:1 ratio. Compass operates as a charter school while Ida B. Wells functions as a regular district public school, a distinction that can affect enrollment processes, governance, and school culture.

Both schools cover the full KG–08 span, meaning families avoid a middle school transition entirely — a notable stability advantage over schools that stop at grade 5. The two campuses sit 7.5 miles apart within Memphis, so geography may be a practical deciding factor for families in northern versus midtown Memphis.