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

Ida B. Wells Academy ES/MS and Compass Community School Hickory Hill Campus are both top-tier Memphis schools, but Ida B. Wells holds a narrow edge overall: 9.4/10 versus Compass Hickory Hill's 9.2/10. More telling is their state context — Ida B. Wells ranks #11 of 1,785 Tennessee schools while Compass Hickory Hill ranks #26 of 1,785. Both land in the top 2% statewide, so the gap between them is slim but real.

Academically, the separation is sharper. Ida B. Wells Academy ES/MS scores 8.4/10 in academics against Compass Community School Hickory Hill Campus's 7.4/10 — a full point difference suggesting meaningfully stronger tested proficiency at Ida B. Wells. The growth picture flips: Compass Hickory Hill posts a near-perfect 10.0/10 growth score against Ida B. Wells's already-impressive 9.8/10. Compass is pulling students forward at a fractionally faster rate, which matters if a child is entering below grade level or if sustained academic momentum is a priority.

The two schools diverge sharply on scale and staffing. Ida B. Wells Academy ES/MS enrolls just 98 students with a 6.1:1 student-teacher ratio — one of the most intensive staffing levels you'll find in a public school. Compass Community School Hickory Hill Campus serves 254 students at a 12.7:1 ratio, which is still reasonable but more than double the adult-to-child density at Ida B. Wells. Families who believe smaller class environments drive outcomes will find Ida B. Wells's numbers unusually strong. Compass operates as a charter school; Ida B. Wells is a regular public school, which affects enrollment access and lottery considerations depending on where a family lives.

Both schools span KG–08, so neither requires a mid-elementary transition. The campuses sit 10.4 miles apart within Memphis, making commute distance a practical factor. Ida B. Wells is a regular public school with neighborhood-assignment implications; Compass Hickory Hill's charter status typically means open enrollment citywide, giving families outside its immediate area an accessible path in.