Wells Station Elementary vs J. P. Freeman Elementary/Middle

Wells Station Elementary and J. P. Freeman Elementary/Middle sit 13.8 miles apart in Memphis, Tennessee, and while Wells Station Elementary earns a marginally higher overall rating — 9.3/10 versus 8.9/10 for J. P. Freeman Elementary/Middle — both schools rank near the top of all 1,785 schools in Tennessee. Wells Station Elementary holds the #21 state rank; J. P. Freeman Elementary/Middle ranks #75. That 0.4-point overall gap conceals sharper differences in the underlying subscores.

On academics, J. P. Freeman Elementary/Middle leads by a meaningful margin: 9.7/10 versus Wells Station Elementary's 8.3/10 — a 1.4-point delta that places Freeman near the top of the state on measured proficiency. The growth picture flips in Wells Station's favor: Wells Station Elementary scores 9.8/10 on growth compared to J. P. Freeman Elementary/Middle's 8.4/10. In practical terms, students at Wells Station are advancing faster relative to their starting points, while Freeman students are performing at a higher absolute proficiency level. Families should weigh which dimension matters more for their child's specific situation.

The two schools differ in size and classroom density. Wells Station Elementary enrolls 633 students against J. P. Freeman Elementary/Middle's 493, but Freeman's larger class sizes produce a student-teacher ratio of 14.9:1 versus Wells Station Elementary's 12.7:1. That two-student-per-teacher gap means Wells Station offers more adult attention per child — a factor parents of younger or high-need learners often weight heavily. Both schools serve a Memphis demographic with the free-and-reduced lunch population that reflects the broader district context.

The most structurally significant difference is grade span. Wells Station Elementary serves PK through grade 5, functioning as a pure elementary school. J. P. Freeman Elementary/Middle extends from kindergarten through grade 8, meaning families who choose Freeman can keep a child in the same building through middle school — eliminating a school transition during the critical early-adolescent years. Wells Station Elementary also offers pre-kindergarten entry, while Freeman's lower bound is kindergarten.