A.B. Hill Elementary in South Memphis receives nearly $13,500 per student — nearly three times the amount received by Mt. Pisgah Middle School, located on the other side of the county in Cordova. It’s the second year the Shelby County Schools district has budgeted how much money each school receives based on the needs of its students. If student circumstances include poverty, low test scores, learning English as a second language, or frequent moves from one school to another, the school receives more money from the district. A.B. Hill is in the district’s Innovation Zone improvement program for schools that score the lowest on state test and about 87% of its students live in poverty. Mt. Pisgah students have test scores similar to the district’s average, but fewer than 30% of students come from low-income families.
