Hamilton County Schools
Listed by NCES as Hamilton County (district ID 4701590)
Public school district · Hamilton County · Tennessee · NCES district ID 4701590
Hamilton County Schools spent $14,785 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, more than 98% of the other Tennessee districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 (median $11,310). Its 81 schools enrolled 45,888 students in 2024-25; 28.2% of its revenue came from the state. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $16,443 per student, up 11.2% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year). Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 88% (Tennessee: 87.3%).
NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 · Census Bureau school finances 2023-24 · NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 · method
Spending per student among Tennessee's largest districts
Current spending per student excludes construction and debt. Among the 10 districts shown, Hamilton County Schools ranks 2.
Where the money came from
$719,358,000 in revenue: 28.2% state, 54.2% local and 17.5% federal. Total spending including $18,903,000 of capital outlay was $712,934,000, or $15,532 per student; the figure above leaves capital out.
- State$203,026,000 28%
- Local$390,184,000 54%
- Federal$126,148,000 18%
Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23: current expenditures for elementary and secondary education divided by fall membership; the state median covers 124 districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022. Revenue by source (TOTALREV, TFEDREV, TSTREV, TLOCREV).
Enrollment held steady from 2022-23 to 2023-24
45,902 students in 2022-23, 45,790 students in 2023-24, counted across the schools that reported each year.
Teachers and students per teacher
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-23 | 45,902 | 3041.3 | 15.1 |
| 2023-24 | 45,790 | 3059.1 | 15.0 |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2022-23, 2023-24; sums over the schools reporting each year.
$198,340,000 in teacher salaries in fiscal year 2022-23, $4,321 per student
Hamilton County Schools booked $198,340,000 of teacher salaries in its 2022-23 finance report and counted 3,041 full-time teachers in its Common Core of Data district staff file for 2022-23 (the school files behind the staffing figures on this page count teachers separately, so the two can differ), or $65,215 of salary spending per teacher. That is more than 84 in 100 Tennessee districts with a figure (state median $57,379, 141 districts). It is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, so the result can differ widely from the average salary the district publishes (its salary schedule gives pay); benefits are left out, and states book salaries differently, so compare districts within one state. For pay, the National Education Association put the average Tennessee teacher salary at $53,619 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).
| Program | Teacher salaries | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Regular programs | $170,586,000 | 86.0% |
| Special education | $21,271,000 | 10.7% |
| Vocational | $6,483,000 | 3.3% |
Teacher salaries per student, fiscal years 2018-19 to 2022-23
The district's teacher salary bill divided by its fall enrollment each year: $3,758 in 2018-19, $4,080 in 2019-20, $4,203 in 2020-21, $4,311 in 2021-22, $4,321 in 2022-23.
Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal years 2019 to 2023: teacher salaries in regular, special, vocational and other programs (Z35 to Z38) and fall membership (V33); NCES Common Core of Data LEA staff file 2022-23, teachers (full-time equivalent).
State test results, 2021-22
In 2021-22, the students tested in Hamilton County Schools scored proficient or above: 36% in reading and 37% in math, against 35% in reading and 35% in math across Tennessee. Each state writes its own test and sets its own proficiency bar, so compare these within Tennessee, not across states. Where a state published results by grade only, the grades tested are combined, weighted by the students tested in each.
| Subject | This district | Tennessee | Students tested |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading and language arts | 36% | 35% | 19,933 |
| Math | 37% | 35% | 19,983 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results 2021-22, all students, from ED Data Express (the Data Rescue Project archive; ED has no 2022-23 result for this district): ED shows district results as ranges (for example 20-24%) to protect small groups.
Graduation rate, class of 2023
88% of the 3,131 students in Hamilton County Schools' class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 87.3% across Tennessee. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out, and counts those who earned a regular diploma by 2023. Every state computes it the same way under federal law, though each sets its own diploma requirements.
| This district | Tennessee | |
|---|---|---|
| Four-year graduation rate | 88% | 87.3% |
| Students in the class | 3,131 | 71,510 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates 2022-23, all students, from ED Data Express: ED shows district rates as ranges (for example 90-94%) and leaves out small classes.
42 elementary schools, 22,162 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Brainerd Elementary | 1,177 | 16.8 | All free (CEP) | Eligible, no program |
| East Ridge Elementary | 959 | 14.4 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
| Normal Park Museum Magnet School | 877 | 15.3 | not reported | Not Title I |
| Ooltewah Elementary | 858 | 16.5 | not reported | Not Title I |
| Harrison Elementary | 775 | 18.8 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
| Nolan Elementary | 729 | 17.4 | not reported | Not Title I |
| Middle Valley Elementary | 705 | 15.7 | not reported | Eligible, no program |
| Clifton Hills Elementary | 703 | 12.3 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
| Spring Creek Elementary | 698 | 16.2 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
| Wolftever Creek Elementary | 632 | 15.1 | All free (CEP) | Eligible, no program |
| Westview Elementary | 631 | 17.5 | not reported | Not Title I |
| East Lake Elementary | 626 | 12.4 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
The other 30 elementary schools
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apison Elementary School | 617 | 17.7 | not reported | Not Title I |
| Red Bank Elementary | 616 | 14.7 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
| Thrasher Elementary | 603 | 18.6 | not reported | Not Title I |
| Wallace A. Smith Elementary | 589 | 15.5 | not reported | Not Title I |
| Snow Hill Elementary | 582 | 16.8 | not reported | Eligible, no program |
| East Side Elementary | 553 | 10.5 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
| Bess T Shepherd Elementary | 546 | 13.2 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
| Orchard Knob Elementary | 511 | 13.1 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
| Battle Academy For Teaching Learning | 494 | 14.5 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
| Soddy Elementary | 470 | 15.6 | All free (CEP) | Eligible, no program |
| Chattanooga Charter School of Excellence | 468 | 13.7 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
| Big Ridge Elementary | 466 | 17.3 | not reported | Not Title I |
| Hardy Elementary School | 444 | 11.9 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
| Hixson Elementary | 419 | 11.5 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
| McConnell Elementary | 417 | 17.2 | not reported | Eligible, no program |
| Allen Elementary | 416 | 15.2 | not reported | Not Title I |
| North Hamilton Elementary | 395 | 15.2 | not reported | Eligible, no program |
| Chattanooga School For The Arts And Science Lower | 388 | 15.1 | not reported | Not Title I |
| Daisy Elementary | 382 | 13.2 | All free (CEP) | Eligible, no program |
| Calvin Donaldson Environmental Science Academy | 380 | 12.3 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
| Montessori Elementary at Highland Park | 372 | 15.8 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
| Rivermont Elementary | 352 | 17.2 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
| Barger Academy | 349 | 12.6 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
| Woodmore Elementary | 346 | 12.5 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
| Alpine Crest Elementary | 302 | 17.9 | All free (CEP) | Eligible, no program |
| Tommie F. Brown Academy | 299 | 15.1 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
| Ivy Academy's Skillern Elementary | 277 | not reported | not reported | Not reported |
| DuPont Elementary | 268 | 11.4 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
| Lookout Valley Elementary | 256 | 12.3 | All free (CEP) | Eligible, no program |
| Lookout Mountain Elementary | 215 | 13.2 | not reported | Not Title I |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
15 middle schools, 7,064 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Hamilton Middle School | 913 | 17.8 | not reported | Not Title I |
| Hunter Middle School | 745 | 16.0 | not reported | Not Title I |
| East Ridge Middle School | 591 | 14.3 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
| Hixson Middle School | 591 | 14.6 | All free (CEP) | Eligible, no program |
| Loftis Middle School | 550 | 15.2 | not reported | Eligible, no program |
| East Lake Academy Of Fine Arts | 549 | 11.5 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
| Ooltewah Middle School | 547 | 13.8 | not reported | Schoolwide program |
| Red Bank Middle School | 533 | 13.2 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
| Soddy Daisy Middle School | 450 | 14.4 | not reported | Eligible, no program |
| Tyner Middle Academy | 401 | 14.0 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
| Brown Middle School | 296 | 13.0 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
| Dalewood Middle School | 290 | 11.2 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
The other 3 middle schools
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orchard Knob Middle | 264 | 11.1 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
| Chattanooga Charter School of Excellence Middle | 250 | 19.3 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
| Howard Connect Academy | 94 | 10.8 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
22 high schools, 15,429 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Signal Mountain Middle/High School | 1,396 | 16.2 | not reported | Not Title I |
| The Howard School | 1,329 | 16.1 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
| East Hamilton High School | 1,293 | 66.6 | not reported | Not Title I |
| Ooltewah High School | 1,233 | 16.1 | not reported | Eligible, no program |
| Soddy Daisy High School | 1,122 | 15.3 | not reported | Not Title I |
| Hixson High School | 920 | 14.6 | not reported | Eligible, no program |
| East Ridge High School | 867 | 16.8 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
| Red Bank High School | 772 | 15.3 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
| Chattanooga School For Arts And Sciences Upper | 741 | 17.1 | not reported | Not Title I |
| Brainerd High School | 739 | 12.8 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
| Chatt High Center For Creative Arts | 717 | 16.2 | not reported | Not Title I |
| Tyner Academy | 632 | 13.2 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
The other 10 high schools
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central High School | 617 | 13.1 | not reported | Schoolwide program |
| Sale Creek Middle / High School | 577 | 14.9 | not reported | Eligible, no program |
| Chattanooga Preparatory School | 539 | 10.9 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
| Ivy Academy Inc. | 487 | 13.3 | not reported | Not Title I |
| Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy | 354 | 14.5 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
| Lookout Valley Middle / High School | 309 | 12.5 | not reported | Eligible, no program |
| STEM School Chattanooga | 296 | 16.4 | not reported | Not Title I |
| Sequoyah High School | 235 | 9.0 | not reported | Schoolwide program |
| Hamilton County Collegiate High at Chattanooga State | 141 | 23.8 | not reported | Not Title I |
| Chattanooga Charter School of Excellence High | 113 | 6.6 | All free (CEP) | Not reported |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
2 other schools, 1,233 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chattanooga School For The Liberal Arts | 979 | 14.5 | not reported | Not Title I |
| Hamilton County Virtual School | 254 | 15.7 | All free (CEP) | Eligible, no program |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
One more school on file: small, closed or in an earlier directory
These records carry fewer federal fields than a full school page needs, so each is summarized here with what NCES reports.
Ivy Academy's Skillern Elementary
Elementary school in Soddy-Daisy; open in 2024-25; 277 students.
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 and earlier directories: the last year each school was listed, its students and its teachers.
Contact Hamilton County Schools
- Website: hcde.org
- Phone: (423) 498-7020
- Office: 3074 Hickory Valley RD, Chattanooga, TN 37421
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, local education agency directory 2024-25. Enrollment, boundaries and school assignment are the district's to confirm.
What to look at next about Hamilton County Schools
- Tennessee districts by spending per studentHamilton County Schools ranks 3 of 124 Tennessee districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 on current spending per student in fiscal year 2022-23 ($14,785).#3 of 124
- Every school district in TennesseeHamilton County Schools is the number 5 by size of 148 Tennessee districts, with 45,902 students in fall 2022 (F-33).#5 of 148
- Rutherford County SchoolsThe next larger Tennessee district: 50,707 students in fall 2022, $10,708 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$10,708
- Williamson County SchoolsThe next smaller Tennessee district: 42,171 students in fall 2022, $11,899 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$11,899
- Compare Hamilton County Schools with Rutherford County SchoolsEnrollment, spending, revenue sources and schools, side by side.
- Signal Mountain Middle/High School, its largest high school1,396 students in 2024-25, 16.2 per teacher.1,396
- Teacher salary spending across TennesseeHamilton County Schools spent $65,215 in salaries per full-time teacher in fiscal year 2022-23 (state median $57,379); spending, not a salary.$65,215
- Find the school district for an addressA home's district decides which public schools it can enroll in.
Source: NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 (spending per student and fall 2022 membership; ranks among the state's districts that reported them); NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (schools).
Questions about Hamilton County Schools
How many schools and students are in Hamilton County Schools?
81 schools were open in 2024-25 (42 elementary, 15 middle, 22 high, 2 other), enrolling 45,888 students, according to the NCES Common Core of Data.How much does Hamilton County Schools spend per student?
$14,785 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), which leaves out construction and debt; the Tennessee median for districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 is $11,310 and the U.S. figure is $16,260. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $16,443 per student, up 11.2% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).Where does Hamilton County Schools' money come from?
$719,358,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2022-23: 28.2% state, 54.2% local and 17.5% federal (NCES F-33).How many children in Hamilton County Schools live in poverty?
The Census Bureau estimates that 11,591 of the 58,614 children aged 5 to 17 living within the district's boundaries in 2024, 19.8%, were in families in poverty (Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). It is a model-based estimate for everyone living in the district, not a count of its students; the free-meal shares in the school tables are counts of enrolled students.How much does Hamilton County Schools spend on teacher salaries?
$198,340,000 in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), or $4,321 per student. Divided by the 3,041 full-time teachers in the NCES Common Core of Data for 2022-23 that is $65,215 per teacher, more than 84 in 100 Tennessee districts (state median $57,379). That is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, and the result can differ widely from the average salary a district publishes. The district's salary schedule gives pay. For pay, the National Education Association put the average Tennessee teacher salary at $53,619 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).How do students in Hamilton County Schools do on state tests?
In 2021-22, the students tested in Hamilton County Schools scored proficient or above: 36% in reading and 37% in math, against 35% in reading and 35% in math across Tennessee. Tennessee's own test sets what proficient means, so results compare within the state, not across states. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22.What is the graduation rate in Hamilton County Schools?
88% of the 3,131 students in Hamilton County Schools' class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 87.3% across Tennessee. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23.What is Hamilton County Schools' NCES district ID?
4701590. Each of its schools' 12-digit NCES IDs begins with these seven digits.
Reading these figures: how to choose a school district, what Title I means and what an absenteeism rate means. They are for information and are not a substitute for the school's or district's own records.
Sources
Every federal file behind this record
- NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25: directory, membership, staff and lunch files. nces.ed.gov
- NCES Common Core of Data, 2021-22 school characteristics: Title I status. nces.ed.gov
- Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021-22: AP courses, gifted programs, counselors, discipline. civilrightsdata.ed.gov
- EDFacts, 2022-23: chronic absenteeism. ed.gov
- EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23: the class of 2023 for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
- EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22: reading and math proficiency for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
- NCES Digest of Education Statistics, table 211.60 (2021-22): the state's average teacher salary, from the National Education Association. nces.ed.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024: children aged 5 to 17 and those in families in poverty, by school district. census.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2023-24: per pupil current spending for 2023-24 and 2022-23. census.gov
- NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, fiscal year 2022-23: district spending and revenue. nces.ed.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau geocoder and TIGER school districts: the district boundary used by the district finder. census.gov
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances Per pupil current spending by school system · FY 2023-24
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey Revenue and expenditures by district · FY 2022-23
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School directory, membership, staff and lunch files · 2024-25