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Chattanooga, Tennessee - 81 schools
An equity score of 30/100 ranks Hamilton County #99 of 140 districts in Tennessee (state average 38). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $12,002 per pupil, Hamilton County ranks #16 of 141 Tennessee districts by per-pupil spending (Tennessee districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
45,902
Total Enrollment
81
Schools
$12,002
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, Middle
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Hamilton County operates 81 public schools serving 45,902 students, placing it among the largest districts in Tennessee. The school portfolio breaks down into 39 combined, 15 middle, 14 high, 13 elementary schools, giving families in a major system a clear picture of grade-band coverage across a large portfolio before they move, rent, or enrol. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Hamilton County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $12,002 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the upper half of 141 Tennessee districts by per-pupil spending. See how Tennessee compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 47.2% local, 31.6% state, and 21.1% federal, a balanced mix across local, state, and federal sources, spreading budget risk across funding cycles rather than concentrating it in one. The district's equity score is 30/100, ranked #99 of 140 in Tennessee against a state average of 38, notably less even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.
Academic infrastructure includes 15 of 81 schools offering Advanced Placement (77 AP courses district-wide), a 394.8:1 student-counselor ratio, well above the ASCA benchmark though still under the roughly 408:1 national average, and 22.8% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 43.4% White, 26.1% African American, 21.0% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is East Brainerd Elementary, with a diversity index of 75.9/100.
Its largest campus is Signal Mountain Middle/High School, enrolling 1,396 students (3% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Howard Connect Academy, at 94 students, a 15x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.
Hamilton County school enrollment varies 15× across entities
Hamilton County school enrollment ranges from 94 students (lowest) to 1,396 students (highest), a spread of 1,302 students. That spread reflects typical mixed-portfolio variation between specialty programs and large neighbourhood schools. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.
Hamilton County student-counselor ratio is 395:1 — high (typically associated with staffing constraints that limit per-student counselor time; CRDC data shows higher ratios cluster in larger urban systems)
student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment, districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.
Hamilton County chronic absenteeism rate is 22.8% — near the typical range (US average ~28) — aligned with the national post-pandemic baseline of roughly 28% chronic absenteeism
chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason, illness, family obligations, or disengagement Variation between sub-units within Hamilton County is typically wider than the Hamilton County-aggregate figure suggests.
Hamilton County has 81 schools, including 39 combined, 14 high, 15 middle, 13 elementary. Total enrollment is 45,902 students.
How much does Hamilton County spend per student?
Hamilton County spends $12,002 per student. The district has an equity score of 30/100, ranking #99 in Tennessee.
What is the demographic composition of Hamilton County?
Hamilton County students are 43.4% White, 26.1% African American, 21.0% Hispanic or Latino, 1.5% Asian, averaged across 81 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Hamilton County?
Hamilton County has an equity score of 30/100, ranking #99 out of 140 districts in Tennessee.