Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. District totals are aggregated directly from the schools reporting under this district in the source records. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, the data changelog, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.
Chattanooga, Tennessee - 81 schools
An equity score of 32/100 ranks Hamilton County #90 of 141 districts in Tennessee (state average 38). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $14,785 per pupil, Hamilton County ranks #3 of 142 Tennessee districts by per-pupil spending (Tennessee districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
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 $14,785 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, among the top 15 of 142 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 32/100, ranked #90 of 141 in Tennessee against a state average of 38, in line with the typical spread seen across 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 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.
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
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.
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.
This district scores below average on funding equity. High reliance on local revenue or lower spending may contribute.
Average demographic composition across 81 schools in Hamilton County.
Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.
Average Simpson diversity index across Hamilton County's schools, above the Tennessee average of 38.3.
Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22.
The Tennessee districts closest to this one in total enrollment.
| District | Enrollment | Spending | Funding Mix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Williamson County | Similar size | Lower spending | More locally funded |
| Rutherford County | Similar size | Lower spending | Similar funding mix |
| Montgomery County | Similar size | Lower spending | Less locally funded |
| Knox County | Larger | Lower spending | Similar funding mix |
| Sumner County | Smaller | Lower spending | Similar funding mix |
Comparisons are relative to Hamilton County's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data and the F-33 Finance Survey.
Top districts in the same state, compare side-by-side for enrollment, spending, and demographics.
Out-of-state peers matched by enrollment and by per-pupil expenditure, not the same-state lists above.
See how this district compares to others in enrollment, spending, demographics, and academic resources.
Compare vs Memphis-Shelby County Schools →Hamilton County has 81 schools, including 39 combined, 14 high, 15 middle, 13 elementary. Total enrollment is 45,902 students.
Hamilton County spends $14,785 per student. The district has an equity score of 32/100, ranking #90 in Tennessee.
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.
Hamilton County has an equity score of 32/100, ranking #90 out of 141 districts in Tennessee.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.