Enrollment
546
Tennessee · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Chattanooga, TN
Bess T Shepherd Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Bess T Shepherd Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 41/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 470159000618
👥 S:T ratio 41
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 55
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Bess T Shepherd Elementary earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Tennessee median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Tennessee schools.
- #6 of 7
- elementary schools in Chattanooga · Resource Index
- 41
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.8:1
- students per teacher
- 546
- students enrolled
Bess T Shepherd Elementary has class sizes near the Tennessee median. Computed live against every Tennessee school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Bess T Shepherd Elementary ranks #6 of 7 elementary schools in Chattanooga, TN.
School address
District: Hamilton County · Tennessee
NCES ID 470159000618 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
37.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.8:1
vs 15.3:1 Tennessee avg
-3% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Bess T Shepherd Elementary compares with Tennessee and U.S. medians
What stands out at Bess T Shepherd Elementary
Bess T Shepherd Elementary is a mid-sized elementary school in Chattanooga, Tennessee, enrolling 546 students.
At 14.8:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Tennessee median, within a few percentage points of the 15.3:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
With 546 students, its enrollment sits close to the Tennessee median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,838 scored Tennessee schools.
Its student body is led by African American (47%) and Hispanic or Latino (34%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 65/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 546 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 18.1% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 21.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Chattanooga's elementary schools, it stands alongside East Side Elementary (553 students): Bess T Shepherd Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (14.8:1 vs 10.6:1).
Hamilton County also operates Signal Mountain Middle/High School (1,396 students) and The Howard School (1,329 students) alongside Bess T Shepherd Elementary.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Bess T Shepherd Elementary compares
Bess T Shepherd Elementary on the metrics families compare, against Tennessee and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Tennessee | Tennessee avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.8:1 | ▼ 3% | 15.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 546 | top 38% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.8:1
Leaner classes than 49% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
546
Bigger than 67% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
14.8:1
students per teacher
- 3% below state mean
Top 49% in Tennessee - lower ratio than 51% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
18.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$12,002
per pupil, district-wide
- above Tennessee avg of $10,822
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 546 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 29 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.7 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
African American 47.1%
Hispanic or Latino 33.5%
White 9.5%
Two or More 7.7%
Asian 2.2%
Largest group: African American at 47.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 65.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 65.0, Bess T Shepherd Elementary is more mixed than the Tennessee school average of 38.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Hamilton County, which includes Bess T Shepherd Elementary.
$12,002
Per student
+11%
vs Tennessee
Avg $10,822
-28%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 47.2%
State 31.6%
Federal 21.1%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Bess T Shepherd Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Signal Mountain Middle/High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| The Howard School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| East Hamilton High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ooltewah High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| East Brainerd Elementary | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Bess T Shepherd Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,396
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 1,329
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 1,293
- Students per teacher
- 68.1:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 1,233
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 1,177
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
Similar elementary schools in Chattanooga
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
East Side Elementary
Standard public school
553 students 10.6:1 students per teacher
Chattanooga Charter School of Excellence
Standard public school
468 students 16.7:1 students per teacher
Chattanooga School for the Arts and Science Lower
Standard public school
388 students 16.2:1 students per teacher
Barger Academy
Standard public school
349 students 14:1 students per teacher
Alpine Crest Elementary
Standard public school
302 students 17.8:1 students per teacher
Dupont Elementary
Standard public school
268 students 13.4:1 students per teacher
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Tennessee, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~546 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Bess T Shepherd Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Bess T Shepherd Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Hamilton County's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Bess T Shepherd Elementary
How many students attend Bess T Shepherd Elementary?
Bess T Shepherd Elementary has 546 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Chattanooga, TN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Bess T Shepherd Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Bess T Shepherd Elementary is 14.8:1, which is 3% lower than the Tennessee average of 15.3:1 and 6% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Bess T Shepherd Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Bess T Shepherd Elementary is African American at 47.1% of enrollment, in Chattanooga, TN. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 65.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Bess T Shepherd Elementary?
Bess T Shepherd Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Bess T Shepherd Elementary rank among elementary schools in Chattanooga?
By Resource Investment Index, Bess T Shepherd Elementary ranks #6 of 7 elementary schools in Chattanooga, TN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Chattanooga on the city page.
Is Bess T Shepherd Elementary a good school?
Bess T Shepherd Elementary earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Tennessee median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Tennessee schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Hamilton County?
Besides Bess T Shepherd Elementary, Hamilton County also operates Signal Mountain Middle/High School (1,396 students), The Howard School (1,329 students), and East Hamilton High School (1,293 students). See the Hamilton County district page for the complete list.
Related tools
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. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.