Enrollment
466
Tennessee · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Hixson, TN
Big Ridge Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Big Ridge Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 46/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 470159000624
👥 S:T ratio 34
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 7
📋 Attendance 75
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Big Ridge Elementary earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 73% of Tennessee schools.
- #3 of 7
- public schools in Hixson · Resource Index
- 46
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.6:1
- large classes for Tennessee
- 466
- students enrolled
Big Ridge Elementary has class sizes larger than 73% of Tennessee schools. Computed live against every Tennessee school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Big Ridge Elementary ranks #3 of 7 public schools in Hixson, TN.
School address
District: Hamilton County · Tennessee
NCES ID 470159000624 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
28.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.6:1
vs 15.3:1 Tennessee avg
+8% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Big Ridge Elementary compares with Tennessee and U.S. medians
What stands out at Big Ridge Elementary
Big Ridge Elementary is a mid-sized elementary school in Hixson, Tennessee, enrolling 466 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.6:1 puts it in the larger third of Tennessee schools by student-teacher ratio.
With 466 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 White (69%) and Two or More (9%) (diversity index 50/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 466 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 9.9% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Its district draws 21.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Hixson's elementary schools, it stands alongside Mcconnell Elementary (417 students): Big Ridge Elementary is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (16.6:1 vs 16:1).
Hamilton County also operates Signal Mountain Middle/High School (1,396 students) and The Howard School (1,329 students) alongside Big Ridge 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 Big Ridge Elementary compares
Big Ridge 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 | 16.6:1 | ▲ 8% | 15.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 466 | top 50% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.6:1
Leaner classes than 33% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
466
Bigger than 57% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
16.6:1
students per teacher
- 8% above state mean
Top 73% in Tennessee - lower ratio than 27% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
9.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
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 466 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 8 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.1 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
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
White 69.1%
Two or More 8.8%
Asian 7.9%
Hispanic or Latino 7.3%
African American 6.9%
Largest group: White at 69.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 49.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 49.8, Big Ridge 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 Big Ridge 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 Big Ridge Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Signal Mountain Middle/High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| The Howard School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Lower 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 | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Big Ridge 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 Hixson
1 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
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 (~466 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Big Ridge Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Big Ridge 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 Big Ridge Elementary
How many students attend Big Ridge Elementary?
Big Ridge Elementary has 466 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Hixson, TN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Big Ridge Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Big Ridge Elementary is 16.6:1, which is 8% higher than the Tennessee average of 15.3:1 and 6% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Big Ridge Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Big Ridge Elementary is White at 69.1% of enrollment, in Hixson, TN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Big Ridge Elementary?
Big Ridge Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (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 Big Ridge Elementary rank among public schools in Hixson?
By Resource Investment Index, Big Ridge Elementary ranks #3 of 7 public schools in Hixson, TN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Hixson on the city page.
Is Big Ridge Elementary a good school?
Big Ridge Elementary earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 73% of 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 Big Ridge 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.