Enrollment
380
Tennessee · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 470159000938
Calvin Donaldson Environmental Science Academy — Chattanooga, TN
Federal NCES profile for Calvin Donaldson Environmental Science Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 42/100.
👥 Class size 50
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 62
📋 Attendance 27
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Hamilton County · Tennessee
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
33.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.5:1
vs 15.6:1 Tennessee avg
-20% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Calvin Donaldson Environmental Science Academy compares with Tennessee and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Calvin Donaldson Environmental Science Academy reports 380 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 33.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 12.5:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 20% below the Tennessee state mean of 15.6:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 21% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Counselor coverage works out to roughly 190 students per counselor, meeting the American School Counselor Association recommendation of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 29.2% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Hamilton County spends $12,591 per pupil district-wide, above the Tennessee average of $12,324 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 47.2% from local sources (property taxes), 31.6% from the state, and 21.1% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 42/100 (D), calculated from 4 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Calvin Donaldson Environmental Science Academy compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Tennessee state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Tennessee | Tennessee avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 12.5:1 | ▼ 20% | 15.6:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Enrollment | 380 | top 36% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Staffing depth
12.5:1
students per teacher
— 20% below state mean
Top 17% in Tennessee — lower ratio than 83% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
29.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$12,591
per pupil, district-wide
— above Tennessee avg of $12,324
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 190 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 33 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 8.7 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 380 Top 36% in Tennessee — larger than 64% of 1,844 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 33.0
Students per teacher 12.5:1 -20% vs state
Free-lunch eligible —
NCES ID 470159000938
Student demographics
African American 65.3%
Hispanic or Latino 24.5%
White 6.6%
Two or More 3.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: African American at 65.3% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 2.0
Students per counselor 190:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 29.2%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 33
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Hamilton County, which includes Calvin Donaldson Environmental Science Academy.
$12,591
Per student
+2%
vs Tennessee
Avg $12,324
-35%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,396
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Enrollment
- 1,329
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Enrollment
- 1,293
- Students per teacher
- 66.6:1
- Enrollment
- 1,233
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Enrollment
- 1,177
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
Similar other schools in Chattanooga
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
East Brainerd Elementary
Standard public school
1,177 students 16.9:1 students per teacher
Chattanooga School for the Liberal Arts
Standard public school
979 students 14.7:1 students per teacher
East Ridge Elementary
Standard public school
959 students 14.4:1 students per teacher
Normal Park Museum Magnet School
Standard public school
877 students 15.5:1 students per teacher
Harrison Elementary
Standard public school
775 students 18.8:1 students per teacher
Chattanooga School for Arts and Sciences Upper
Standard public school
741 students 17.1:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Calvin Donaldson Environmental Science Academy
How many students attend Calvin Donaldson Environmental Science Academy?
Calvin Donaldson Environmental Science Academy has 380 students enrolled. It is a other school in Chattanooga, TN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Calvin Donaldson Environmental Science Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Calvin Donaldson Environmental Science Academy is 12.5:1, which is 20% lower than the Tennessee average of 15.6:1 and 21% lower than the national average of 15.9:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Calvin Donaldson Environmental Science Academy?
The largest demographic group at Calvin Donaldson Environmental Science Academy is African American at 65.3%. The school serves a diverse student body in Chattanooga, TN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Calvin Donaldson Environmental Science Academy?
Calvin Donaldson Environmental Science Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 42/100 (D) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.