Enrollment
539
Tennessee · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Chattanooga, TN
Chattanooga Preparatory School
Federal NCES profile for Chattanooga Preparatory School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 68/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 470159002510Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 36
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 97
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Chattanooga Preparatory School earns 68/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Tennessee median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Tennessee schools.
- #1 of 25
- schools in Chattanooga · Resource Index
- 68
- Resource Index · Higher
- 15.9:1
- students per teacher
- 539
- students enrolled
Chattanooga Preparatory School has class sizes near the Tennessee median. Computed live against every Tennessee school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Chattanooga Preparatory School ranks #1 of 25 schools in Chattanooga, TN.
School address
District: Hamilton County · Tennessee
NCES ID 470159002510 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
34.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.9:1
vs 15.3:1 Tennessee avg
+4% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Chattanooga Preparatory School compares with Tennessee and U.S. medians
What stands out at Chattanooga Preparatory School
Chattanooga Preparatory School is a mid-sized charter combined-grade school in Chattanooga, Tennessee, enrolling 539 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.9:1 puts it in the larger third of Tennessee schools by student-teacher ratio.
With 539 students, its enrollment sits close to the Tennessee median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 98% of the 1,838 Tennessee schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Its student body is led by African American (51%) and Hispanic or Latino (38%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 59/100).
Attendance holds up well here: only 1.1% 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 Chattanooga's public schools, it stands alongside East Brainerd Elementary (1,177 students): Chattanooga Preparatory School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (15.9:1 vs 16.3:1).
Hamilton County also operates Signal Mountain Middle/High School (1,396 students) and The Howard School (1,329 students) alongside Chattanooga Preparatory School.
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 Chattanooga Preparatory School compares
Chattanooga Preparatory School on the metrics families compare, against Tennessee and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Tennessee | Tennessee avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.9:1 | ▲ 4% | 15.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 539 | top 39% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.9:1
Leaner classes than 39% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
539
Bigger than 66% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
15.9:1
students per teacher
- 4% above state mean
Top 64% in Tennessee - lower ratio than 36% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
1.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 5%, comfortably under the pre-pandemic national baseline for chronic absenteeism.
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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
African American 51.2%
Hispanic or Latino 38.4%
Two or More 5.9%
White 4.3%
Asian 0.2%
Largest group: African American at 51.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 58.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 58.5, Chattanooga Preparatory School 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 Chattanooga Preparatory School.
$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 Chattanooga Preparatory School 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 Chattanooga Preparatory School'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 other schools in Chattanooga
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
East Brainerd Elementary
Standard public school
1,177 students 16.3:1 students per teacher
Chattanooga School for the Liberal Arts
Standard public school
979 students 18.1:1 students per teacher
East Ridge Elementary
Standard public school
959 students 13.9:1 students per teacher
Normal Park Museum Magnet School
Standard public school
877 students 16.5:1 students per teacher
Harrison Elementary
Standard public school
775 students 14.4:1 students per teacher
Chattanooga School for Arts and Sciences Upper
Standard public school
741 students 18.5:1 students per teacher
Similar other 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 (~539 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Chattanooga Preparatory School's federal record.
- Compare Chattanooga Preparatory School 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 Chattanooga Preparatory School
How many students attend Chattanooga Preparatory School?
Chattanooga Preparatory School has 539 students enrolled. It is a public school in Chattanooga, TN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Chattanooga Preparatory School?
The student-teacher ratio at Chattanooga Preparatory School is 15.9:1, which is 4% higher than the Tennessee average of 15.3:1 and 1% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Chattanooga Preparatory School?
The largest demographic group at Chattanooga Preparatory School is African American at 51.2% of enrollment, in Chattanooga, TN. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 58.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Chattanooga Preparatory School?
Chattanooga Preparatory School has a Resource Investment Index of 68/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Chattanooga Preparatory School rank among schools in Chattanooga?
By Resource Investment Index, Chattanooga Preparatory School ranks #1 of 25 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 schools in Chattanooga on the city page.
Is Chattanooga Preparatory School a good school?
Chattanooga Preparatory School earns 68/100 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 Chattanooga Preparatory School, 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.