Enrollment
549
Tennessee · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Middle school (grades 6-8) NCES 470159001285
East Lake Academy of Fine Arts — Chattanooga, TN
Federal NCES profile for East Lake Academy of Fine Arts, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 53/100.
👥 Class size 54
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 45
📋 Attendance 44
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)
46.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.5:1
vs 15.6:1 Tennessee avg
-26% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How East Lake Academy of Fine Arts 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
East Lake Academy of Fine Arts reports 549 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 46.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 11.5:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 26% 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 28% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Counselor coverage works out to roughly 275 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 22.4% 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 53/100 (C-), 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 East Lake Academy of Fine Arts 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 | 11.5:1 | ▼ 26% | 15.6:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Enrollment | 549 | top 62% | — | — |
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
11.5:1
students per teacher
— 26% below state mean
Top 11% in Tennessee — lower ratio than 89% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
22.4%
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 275 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
18
in-school suspensions + 29 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 8.6 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 36 expulsions.
Overview
Enrollment 549 Top 62% in Tennessee — larger than 38% of 1,844 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 46.0
Students per teacher 11.5:1 -26% vs state
Free-lunch eligible —
NCES ID 470159001285
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 73.4%
African American 20.4%
Two or More 3.6%
White 2.6%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 73.4% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 2.0
Students per counselor 275:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 22.4%
In-school suspensions 18
Out-of-school suspensions 29
Expulsions 36
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Hamilton County, which includes East Lake Academy of Fine Arts.
$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 middle schools in Chattanooga
6 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
East Ridge Middle School
Standard public school
591 students 14.3:1 students per teacher
Red Bank Middle School
Standard public school
533 students 13.4:1 students per teacher
Tyner Middle Academy
Standard public school
401 students 14:1 students per teacher
Dalewood Middle School
Standard public school
290 students 11.2:1 students per teacher
Orchard Knob Middle
Standard public school
264 students 11.1:1 students per teacher
Chattanooga Charter School of Excellence Middle
Standard public school
250 students 19.3:1 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 East Lake Academy of Fine Arts
How many students attend East Lake Academy of Fine Arts?
East Lake Academy of Fine Arts has 549 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Chattanooga, TN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at East Lake Academy of Fine Arts?
The student-teacher ratio at East Lake Academy of Fine Arts is 11.5:1, which is 26% lower than the Tennessee average of 15.6:1 and 28% 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 East Lake Academy of Fine Arts?
The largest demographic group at East Lake Academy of Fine Arts is Hispanic or Latino at 73.4%. The school serves a diverse student body in Chattanooga, TN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for East Lake Academy of Fine Arts?
East Lake Academy of Fine Arts has a Resource Investment Index of 53/100 (C-) 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.