Enrollment
549
Tennessee · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Chattanooga, TN
East Lake Academy of Fine Arts
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.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 470159001285
👥 S:T ratio 52
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 45
📋 Attendance 44
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
East Lake Academy of Fine Arts earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 84% of Tennessee schools.
- #2 of 8
- middle schools in Chattanooga · Resource Index
- 53
- Resource Index · Higher
- 11.9:1
- small classes for Tennessee
- 549
- students enrolled
East Lake Academy of Fine Arts has class sizes smaller than 84% of Tennessee schools. Computed live against every Tennessee school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, East Lake Academy of Fine Arts ranks #2 of 8 middle schools in Chattanooga, TN.
School address
District: Hamilton County · Tennessee
NCES ID 470159001285 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
46.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.9:1
vs 15.3:1 Tennessee avg
-22% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How East Lake Academy of Fine Arts compares with Tennessee and U.S. medians
What stands out at East Lake Academy of Fine Arts
East Lake Academy of Fine Arts is a mid-sized middle school in Chattanooga, Tennessee, enrolling 549 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 11.9:1 puts it in the smaller third of Tennessee schools by student-teacher ratio.
With 549 students, its enrollment sits close to the Tennessee median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,838 scored Tennessee schools.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (73%) and African American (20%) (diversity index 42/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 275 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 22.4% 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 36 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Chattanooga's middle schools, it stands alongside East Ridge Middle School (591 students): East Lake Academy of Fine Arts is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (11.9:1 vs 12.1:1).
Hamilton County also operates Signal Mountain Middle/High School (1,396 students) and The Howard School (1,329 students) alongside East Lake Academy of Fine Arts.
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 East Lake Academy of Fine Arts compares
East Lake Academy of Fine Arts on the metrics families compare, against Tennessee and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Tennessee | Tennessee avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 11.9:1 | ▼ 22% | 15.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 549 | top 38% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.9:1
Leaner classes than 76% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
549
Bigger than 68% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
11.9:1
students per teacher
- 22% below state mean
Top 16% in Tennessee - lower ratio than 84% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
22.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
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
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
- 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
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.
Student-body diversity index 41.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 41.8, East Lake Academy of Fine Arts 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 East Lake Academy of Fine Arts.
$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 East Lake Academy of Fine Arts 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 | Higher S:T ratio |
| East Hamilton High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ooltewah High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| East Brainerd Elementary | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to East Lake Academy of Fine Arts'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 middle schools in Chattanooga
6 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
East Ridge Middle School
Standard public school
591 students 12.1:1 students per teacher
Red Bank Middle School
Standard public school
533 students 13.3:1 students per teacher
Tyner Middle Academy
Standard public school
401 students 14.3:1 students per teacher
Dalewood Middle School
Standard public school
290 students 12.6:1 students per teacher
Orchard Knob Middle
Standard public school
264 students 8.8:1 students per teacher
Chattanooga Charter School of Excellence Middle
Standard public school
250 students 27.8:1 students per teacher
Similar middle 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 (~549 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~11.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on East Lake Academy of Fine Arts's federal record.
- Compare East Lake Academy of Fine Arts 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 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 11.9:1, which is 22% lower than the Tennessee average of 15.3:1 and 24% 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 East Lake Academy of Fine Arts?
The largest demographic group at East Lake Academy of Fine Arts is Hispanic or Latino at 73.4% of enrollment, 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 (higher 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 East Lake Academy of Fine Arts rank among middle schools in Chattanooga?
By Resource Investment Index, East Lake Academy of Fine Arts ranks #2 of 8 middle 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 middle schools in Chattanooga on the city page.
Is East Lake Academy of Fine Arts a good school?
East Lake Academy of Fine Arts earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 84% 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 East Lake Academy of Fine Arts, 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.