Enrollment
94
Tennessee · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Chattanooga, TN
Howard Connect Academy
Federal NCES profile for Howard Connect Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 59/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 470159002595
👥 S:T ratio 84
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 81
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Howard Connect Academy earns 59/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 98% of Tennessee schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in Tennessee.
- #1 of 8
- middle schools in Chattanooga · Resource Index
- 59
- Resource Index · Higher
- 4.1:1
- small classes for Tennessee
- 94
- students enrolled
Howard Connect Academy has class sizes smaller than 98% of Tennessee schools. Computed live against every Tennessee school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Howard Connect Academy ranks #1 of 8 middle schools in Chattanooga, TN.
School address
District: Hamilton County · Tennessee
NCES ID 470159002595 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
23.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
4.1:1
vs 15.3:1 Tennessee avg
-73% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Howard Connect Academy compares with Tennessee and U.S. medians
What stands out at Howard Connect Academy
Howard Connect Academy is a small middle school in Chattanooga, Tennessee, enrolling 94 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 4.1:1, Howard Connect Academy is leaner than roughly 98% of Tennessee schools and 73% under the state's 15.3:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 95% of Tennessee schools, with 94 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 94% 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 (55%) and Hispanic or Latino (36%) (diversity index 56/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 94 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 69.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data 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.
Discipline events run high: 77 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 94 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Chattanooga's middle schools, it stands alongside East Ridge Middle School (591 students): Howard Connect Academy is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (4.1:1 vs 12.1:1).
Hamilton County also operates Signal Mountain Middle/High School (1,396 students) and The Howard School (1,329 students) alongside Howard Connect Academy.
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 Howard Connect Academy compares
Howard Connect Academy on the metrics families compare, against Tennessee and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Tennessee | Tennessee avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 4.1:1 | ▼ 73% | 15.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 94 | top 95% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
4.1:1
Leaner classes than 99% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
94
Bigger than 9% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
4.1:1
students per teacher
- 73% below state mean
Top 2% in Tennessee - lower ratio than 98% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
69.1%
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 94 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
21
in-school suspensions + 56 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 22.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 81.9 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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 55.3%
Hispanic or Latino 36.2%
White 6.4%
Two or More 2.1%
Largest group: African American at 55.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 55.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 55.9, Howard Connect Academy 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 Howard Connect Academy.
$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 Howard Connect Academy 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 Howard Connect Academy'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
East Lake Academy of Fine Arts
Standard public school
549 students 11.9:1 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
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 (~94 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~4.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Howard Connect Academy's federal record.
- Compare Howard Connect Academy 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 Howard Connect Academy
How many students attend Howard Connect Academy?
Howard Connect Academy has 94 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Chattanooga, TN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Howard Connect Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Howard Connect Academy is 4.1:1, which is 73% lower than the Tennessee average of 15.3:1 and 74% 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 Howard Connect Academy?
The largest demographic group at Howard Connect Academy is African American at 55.3% of enrollment, in Chattanooga, TN. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 55.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Howard Connect Academy?
Howard Connect Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 59/100 (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 Howard Connect Academy rank among middle schools in Chattanooga?
By Resource Investment Index, Howard Connect Academy ranks #1 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 Howard Connect Academy a good school?
Howard Connect Academy earns 59/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 98% of Tennessee schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in Tennessee. 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 Howard Connect Academy, 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.