Enrollment
1,329
Tennessee · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data High school (grades 9-12) NCES 470159000759
The Howard School — Chattanooga, TN
Federal NCES profile for The Howard School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 35/100.
👥 Class size 36
📚 AP courses 25
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 47
📋 Attendance 0
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)
92.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.1:1
vs 15.6:1 Tennessee avg
+3% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How The Howard School 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
The Howard School reports 1,329 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 92.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 16.1:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 3% above the Tennessee state mean of 15.6:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 1% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
The school offers 5 Advanced Placement courses, a stronger academic pipeline indicator than enrollment alone. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 266 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 65.6% 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 35/100 (F), calculated from 5 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 The Howard School 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 | 16.1:1 | ▲ 3% | 15.6:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Enrollment | 1,329 | top 96% | — | — |
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
16.1:1
students per teacher
— 3% above state mean
Top 67% in Tennessee — lower ratio than 33% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
65.6%
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
Counselors5.0 FTE
Per 266 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
113
in-school suspensions + 104 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 8.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 16.3 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 12 expulsions.
Overview
Enrollment 1,329 Top 96% in Tennessee — larger than 4% of 1,844 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 92.0
Students per teacher 16.1:1 +3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible —
NCES ID 470159000759
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 63.7%
African American 32.0%
Two or More 3.1%
White 1.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 63.7% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
AP courses offered 5
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 5.0
Students per counselor 266:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 65.6%
In-school suspensions 113
Out-of-school suspensions 104
Expulsions 12
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Hamilton County, which includes The Howard School.
$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
- 1,293
- Students per teacher
- 66.6:1
- Enrollment
- 1,233
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Enrollment
- 1,177
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Enrollment
- 1,122
- Students per teacher
- 15.3:1
Similar high schools in Chattanooga
6 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
East Ridge High School
Standard public school
867 students 16.8:1 students per teacher
Red Bank High School
Standard public school
772 students 15.3:1 students per teacher
Brainerd High School
Standard public school
739 students 13:1 students per teacher
Tyner Academy
Standard public school
632 students 13.3:1 students per teacher
Stem School Chattanooga
Standard public school
296 students 16.4:1 students per teacher
Hamilton County Collegiate High at Chattanooga State
Standard public school
141 students 26.2:1 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 The Howard School
How many students attend The Howard School?
The Howard School has 1,329 students enrolled. It is a high school in Chattanooga, TN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at The Howard School?
The student-teacher ratio at The Howard School is 16.1:1, which is 3% higher than the Tennessee average of 15.6:1 and 1% higher than the national average of 15.9:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of The Howard School?
The largest demographic group at The Howard School is Hispanic or Latino at 63.7%. The school serves a diverse student body in Chattanooga, TN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for The Howard School?
The Howard School has a Resource Investment Index of 35/100 (F) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.