Best Public Schools in Chattanooga, TN

Chattanooga, Tennessee, is served by 46 schools within the Hamilton County Schools district, spanning elementary, middle, and high school grades. The district ranks 81st out of 141 Tennessee districts with a 2-star rating and enrolls roughly 24,111 students, with an average school size of about 524 students. The breakdown includes 25 elementary schools, 7 middle schools, 12 high schools, and 2 alternative schools. Per-pupil spending averages about $18,984 but ranges from $12,567 at Hamilton County Collegiate High at Chattanooga State to $26,303 at Howard Connect Academy.

The city's top-performing schools are largely magnet, optional, or specialized programs. Chattanooga High School Center for Creative Arts ranks #5 of 400 Tennessee high schools (99th percentile), with 77.3% math proficiency and 88.2% science proficiency. Hamilton County Collegiate High at Chattanooga State ranks #9 with 90.2% Algebra II proficiency despite having the lowest per-pupil spending in the city. STEM School Chattanooga, Chattanooga School for the Liberal Arts, Chattanooga School for the Arts and Sciences Upper, Westview Elementary, and Normal Park Museum Magnet also rank in the top quartile statewide. In contrast, traditional zoned schools dominate the bottom of the rankings. Hardy Elementary ranks #1017 of 1,019 with just 7.3% math proficiency, while Orchard Knob Middle and Dalewood Middle both sit in the 3rd percentile statewide.

Chronic absenteeism is tightly connected to low performance: The Howard School has 52.1% chronic absenteeism, and Brainerd High and Orchard Knob Middle are above 42%, while top schools like Normal Park and East Side Elementary are near 5%. Spending does not predict success — Howard Connect Academy spends the most at $26,303 per student but posts only 15.4% math proficiency, and Orchard Knob Middle spends $24,512 per student with just 5.6% math proficiency. Graduation rates also mask academic struggles: The Howard School graduates 96.7% of students despite just 6.7% English I proficiency, and Chattanooga Preparatory School shows a similar gap with a 98.0% graduation rate. Middle school is a particular vulnerability, as nearly all standalone middle schools in the city rank in the bottom quartile statewide.