Red Bank Middle School

Red Bank Middle School serves 533 students in grades 6–8 in Chattanooga, TN, and is part of Hamilton County Schools. The school has earned a 1-star state rating for five consecutive years, ranking in the mid-20s percentile among Tennessee middle schools (442nd out of 594 in 2025–2026). While that might sound alarming, the full picture is more nuanced: Red Bank actually outranks several nearby schools, including East Ridge Middle, Brown Middle, Dalewood Middle, and Orchard Knob Middle, while trailing higher-performing neighbors like Hixson Middle and Loftis Middle.

Academically, math is the school's most serious challenge. Only 15.7% of Red Bank students scored proficient in math, compared to 40% districtwide, and proficiency actually declines from 20% in 6th grade to 11.2% in 8th grade. ELA proficiency is also low at 20.8%, though that is roughly three times higher than Dalewood Middle and East Lake Academy of Fine Arts. The relative bright spots are social studies and science: social studies proficiency reached 45%, nearly matching the district average of 51.4%, and science has improved steadily from 27.3% to 34.2% over the past four years.

The most urgent concern for parents to understand is chronic absenteeism. At 26.1%, Red Bank's rate is roughly 8–9 points above the state average and more than 11 points above Hixson Middle's rate of 14.7%. Notably, Red Bank spends about $18,174 per student — nearly identical to Loftis Middle, which ranks in the 88th percentile — yet its scores remain flat. Spending jumped 46% over three years without meaningful gains in math or ELA. Progress among low-income students has been steady (rising from the 25th to 35th percentile), and the school is clearly capable of improvement. But the data strongly suggests the path forward depends less on additional funding and more on improving attendance and implementing targeted math intervention.