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Orchard Knob Middle School

Public Grades 6-8

574^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 594 Tennessee Middle Schools

Better than 3% of Tennessee middle schools

Summary

Orchard Knob Middle School is a small urban school in Chattanooga, TN, serving 264 students in grades 6–8 within Hamilton County Schools. The school has ranked in the bottom 1st–9th percentile in every available year since 2013–2014 and currently sits at 574th out of 594 Tennessee middle schools (3rd percentile, 0 stars). Academic proficiency is dramatically below district and state averages—only 5.6% of students were proficient in math in 2025–2026, compared to 40% districtwide and 43% statewide. Science (12.4%) and social studies (20.2%) proficiency are also far below state averages of roughly 47% and 51%.

The school's most defining challenge is chronic absenteeism. In 2024–2025, 47.5% of Orchard Knob students were chronically absent—nearly double the next-highest nearby school (Dalewood Middle School at 27.8%) and about five times the rate at Hunter Middle School (9.7%). This pattern has persisted for five years, hovering near or above half the student body. By comparison, Hunter Middle School ranks in the 86th percentile and has math proficiency of 46.3%, while Orchard Knob has the lowest math proficiency among all nearby schools. Even comparable schools like Dalewood Middle School have more than double Orchard Knob's math proficiency rate (11.1% vs. 5.6%). Chattanooga Charter School of Excellence Middle and East Lake Academy Of Fine Arts also outperform Orchard Knob in math.

Orchard Knob spends $24,512 per student—about 49% more than Hunter Middle School's $16,400—yet outcomes remain very low. The school also reports no Algebra I results, suggesting limited access to advanced coursework compared to Hixson Middle School (87.9% proficient in Algebra I). One positive sign: social studies proficiency has improved from 7.7% in 2022–2023 to 20.2% in 2025–2026, a notable gain. The clearest takeaway is that chronic absenteeism is the school's most urgent issue—nearly half of students are missing enough school to undermine learning. Without major progress on attendance and instructional quality, Orchard Knob is likely to remain in the bottom percentile of Tennessee middle schools.

264

Students ?

9.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$24,512

Per pupil spending ?

98.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

500 North Highland Park Avenue
Chattanooga, TN 37404

(423) 493-7793

District: Hamilton County Schools

Students who attend Orchard Knob Middle School usually attend:

High:	Chattanooga School for the Arts and Sciences Upper
	Hamilton County Collegiate High at Chattanooga State
	Sequoyah High School
	STEM School Chattanooga
	More...
	The Howard School

Feeder schools for Orchard Knob Middle School:

Elementary:	Battle Academy for Teaching and Learning
	Calvin Donaldson Environmental Science Academy
	East Side Elementary School
	Orchard Knob Elementary School
	More...
	Tommie F. Brown Academy School

Racial breakdown:

African American:

59.5%

Hispanic:

26.5%

Two or more races:

9.8%

See top rated Tennessee middle schools

Compare Orchard Knob Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 1st percentile in 2014 → 3rd in 2026

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 10 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Tennessee average (12% vs 46% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (3rd percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (48% vs 18% Tennessee)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school12%

District avg44%

Tennessee avg46%

574^th of 594

Tennessee public middle schools ?

Bottom 3%▼ down 2 pts since 2018

See the entire ranking list of Tennessee Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

13^th of 14Middle Schools in the Hamilton County Schools

81^st of 141Hamilton County Schools among Tennessee districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	6.3	574 of 594	3.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	6.2	569 of 583	2.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	5.7	576 of 587	1.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	6.5	579 of 594	2.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	9.3	535 of 569	6.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	9.7	526 of 576	8.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	6.6	564 of 574	1.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	9.0	533 of 563	5.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	2.9	489 of 492	0.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2014	1.7	482 of 485	0.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	4.7	471 of 475	0.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	3.7	463 of 466	0.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	7.0	451 of 462	2.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2010	4.0	435 of 435	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	14.0	306 of 328	6.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	14.1	292 of 312	6.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	13.0	309 of 318	2.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	15.6	280 of 299	6.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	16.1	258 of 277	6.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	13.4	292 of 293	0.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	11.5	279 of 284	1.8%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2025	5.1	539 of 546	1.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	5.5	552 of 554	0.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	7.2	537 of 552	2.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	10.4	492 of 538	8.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	6.0	525 of 529	0.8%	☆☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	14.2	282 of 302	6.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	12.9	269 of 286	5.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	7.8	285 of 285	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	8.0	284 of 285	0.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	21.2	237 of 275	13.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	29.4	181 of 261	30.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	25.6	184 of 228	19.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	5.1	219 of 219	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2023	31.4	22 of 26	15.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	13.4	459 of 478	4.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	13.0	464 of 490	5.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	10.3	496 of 510	2.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	10.4	502 of 514	2.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	13.4	466 of 495	5.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	14.7	447 of 483	7.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	10.5	479 of 490	2.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	6.7	478 of 481	0.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2025	9.1	523 of 550	4.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	6.8	549 of 560	2.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	6.0	553 of 557	0.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	10.6	508 of 540	5.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	9.4	499 of 529	5.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	7.3	513 of 523	1.9%	☆☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	19.6	327 of 349	6.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	21.3	247 of 260	5.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	28.6	185 of 238	22.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	58.8	53 of 279	81.0%	★★★★☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Homeless (2023)15th percentile+13 vs school

African American (2026)7th percentile+3 vs school

Hispanic (2026)7th percentile+3 vs school

Special Education (2026)6th percentile+3 vs school

Male (2025)5th percentile+3 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)4th percentile~ school

Female (2025)1st percentile~ school

By subject vs Tennessee (2025-2026) ?

Social Studies20%-31 vs state

Science12%-35 vs state

English Language Arts7%-33 vs state

Mathematics6%-37 vs state

★

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Schools Near Orchard Knob Middle School

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				TNReady Mathematics (2026)				TNReady English Language Arts (2026)				TNReady Algebra I (2026)		TNReady Science (2026)				TNReady Social Studies (2026)				Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients (2016)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	TNReady Mathematics 6th Grade	TNReady Mathematics 7th Grade	TNReady Mathematics 8th Grade	TNReady Mathematics All Grades	TNReady English Language Arts 6th Grade	TNReady English Language Arts 7th Grade	TNReady English Language Arts 8th Grade	TNReady English Language Arts All Grades	TNReady Algebra I 8th Grade	TNReady Algebra I All Grades	TNReady Science 6th Grade	TNReady Science 7th Grade	TNReady Science 8th Grade	TNReady Science All Grades	TNReady Social Studies 6th Grade	TNReady Social Studies 7th Grade	TNReady Social Studies 8th Grade	TNReady Social Studies All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Orchard Knob Middle School	Public	6-8	500 North Highland Park Avenue	Chattanooga	37404	Hamilton County	Hamilton County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(423) 493-7793	281	29	9.7	98.6%	15 (5.3%)	182 (64.8%)	56 (19.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (10.0%)	6.3	574^th of 594 public middle schools	3.4%		6.2	569^th of 583 public middle schools	2.4%	5	8.0			5.6	6.7						16.1	13.8	6.6	12.4	22.7	25.6	10.8	20.2	$24,512	$1,658	$21,990
Chattanooga Charter School of Excellence Middle	Public, Charter	6-8	1849 Union Avenue	Chattanooga	37404	Hamilton County	Hamilton County Schools	Yes	No	No	Yes	(423) 777-4603	231	10	22.1	0.0%	5 (2.2%)	135 (58.4%)	80 (34.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (4.3%)	7.2	568^th of 594 public middle schools	4.4%		11.4	523^rd of 583 public middle schools	10.3%	45		16.4	18.2	12.5		6.8	7.6	5.8			7.1	16.4	15.2	12.5	12.9	26.0	9.1	16.1	$18,502	$568	$17,076
Howard Connect Academy	Public	8	100 E 25th Street	Chattanooga	37408	Hamilton County	Hamilton County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(423) 498-6888	187	22	8.5		11 (5.9%)	106 (56.7%)	61 (32.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (4.8%)	9.1	552^nd of 594 public middle schools	7.1%		7.8	560^th of 583 public middle schools	3.9%	8			15.4	15.4									15.8	15.8			15.4	15.4	$26,303	$1,224	$25,054
Chatt Academy Community School	Public, Charter	6-8	901 Woodmore Lane	Chattanooga	37411	Hamilton County	Hamilton County Schools	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(423) 258-5595	0				0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)		19.4	8.7	11.4	17.5	12.7	22.7	17.1	66.7	66.7	22.8	27.0	27.3	25.6	19.3	28.6	29.5	25.6	$17,802	$568	$16,456
East Lake Academy Of Fine Arts	Public, Magnet	6-8	2700 East 34th Street	Chattanooga	37407	Hamilton County	Hamilton County Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(423) 493-0334	554	48	11.6	99.0%	21 (3.8%)	117 (21.1%)	396 (71.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (3.6%)	12.9	519^th of 594 public middle schools	12.6%		9.7	539^th of 583 public middle schools	7.5%	20	19.7	7.3	22.1	16.2	12.9		8.0	8.5			31.5	14.7	22.1	22.8	28.1	27.5	17.2	24.5	$21,576	$1,332	$19,481
Dalewood Middle School	Public	6-8	1300 Shallowford Road	Chattanooga	37411	Hamilton County	Hamilton County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(423) 493-0323	260	26	9.9	94.3%	13 (5.0%)	161 (61.9%)	58 (22.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (10.8%)	6.1	576^th of 594 public middle schools	3.0%		6	570^th of 583 public middle schools	2.2%	6	12.9	6.9	13.6	11.1			9.8	6.3			10.6	8.0	16.0	11.5	10.7	9.2	16.3	12.0	$23,825	$1,719	$21,201
East Ridge Middle School	Public	6-8	4400 Bennett Road	Chattanooga	37412	Hamilton County	Hamilton County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(423) 867-6214	618	45	13.7	87.6%	116 (18.8%)	137 (22.2%)	304 (49.2%)	9 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	52 (8.4%)	15.8	508^th of 594 public middle schools	14.5%		14.9	505^th of 583 public middle schools	13.4%	3	12.9	8.6	20.1	13.9	15.1	14.5	17.8	15.9			20.4	21.7	28.3	23.6	26.3	28.5	36.6	30.6	$17,955	$1,028	$16,156
Red Bank Middle School	Public	6-8	3701 Tom Weathers Drive	Chattanooga	37415	Hamilton County	Hamilton County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(423) 874-1908	508	38	13.4	80.3%	186 (36.6%)	117 (23.0%)	141 (27.8%)	7 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	57 (11.2%)	28.5	442^nd of 594 public middle schools	25.6%		27.9	434^th of 583 public middle schools	25.6%	8	20.0	15.7	11.2	15.7	25.5	16.8	20.8	20.8	52.0	52.0	35.5	31.4	35.8	34.2	45.8	52.9	36.6	45.0	$18,174	$1,068	$16,293
Hixson Middle School	Public	6-8	5681 Old Hixson PIKE	Hixson	37343	Hamilton County	Hamilton County Schools	No	No	No	No	(423) 870-0600	558	42	13.2	64.9%	296 (53.0%)	82 (14.7%)	101 (18.1%)	14 (2.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	63 (11.3%)	41.9	347^th of 594 public middle schools	41.6%		51.1	265^th of 583 public middle schools	54.5%	82	20.1	30.5	25.0	25.3	27.4	29.6	28.8	28.6	87.9	87.9	37.4	42.0	47.8	42.5	43.6	48.1	46.8	46.2	$17,233	$752	$15,686
Brown Middle School	Public	6-8	5716 Hwy 58	Harrison	37341	Hamilton County	Hamilton County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(423) 344-1439	340	21	16.3	69.6%	99 (29.1%)	162 (47.6%)	38 (11.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	41 (12.1%)	23.9	471^st of 594 public middle schools	20.7%		21.5	466^th of 583 public middle schools	20.1%	5	8.9	7.4	24.4	13.2	12.9	17.0	22.0	17.1			21.8	23.7	48.9	31.0	17.8	41.3	56.7	37.8	$19,845	$840	$18,034

Frequently Asked Questions about Orchard Knob Middle School

Is Orchard Knob Middle School a good school?

Orchard Knob Middle School ranks in the bottom 3.4% of Tennessee middle schools.

How many students attend Orchard Knob Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 264 students attended Orchard Knob Middle School.

What district is Orchard Knob Middle School in?

Hamilton County Schools

What is the racial makeup of Orchard Knob Middle School?

Students at Orchard Knob Middle School are 59% African American, 27% Hispanic, 10% Two or more races, 4% White.

What high school do graduates of Orchard Knob Middle School attend?

Students who attend Orchard Knob Middle School usually go on to attend Chattanooga School for the Arts and Sciences Upper

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Latest Tennessee data All new data »

2025–26 TNReady test scoresNewAug 25, 2026

2024–25 dropout ratesApr 2, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataFeb 27, 2026

2024–25 attendance dataDec 18, 2025

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Tennessee Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.