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Calvin Donaldson Environmental Science Academy

Q: Is Calvin Donaldson Environmental Science Academy a good school?

Calvin Donaldson Environmental Science Academy ranks in the bottom 2.6% of Tennessee elementary schools.

Q: How many students attend Calvin Donaldson Environmental Science Academy?

In the 2024-25 school year, 380 students attended Calvin Donaldson Environmental Science Academy.

Q: What is the racial makeup of Calvin Donaldson Environmental Science Academy?

Students at Calvin Donaldson Environmental Science Academy are 65% African American, 24% Hispanic, 7% White, 3% Two or more races.

Public, Magnet Grades PK, KG-5

992^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,019 Tennessee Elementary Schools

Better than 3% of Tennessee elementary schools

Summary

Calvin Donaldson Environmental Science Academy is a PK–5 elementary school in Chattanooga, TN, serving about 380 students in Hamilton County Schools. The school has a long history of bottom-tier state rankings, placing 992nd of 1,019 Tennessee elementary schools (3rd percentile) in 2025-26, after finishing last in the state the prior year. Academic proficiency is strikingly low: only 12.4% of students are proficient in math, 10.3% in English language arts, and 12.4% in science. That compares with district averages of roughly 40% and state averages of 43-47%, leaving Calvin Donaldson about 30-35 percentage points behind.

Funding is not the issue—Calvin Donaldson spends more per student ($22,711) than any nearby elementary school, and its student-teacher ratio of 11.2 means smaller class sizes. Yet nearby high performers such as Lookout Mountain Elementary, Battle Academy for Teaching and Learning, and Chattanooga School for the Arts and Sciences Lower all spend less while scoring 40-75 points higher in core subjects. The school's chronic absenteeism rate of 22.6% is far above the district's 17.1% and among the highest in the area; only Chattanooga Charter School of Excellence approaches it. Tommie F. Brown Academy School and Montessori Elementary at Highland Park School are also low-performing neighbors, but they have much lower absenteeism.

There are small signs of progress: science proficiency nearly doubled from 6.1% to 12.4%, and the school improved from last in the state in 2024-25 to 992nd in 2025-26. However, students tend to fall further behind as they progress—3rd grade ELA proficiency is 19.4%, but by 5th grade it drops to 6.9%. Despite the school's environmental science theme, science scores have historically been the weakest subject. For parents, the two most important takeaways are that attendance is a serious, actionable challenge, and that early intervention is critical before learning gaps compound. While the school's high spending and low class sizes are positives, addressing chronic absence and supporting students in early grades appear essential to changing the school's trajectory.

380

Students ?

11.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$22,711

Per pupil spending ?

97.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

927 West 37th Street
Chattanooga, TN 37410

(423) 825-7337

District: Hamilton County Schools

Students who attend Calvin Donaldson Environmental Science Academy usually attend:

Middle:	Orchard Knob Middle School
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

Racial breakdown:

African American:

65.3%

Hispanic:

24.5%

White:

6.6%

See top rated Tennessee elementary schools

Compare Calvin Donaldson Environmental Science Academy to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 8th percentile in 2013 → 3rd in 2026

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 11 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Tennessee average (12% vs 43% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (3rd percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 5 percentile points since 2013

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school12%

District avg42%

Tennessee avg43%

992^nd of 1,019

Tennessee public elementary schools ?

Bottom 3%▲ up 1 pts since 2019

See the entire ranking list of Tennessee Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

40^th of 42Elementary 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	5.6	992 of 1019	2.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	2.5	1009 of 1009	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	4.6	1010 of 1018	0.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	6.0	999 of 1020	2.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	6.1	986 of 1000	1.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	10.0	905 of 983	7.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	5.6	973 of 985	1.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	18.4	778 of 855	9.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2014	11.8	799 of 853	6.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	23.1	777 of 846	8.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	26.9	676 of 820	17.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	5.2	804 of 818	1.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2010	8.2	784 of 809	3.1%	☆☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	11.5	486 of 498	2.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	12.0	488 of 498	2.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	16.4	467 of 500	6.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	14.6	472 of 483	2.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	26.9	293 of 411	28.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	14.7	385 of 404	4.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2025	4.2	982 of 986	0.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	5.1	986 of 990	0.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	6.5	978 of 989	1.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	5.3	972 of 975	0.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	8.7	901 of 926	2.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	20.8	406 of 458	11.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	16.4	316 of 324	2.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	24.2	213 of 250	14.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	12.9	790 of 823	4.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	6.5	842 of 843	0.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	9.9	847 of 853	0.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	12.4	830 of 865	4.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	8.9	854 of 858	0.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	15.5	769 of 823	6.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	9.8	809 of 821	1.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2023	7.3	964 of 987	2.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	10.6	926 of 980	5.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	19.1	780 of 941	17.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	5.1	916 of 916	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	17.5	611 of 641	4.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)

Hispanic (2026)11th percentile+9 vs school

Special Education (2026)5th percentile~ school

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

African American (2026)2nd percentile~ school

Male (2023)2nd percentile~ school

Female (2025)<1st percentile~ school

By subject vs Tennessee (2025-2026) ?

Mathematics12%-31 vs state

Science12%-35 vs state

English Language Arts10%-30 vs state

★

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Schools Near Calvin Donaldson Environmental Science Academy

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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 Science (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 3rd Grade	TNReady Mathematics 4th Grade	TNReady Mathematics 5th Grade	TNReady Mathematics All Grades	TNReady English Language Arts 3rd Grade	TNReady English Language Arts 4th Grade	TNReady English Language Arts 5th Grade	TNReady English Language Arts All Grades	TNReady Science 3rd Grade	TNReady Science 4th Grade	TNReady Science 5th Grade	TNReady Science All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Calvin Donaldson Environmental Science Academy	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	927 West 37th Street	Chattanooga	37410	Hamilton County	Hamilton County Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(423) 825-7337	341	30	11.2	97.9%	19 (5.6%)	225 (66.0%)	79 (23.2%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (4.4%)	5.6	992^nd of 1019 public elementary schools	2.6%		2.5	1009^th of 1009 public elementary schools	0.0%	17	15.2	9.8	12.1	12.4	19.4	< 5%	6.9	10.3	18.2	11.5	6.9	12.4	$22,711	$2,201	$19,580
Clifton Hills Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1815 East 32nd Street	Chattanooga	37407	Hamilton County	Hamilton County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(423) 493-0357	710	53	13.5	97.9%	24 (3.4%)	165 (23.2%)	503 (70.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (2.5%)	14.3	897^th of 1019 public elementary schools	12.0%		15.2	882^nd of 1009 public elementary schools	12.6%	15	26.3	19.3	42.6	28.9	17.9	14.3	13.9	15.2	24.2	12.6	27.0	20.7	$19,549	$1,525	$17,189
Lookout Mountain Elementary School	Public	K-5	321 N Bragg Avenue	Lookout Mtn	37350	Hamilton County	Hamilton County Schools	No	No	No	No	(423) 821-6116	223	18	12.3	2.3%	205 (91.9%)	2 (0.9%)	6 (2.7%)	2 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (3.6%)	92.9	66^th of 1019 public elementary schools	93.5%		94.6	49^th of 1009 public elementary schools	95.1%	17	63.2	86.1	83.8	77.5	65.8	86.1	75.7	75.7	55.3	88.9	73.0	72.1	$19,464	$568	$18,198
Battle Academy for Teaching and Learning	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	1601 Market Street	Chattanooga	37408	Hamilton County	Hamilton County Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(423) 498-6860	518	32	16.3	63.6%	185 (35.7%)	247 (47.7%)	34 (6.6%)	3 (0.6%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	47 (9.1%)	70.2	251^st of 1019 public elementary schools	75.4%		72.8	210^th of 1009 public elementary schools	79.2%	41	47.7	67.9	45.1	54.5	47.1	61.9	49.3	53.4	54.5	65.5	47.1	56.4	$17,628	$861	$16,042
Chattanooga Charter School of Excellence	Public, Charter	K-5	2029 East 23rd Street	Chattanooga	37404	Hamilton County	Hamilton County Schools	Yes	No	No	Yes	(423) 710-1121	461	44	10.4	0.5%	18 (3.9%)	291 (63.1%)	134 (29.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	16 (3.5%)	5.5	1000^th of 1019 public elementary schools	1.9%		6	986^th of 1009 public elementary schools	2.3%	14	6.0	17.6	13.1	12.2	< 5%	20.6	13.1	12.8	9.0	10.3	16.4	11.7	$17,671	$582	$15,996
East Lake Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3600 13th Avenue	Chattanooga	37407	Hamilton County	Hamilton County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(423) 493-0366	601	52	11.5	98.0%	24 (4.0%)	86 (14.3%)	477 (79.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (2.3%)	21.6	837^th of 1019 public elementary schools	17.9%		25.5	785^th of 1009 public elementary schools	22.2%	52	27.9	43.8	44.9	38.4	14.4	24.2	28.1	21.9	19.2	27.1	23.3	23.1	$19,610	$1,092	$17,719
Tommie F. Brown Academy School	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	718 East 8th Street	Chattanooga	37403	Hamilton County	Hamilton County Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(423) 498-6870	323	25	13.1	87.8%	21 (6.5%)	253 (78.3%)	17 (5.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (9.6%)	5.9	987^th of 1019 public elementary schools	3.1%		5.8	988^th of 1009 public elementary schools	2.1%	1	12.5	19.5	10.8	14.4	15.0	17.1	13.9	15.4	10.0	20.0	10.8	13.7	$22,013	$1,694	$19,323
East Side Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1603 South Lyerly Street	Chattanooga	37404	Hamilton County	Hamilton County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(423) 493-7780	542	51	10.6	98.8%	9 (1.7%)	91 (16.8%)	421 (77.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (3.9%)	15.9	885^th of 1019 public elementary schools	13.2%		21.4	830^th of 1009 public elementary schools	17.7%	55	29.1	14.6	47.1	29.6	19.0	24.0	16.5	20.0	20.3	16.7	22.4	19.6	$21,475	$1,469	$19,000
Montessori Elementary at Highland Park School	Public, Charter	PK, KG-5	700 S. Hawthorne Street	Chattanooga	37404	Hamilton County	Hamilton County Schools	Yes	No	No	Yes	(423) 702-7230	310	18	17.7		60 (19.4%)	184 (59.4%)	55 (17.7%)	2 (0.6%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.6%)	7	977^th of 1019 public elementary schools	4.1%		14.2	897^th of 1009 public elementary schools	11.1%	80	12.5	10.7	9.7	11.0	20.0	21.4	19.4	20.5	10.0	17.9	19.4	15.7	$19,084	$648	$17,540
Chattanooga School for the Arts and Sciences Lower	Public, Magnet	K-5	865 East 3rd Street	Chattanooga	37403	Hamilton County	Hamilton County Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(423) 498-6845	388	25	15.3	23.5%	224 (57.7%)	96 (24.7%)	20 (5.2%)	25 (6.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (5.9%)	83.9	125^th of 1019 public elementary schools	87.7%		84.3	127^th of 1009 public elementary schools	87.4%	2	50.0	63.0	62.2	58.8	59.4	63.0	64.4	62.4	62.5	75.3	68.9	69.2	$16,393	$798	$15,570

Frequently Asked Questions about Calvin Donaldson Environmental Science Academy

What district is Calvin Donaldson Environmental Science Academy in?

Hamilton County Schools

What is the racial makeup of Calvin Donaldson Environmental Science Academy?

Students at Calvin Donaldson Environmental Science Academy are 65% African American, 24% Hispanic, 7% White, 3% Two or more races.

How many students attend Calvin Donaldson Environmental Science Academy?

In the 2024-25 school year, 380 students attended Calvin Donaldson Environmental Science Academy.

What schools do graduates of Calvin Donaldson Environmental Science Academy attend?

Students who attend Calvin Donaldson Environmental Science Academy usually go on to attend:

Middle : Orchard Knob Middle School
High : Chattanooga School for the Arts and Sciences Upper
High : Hamilton County Collegiate High at Chattanooga State
High : Sequoyah High School
High : STEM School Chattanooga
High : The Howard School

Is Calvin Donaldson Environmental Science Academy a good school?

Calvin Donaldson Environmental Science Academy ranks in the bottom 2.6% of Tennessee elementary schools.

Rate Calvin Donaldson Environmental Science Academy!

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Latest Tennessee data All new data »

2025–26 TNReady test scoresAug 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.