Montessori Elementary at Highland Park School

Montessori Elementary at Highland Park School is a PK–5 public elementary school in Chattanooga, TN, serving 372 students as part of Hamilton County Schools. Despite very strong attendance, students at the school are achieving far below district and state averages. In the 2025–2026 school year, only 11% of students were proficient in math, 20.5% in English language arts, and 15.7% in science, compared with state averages of 43%, 40.6%, and 46.9%. The school's statewide ranking places it in the bottom 4% of Tennessee elementary schools, a position it has consistently held for four years, never rising above the 12th percentile.

The school's biggest strength is attendance. Only 6.5% of students were chronically absent in 2024–2025, nearly three times lower than the district average of 17.1%. Nearby Hardy Elementary School (26.2%), Calvin Donaldson Environmental Science Academy (22.6%), and Orchard Knob Elementary School (20.6%) all struggle with much higher absenteeism, showing that students at Montessori are consistently coming to class. The school also spends about $19,084 per student, more than higher-performing nearby schools like Chattanooga School for the Arts and Sciences Lower ($16,393) and Battle Academy for Teaching and Learning ($17,628), yet those schools achieve proficiency rates three to four times higher.

The most significant challenge is the gap in outcomes between different student groups. In 2024–2025, White students at the school ranked in the 68th percentile statewide, while African American students ranked in the 3rd percentile and students from low-income families ranked near the bottom of the state. This shows the school is producing relatively strong results for some students while struggling to serve others at anywhere near the same level. The presence of high-performing schools within two miles—Chattanooga School for the Arts and Sciences Lower in the 88th percentile and Battle Academy for Teaching and Learning in the 75th—demonstrates that strong results are possible in the same district. For parents, the bottom line is that while attendance and funding are in place, the school has significant work ahead in math, science, and creating equitable outcomes for all students.