Summary:
Zip code 37363 in Ooltewah, Tennessee, includes 8 public schools in Hamilton County Schools—4 elementary schools, 2 middle schools, and 2 high schools—serving 6,479 students. These schools span a wide range of quality despite sharing one district, with rankings from the 90th percentile to the 37th percentile.
Wallace A. Smith Elementary is the standout elementary school, ranking 98th of 1,019 schools (90th percentile, 5 stars) with proficiency rates far above state averages in math, ELA, and science. East Hamilton High is the top high school, ranking 35th of 400 schools (91st percentile), and it far outperforms Ooltewah High in Algebra II (60% vs. 28.7%) and Biology I (73.1% vs. 53.7%). However, Ooltewah High graduates more students (96.6% vs. 91.4%) with a dropout rate of just 3.1%. Hunter Middle is the strongest middle school, ranking 86th of 594 schools with solid proficiency across all core subjects and chronic absenteeism of only 9.7%.
Ooltewah Middle is the most concerning school, with its percentile rank falling from 65th to 37th over three years, weak ELA proficiency (23.3% vs. 40.6% statewide), and high chronic absenteeism at 20.7%. Chronic absenteeism divides the zip code: four schools exceed the state average of 18.3%, while three schools report rates of only 8–10%. Spending does not appear to drive outcomes—East Hamilton High spends the least ($15,473) yet is the highest-ranked high school, while Ooltewah Middle spends the most ($17,573) yet is the lowest-ranked middle school. Wolftever Creek Elementary shows the biggest improvement, jumping from the 41st to 54th percentile in a single year.
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