Best Public Schools in Zip Code 37416

Schools in zip code 37416 (Chattanooga, TN) include three schools under Hamilton County Schools: Chattanooga School For The Liberal Arts, Harrison Elementary School, and Hamilton County Virtual School, serving grades K–12 and PK–5. This is a small, academically diverse area with no traditional standalone middle or high school, but it offers a high-performing liberal arts magnet, a struggling elementary school, and a virtual option with some notable strengths.

The standout is clearly Chattanooga School For The Liberal Arts, which dramatically outperforms both the district and state in nearly every subject. Its math proficiency is 79.6% compared to the district’s 40%, and its science and social studies scores top 83%. It also shines in advanced coursework, with Algebra II proficiency at 94.4% and English II at 88.3%. In contrast, Harrison Elementary School is the lowest-performing school in the area, with math proficiency at just 16.8%, ELA at 16.1%, and science at 17.6% — all far below district and state averages. Despite having the highest per-student spending in the zip code ($17,505), Harrison has consistently earned a 0-star state ranking. Hamilton County Virtual School sits in the middle: its ELA proficiency (35.2%) is close to the district, and it beats district and state averages in Biology I (61.9%) and English II (72%). Its graduation rate is solid at 92.3%, and its dropout rate is below the state average.

One of the most interesting findings is the enormous gap between the top and bottom schools: CSLA’s math proficiency is 62.8 points higher than Harrison’s. CSLA also shows an unusual advanced-math pattern — strong 8th-grade Algebra I and very high Algebra II scores, but a low 9th-grade Algebra I proficiency, suggesting top students accelerate their coursework early. Meanwhile, the virtual school has the lowest chronic absenteeism in the area at 11.2%, well below the district’s 17.1% and the state’s 18.3%, indicating strong engagement despite the online format. Families in this zip code should weigh the exceptional academics at CSLA against the challenges at Harrison, while noting that the virtual school offers a compelling mix of attendance, science performance, and graduation outcomes.