Summary:
Located in the 37421 zip code of Chattanooga, Tennessee, three elementary schools — East Brainerd Elementary School, Westview Elementary School, and Bess T Shepherd Elementary School — serve grades PK–5 within Hamilton County Schools. Though they share the same zip code and district, these schools produce sharply different academic outcomes, making school choice especially important for parents.
Westview Elementary School is the clear standout, ranking in the 89th percentile statewide with a 4-star rating. It is the only school in the group to exceed district and state averages in every subject, posting proficiency rates of 64.1% in math, 70.4% in English language arts, and 61.8% in science. Its chronic absenteeism rate of just 7.8% is less than half the state average, and it achieves these results while spending slightly less per student ($16,249) than its peers. Bess T Shepherd Elementary School sits at the opposite end, ranking in the 17th percentile with a 1-star rating. It spends the most per student ($17,058) yet posts proficiency rates roughly 35–39 points below Westview in every subject. East Brainerd Elementary School falls in the middle, ranking in the 34th percentile and scoring slightly below district and state averages.
Several patterns stand out. First, higher spending does not guarantee better results — Bess T Shepherd spends the most yet performs the worst. Second, attendance correlates with achievement: Westview's low 7.8% absenteeism aligns with its top test scores, while East Brainerd's 18.6% chronic absenteeism rate is a concern. Third, Bess T Shepherd students appear to lose ground by 5th grade, while Westview's 5th graders achieve 74.3% ELA proficiency. Over the past three years, Westview has remained a top-tier school, Bess T Shepherd has improved modestly but stays in the bottom 20%, and East Brainerd has been consistently mid-range. In short, zip code 37421 offers dramatically different educational experiences depending on which school a child attends.
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