Around 500 fewer students are attending a Hamilton County public school this year compared to the previous school year, according to 20th day enrollment figures.
In total, 44,784 students are enrolled in Hamilton County Schools, which includes the district’s charter schools. That marks a slight decrease after enrollment jumped to 45,322 students a year ago, though the total number of students remains higher than it was pre-pandemic.
District enrollment fluctuates from year to year, but since 2017, it’s typically fallen somewhere between 44,000 and 45,000 students.
(READ MORE: Hamilton County public schools maintain expected level of academic growth)
Signal Mountain Middle/High is now the largest school in the district, with 1,424 students.
East Hamilton High is the district’s largest high school, with 1,251 students, while East Brainerd Elementary and East Hamilton Middle remain the largest elementary and middle schools in the district with 1,101 and 944 students, respectively.
Much of the enrollment decline is concentrated at a couple of campuses, with the majority of schools’ enrollment being within 30 students of where it was at this point a year ago.
The Howard School saw the largest enrollment change with its student population falling to 1,232 students this fall, a decrease of almost 300 students compared to the year before. After years of being the district’s largest school, it’s now the district’s third largest high school and fourth largest school.
Over the past decade, Howard experienced a rapid increase in enrollment as the downtown area saw significant population growth, but more recently, that’s begun to slow down and taper off, district officials have previously said.
Of the three other schools that saw the greatest percentage decrease in enrollment, two are losing a grade each year in preparation for the buildings to be used for another purpose, and one is expected to close in the next few years as part of the district’s facilities plan.
Together, the district’s nine charter schools enrolled 3,009 students, an increase of about 100 students compared to last year. All of that growth can be attributed to the ongoing expansion efforts at some of the charters to add a new grade level each year until reaching capacity.
For instance, ChattAcademy Community School, a Spanish/English dual immersion school, nearly doubled its enrollment for its second year in operation. Ivy Academy’s Skillern Elementary enrolled its inaugural fourth graders this year as part of its expansion up to fifth grade. The elementary school reported close to 90 more students this year compared to last — the greatest increase of any public school in the county.
Contact education reporter Shannon Coan at scoan@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6396.