Hamilton County Schools, Tennessee
| Hamilton County Schools |
|---|
 |
| Chattanooga, Tennessee |
| District details |
| Superintendent: Justin Robertson |
| # of school board members: 11 |
| Website: Link |
Hamilton County Schools is a school district in Tennessee.
Click on the links below to learn more about the school district's...
- Superintendent
- School board
- Elections
- Budget
- Teacher salaries
- Academic performance
- Students
- Staff
- Schools
- Contact information
Superintendent
 |
This information is updated as we become aware of changes. Please contact us with any updates. |
Justin Robertson is the superintendent of Hamilton County Schools. Robertson was appointed superintendent on December 9, 2021. Robertson's previous career experience includes serving as the district's interim deputy superintendent, chief operations officer, among many other administrative roles.[1]
Past superintendents
- Bryan Johnson was the superintendent of Hamilton County Schools from July 17, 2017 until August 2021.[1] Johnson's previous career experience includes working as a teacher, coach, and chief academic officer.[2]
- Kirk Kelly was the interim superintendent of Hamilton County Schools from 2016 to 2017. Kelly's previous career experience included working as the district's director of accountability.[3]
- Rick Smith was the superintendent of Hamilton County Schools from 2011 to 2016. Smith's previous career experience included working as a teacher, middle school director, and deputy superintendent in the district.[4][5]
School board
The Hamilton County Schools school board consists of 11 members elected by district to four-year terms. Prior to the 2022 election, the school board consisted of nine members.[6]
| Office | Name | Date assumed office |
|---|---|---|
| Hamilton County Schools Board of Education District 1 | Steve Slater | September 1, 2024 |
| Hamilton County Schools Board of Education District 2 | Ben Daugherty | September 1, 2024 |
| Hamilton County Schools Board of Education District 3 | Joe Smith | 2016 |
| Hamilton County Schools Board of Education District 4 | Jackie Anderson Thomas | September 1, 2024 |
| Hamilton County Schools Board of Education District 5 | Karitsa Jones | 2014 |
| Hamilton County Schools Board of Education District 6 | Ben Connor | September 1, 2022 |
| Hamilton County Schools Board of Education District 7 | Jodi Schaffer | September 1, 2024 |
| Hamilton County Schools Board of Education District 8 | Larry Grohn | September 1, 2022 |
| Hamilton County Schools Board of Education District 9 | Gary Kuehn | September 1, 2022 |
| Hamilton County Schools Board of Education District 10 | Felice Hadden | September 1, 2024 |
| Hamilton County Schools Board of Education District 11 | Jill Black | September 1, 2022 |
Elections
Members of the Hamilton County Schools school board are elected to four-year terms. Seats are up for election on a staggered basis every even-numbered year in August.
Six seats on the board were up for general election on August 1, 2024. A primary was scheduled for March 5, 2024.
Ballotpedia covered school board elections in 367 school districts in 29 states in 2024. Those school districts had a total student enrollment of 12,203,404 students. Click here to read an analysis of those elections.
Join the conversation about school board politics
Public participation in board meetings
The Hamilton County Schools school board maintains the following policy on public testimony during board meetings:[7]
School board meetings
The following articles were produced by Citizen Portal using artificial intelligence to analyze public meetings. Citizen Portal publishes articles based on the availability of meeting broadcasts, so the number of articles provided may vary by district. Although these articles are not produced or edited by Ballotpedia, they are included here as a supplemental resource for readers.
District map
Budget
The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.[8]
| SOURCE | AMOUNT | AMOUNT PER STUDENT | PERCENT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal: | $130,319,000 | $2,885 | 21% |
| Local: | $291,275,000 | $6,448 | 47% |
| State: | $194,867,000 | $4,314 | 32% |
| Total: | $616,461,000 | $13,646 |
| TYPE | AMOUNT | AMOUNT PER STUDENT | PERCENT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Expenditures: | $568,791,000 | $12,590 | |
| Total Current Expenditures: | $542,198,000 | $12,001 | |
| Instructional Expenditures: | $316,319,000 | $7,001 | 56% |
| Student and Staff Support: | $81,734,000 | $1,809 | 14% |
| Administration: | $59,296,000 | $1,312 | 10% |
| Operations, Food Service, Other: | $84,846,000 | $1,878 | 15% |
| Total Capital Outlay: | $13,632,000 | $301 | |
| Construction: | $3,766,000 | $83 | |
| Total Non El-Sec Education & Other: | $4,065,000 | $89 | |
| Interest on Debt: | $8,891,000 | $196 |
Teacher salaries
The following salary information was pulled from the district's teacher salary schedule. A salary schedule is a list of expected compensations based on variables such as position, years employed, and education level. It may not reflect actual teacher salaries in the district.
| Year | Minimum | Maximum |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-2025[9] | $50,000 | $80,310 |
| 2023-2024[10] | $45,289 | $78,560 |
| 2020-2021[11] | $41,462 | $71,921 |
Academic performance
Each year, state and local education agencies use tests and other standards to assess student proficiency. Although the data below was published by the U.S. Department of Education, proficiency measurements are established by the states. As a result, proficiency levels are not comparable between different states and year-over-year proficiency levels within a district may not be comparable because states may change their proficiency measurements.[12]
The following table shows the percentage of district students who scored at or above the proficiency level each school year:
| School year | All (%) | Asian/Pacific Islander (%) | Black (%) | Hispanic (%) | Native American (%) | Two or More Races (%) | White (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-2022 | 32 | 62 | 15 | 22 | 40-44 | 46 | |
| 2020-2021 | 31 | 61 | 12 | 21 | 30-34 | 46 | |
| 2018-2019 | 41 | 74 | 20 | 30 | 40-44 | 55 | |
| 2017-2018 | 34 | 66 | 14 | 23 | 30-34 | 47 | |
| 2016-2017 | 35 | 67 | 15 | 20 | 30-39 | 48 | |
| 2015-2016 | 9 | 11-19 | 5 | 4 | <50 | 12 | |
| 2014-2015 | 56 | 84 | 38 | 46 | 50-59 | 67 | |
| 2013-2014 | 53 | 81 | 35 | 44 | 50-59 | 63 | |
| 2012-2013 | 54 | 78 | 36 | 47 | 50-59 | 64 | |
| 2011-2012 | 50 | 75 | 30 | 42 | 50-59 | 60 | |
| 2010-2011 | 43 | 66 | 24 | 34 | 50-59 | 54 |
The following table shows the percentage of district students who scored at or above the proficiency level each school year:
| School year | All (%) | Asian/Pacific Islander (%) | Black (%) | Hispanic (%) | Native American (%) | Two or More Races (%) | White (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-2022 | 37 | 64 | 19 | 22 | 45-49 | 52 | |
| 2020-2021 | 31 | 56 | 14 | 19 | 35-39 | 45 | |
| 2018-2019 | 34 | 58 | 16 | 22 | 35-39 | 47 | |
| 2017-2018 | 33 | 57 | 15 | 20 | 30-34 | 46 | |
| 2016-2017 | 32 | 56 | 15 | 18 | 30-39 | 43 | |
| 2015-2016 | 32 | 60-64 | 19 | 25-29 | <50 | 39 | |
| 2014-2015 | 47 | 68 | 27 | 30 | 40-49 | 60 | |
| 2013-2014 | 49 | 70 | 28 | 31 | 50-59 | 61 | |
| 2012-2013 | 49 | 68 | 28 | 33 | 40-49 | 61 | |
| 2011-2012 | 48 | 65 | 27 | 34 | 50-59 | 61 | |
| 2010-2011 | 47 | 64 | 25 | 33 | 60-69 | 59 |
The following table shows the graduation rate of district students each school year:
| School year | All (%) | Asian/Pacific Islander (%) | Black (%) | Hispanic (%) | Native American (%) | Two or More Races (%) | White (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-2022 | 89 | >=95 | 88 | 78 | >=90 | 92 | |
| 2020-2021 | 85 | >=95 | 82 | 81 | 80-89 | 88 | |
| 2019-2020 | 87 | >=95 | 85 | 82 | >=80 | 89 | |
| 2018-2019 | 87 | 90-94 | 84 | 77 | >=50 | 90 | |
| 2017-2018 | 87 | 90-94 | 85 | 75-79 | >=50 | 88 | |
| 2016-2017 | 85 | >=95 | 82 | 75-79 | >=50 | 86 | |
| 2015-2016 | 84 | 90-94 | 81 | 75-79 | >=50 | 86 | |
| 2014-2015 | 85 | >=90 | 83 | 80-84 | >=50 | 87 | |
| 2013-2014 | 83 | >=90 | 77 | 80-84 | >=50 | 85 | |
| 2012-2013 | 85 | 90-94 | 84 | 80-84 | PS | 85 | |
| 2011-2012 | 81 | >=90 | 78 | 80-84 | PS | 83 | |
| 2010-2011 | 82 | >=90 | 79 | 75-79 | PS | 84 |
Students
| Year | Enrollment | Year-to-year change (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 2023-2024 | 45,790 | -0.2 |
| 2022-2023 | 45,902 | 1.6 |
| 2021-2022 | 45,176 | 2.4 |
| 2020-2021 | 44,100 | -2.8 |
| 2019-2020 | 45,342 | 0.6 |
| 2018-2019 | 45,052 | 0.5 |
| 2017-2018 | 44,822 | 0.8 |
| 2016-2017 | 44,446 | 0.1 |
| 2015-2016 | 44,413 | 1.4 |
| 2014-2015 | 43,797 | 0.6 |
| 2013-2014 | 43,540 | -0.4 |
| 2012-2013 | 43,707 | 0.9 |
| 2011-2012 | 43,296 | 1.6 |
| 2010-2011 | 42,589 | 1.8 |
| 2009-2010 | 41,832 | 0.7 |
| 2008-2009 | 41,547 | 0.8 |
| 2007-2008 | 41,230 | 0.7 |
| 2006-2007 | 40,922 | 0.3 |
| 2005-2006 | 40,800 | 0.0 |
| 2004-2005 | 40,805 | 1.7 |
| 2003-2004 | 40,100 | -1.2 |
| 2002-2003 | 40,564 | 0.1 |
| 2001-2002 | 40,514 | 1.5 |
| 2000-2001 | 39,915 | -7.6 |
| 1999-2000 | 42,929 | 0.0 |
| RACE | Hamilton County Schools (%) | Tennessee K-12 STUDENTS (%) |
|---|---|---|
| American Indian/Alaska Native | 0.1 | 0.2 |
| Asian or Asian/Pacific Islander | 1.8 | 2.1 |
| Black | 24.2 | 20.5 |
| Hispanic | 20.5 | 14.8 |
| Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander | 0.0 | 0.1 |
| Two or More Races | 7.8 | 4.7 |
| White | 45.6 | 57.7 |
Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.
Staff
As of the 2023-2024 school year, Hamilton County Schools had 3,092.98 full-time classroom teachers. The student-teacher ratio was 14.8.
| TYPE | NUMBER OF TEACHERS |
|---|---|
| Prekindergarten: | 41.50 |
| Kindergarten: | 184.17 |
| Elementary: | 1,948.46 |
| Secondary: | 918.85 |
| Total: | 3,092.98 |
Hamilton County Schools employed 25.00 district administrators and 208.63 school administrators as of the 2023-2024 school year.
| TYPE | NUMBER OF ADMINISTRATORS |
|---|---|
| District Administrators: | 25.00 |
| District Administrative Support: | 328.00 |
| School Administrators: | 208.63 |
| School Administrative Support: | 145.00 |
| TYPE | NUMBER OF OTHER STAFF |
|---|---|
| Instructional Aides: | 565.00 |
| Instruc. Coordinators & Supervisors: | 385.95 |
| Total Guidance Counselors: | 133.93 |
| Elementary Guidance Counselors: | 0.00 |
| Secondary Guidance Counselors: | 0.00 |
| Librarians/Media Specialists: | 74.50 |
| Library/Media Support: | 0.00 |
| Student Support Services: | 407.52 |
| Other Support Services: | 1,145.50 |
Schools
Noteworthy events
2016: Board appoints interim superintendent
The Hamilton County Board of Education appointed Kirk Kelly as interim superintendent of the district in a 5-4 vote on April 21, 2016. Kelly had been serving as co-acting superintendent with Dr. Lee McDade since former superintendent Rick Smith announced his resignation on March 14, 2016. Before filling in for Smith, Kelly served as the district's director of accountability.[3][13]
Board members Steve Highlander, Joe Galloway, George Ricks, Karitsa Mosley, and David Testerman voted in favor of Kelly as interim superintendent. Board Chairman Jonathan Welch and fellow member Donna Horn voted for magnet school principal Jill Levine, and Rhonda Thurman and Greg Martin voted for retired U.S. Marine officer Shaun Sadler.[3]
Galloway said on voting for Kelly that, "Every question we asked Dr. Kelly, he not only answered in specifics, but he's already started acting on some of them. He knows what we're dealing with right now."[14]
Thurman and Martin said they voted for Sadler because they wanted someone who was removed from the district. Martin said he thought Sadler "fears no one and he owes no one."[14]
Welch said the board's goal was to improve the school system. "I don't know what the future holds, but I don't think anyone would say we are where we want to be," he said. "The community wants change, and the opportunity might come again before people start to leave."[14]
Smith announced his resignation after being criticized for how he handled the alleged rape of a high school freshman by three of his basketball teammates. Smith asked the board for a separation agreement in January 2016, which the board agreed to pursue with a 6-3 vote. The week before he resigned, however, the board voted 5-4 against a $269,000 buyout agreement.[5]
After the vote, Smith said he would serve the remainder of his three and a half year contract, but that changed after the Chattanooga Times Free Press published a report from the Tennessee Department of Education that Smith had not shared with the school board. The report criticized the district's leadership for failing to improve five of its lowest-performing schools, according to the Chattanooga Times Free Press. Smith announced he would retire from the district on July 1, 2016, but he took leave from the district immediately after he announced his resignation on March 14, 2016.[5]
Contact information
Hamilton County School District
3074 Claude Ramsey Pkwy
Chattanooga, TN 37421
Phone: 423-498-7020
About school boards
Education legislation in Tennessee
Bills are monitored by BillTrack50 and sorted by action history.
See also
| Tennessee | School Board Elections | News and Analysis |
|---|---|---|
 |
 |
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External links
- Search Google News for this topic
- Hamilton County Schools
- Tennessee Department of Education
- Tennessee School Boards Association
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Chattanooga Times Free Press, "Justin Robertson chosen to lead Hamilton County Schools," December 9, 2021
- ↑ Chattanooga Times Free Press, "Hamilton County school board approves contract with new superintendent," July 11, 2017
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Chattanooga Times Free Press, "Kirk Kelly named interim superintendent of Hamilton County Schools," April 21, 2016
- ↑ Hamilton County Herald, "Experience in education primed superintendent for role," August 26, 2011
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Chattanooga Times Free Press, "Rick Smith quits after months of turmoil, revelation of scathing schools report," March 14, 2016
- ↑ WDEF, "Hamilton Co. School Board incumbents return, adds new district seats," August 4, 2022
- ↑ Hamilton County Schools, "Board Policy," accessed January 26, 2024
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Elementary/Secondary Information System," accessed October 6, 2025
- ↑ Hamilton County Schools, "2024-2025 Certified Salary Scale," accessed April 21, 2025
- ↑ Hamilton County Schools, "2023-2024 Certified Salary Scale," accessed February 4, 2024
- ↑ Hamilton County Schools, "2020-2021 Certified Salary Scale," accessed May 3, 2021
- ↑ U.S. Department of Education, Washington, DC: EDFacts, "State Assessments in Reading/Language Arts and Mathematics- School Year 2018-19 EDFacts Data Documentation," accessed February 25, 2021
- ↑ WRCB TV, "Hamilton Co. BOE releases candidate list for interim superintendent," March 17, 2016
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 Chattanooga Times Free Press, "Hamilton County school board in disagreement over new interim superintendent," April 22, 2016
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