Chattanooga Charter School of Excellence: admission and report card

Last checked Oct. 18, 2026. Sources: Chattanooga Charter School of Excellence, Hamilton County Schools’ charter schools page, the Tennessee Department of Education’s State Report Card and 2024-25 and 2026 data files and the federal NCES school directory.

Chattanooga Charter School of Excellence (CCSE) is a public charter school for kindergarten through 12th grade, authorized by Hamilton County Schools, on three campuses. The school’s About page says it has operated in Chattanooga since 2011. The state reports the elementary, middle and high schools separately.

• Elementary school (K-5): 2029 E. 23rd St., Chattanooga, TN 37404; 423-710-1121
• Middle school (6-8): 1912 S. Willow St., Chattanooga, TN 37404; 423-777-4603
• High school (9-12): 201 E. 37th St., Chattanooga, TN 37410; 423-702-2273
• Grades: K to 12
• Website: chattanoogacharter.com

Who to call

• Front office: 423-710-1121 (elementary); middle school 423-777-4603; high school 423-702-2273
• Applying: the school’s admissions page or info@chattanoogacharter.com
• Buses: the school runs its own transportation; Hamilton County Schools says bus route details come from each charter school
• Concerns the school cannot resolve: the district’s Charter Schools Coordinator, 423-498-6569

Principal

The school’s Leadership page lists Amy Childress as elementary school principal, Arianna Gladney as middle school principal and Karen Hughes as high school principal. Marcia Griffin is CEO and co-founder.

Enrollment

For the elementary school, the federal NCES directory counted 461 students in the 2023-24 school year, with 44 full-time-equivalent teachers, about 10 students per teacher. The Tennessee Department of Education’s 2024-25 school profile file has a newer count of 468 students. For the middle school, the federal NCES directory counted 231 students in the 2023-24 school year, with 10 full-time-equivalent teachers, about 23 students per teacher. The Tennessee Department of Education’s 2024-25 school profile file has a newer count of 250 students. For the high school, the federal NCES directory counted 95 students in the 2023-24 school year, with 6 full-time-equivalent teachers, about 16 students per teacher. The Tennessee Department of Education’s 2024-25 school profile file has a newer count of 113 students.

State report card

Tennessee grades every public school A to F. The department says School Letter Grades give “a snapshot of how each school in the state is performing, including student achievement and academic growth measures for all schools, as well as a measure of college and career readiness just for high schools.”

Chattanooga Charter School of Excellence, elementary school

Chattanooga Charter School of Excellence, middle school

Chattanooga Charter School of Excellence, high school

Figures come from the state’s 2024-25 letter grade file.

The state’s spring 2026 test file has the share of students who met or exceeded expectations on each test. In the elementary school: on the TCAP achievement tests for grades 3 to 8, English language arts 12.8%, math 12.2% and science 11.7%. In the middle school: on the TCAP achievement tests for grades 3 to 8, social studies 16.1%, math 12.5%, science 12.5% and English language arts 5.8%. In the high school: on the high school end-of-course exams, English II 38.2%, Biology 25.7%, Geometry 14.7%, English I 6.4%, Algebra I under 5%, Algebra II under 5% and U.S. History under 5%. The 2025-26 letter grades have not been published yet.

The State Report Card page for the elementary school, the middle school and the high school holds the full detail: results by subject and grade, chronic absenteeism and results for each group of students.

Admission and attendance zone

CCSE has no attendance zone. Hamilton County Schools’ charter schools page says families apply directly with the school, under its own procedures and timeline. CCSE’s admissions page says applications open Nov. 1, with a priority application period through Dec. 15, and that an application is complete only with the supplemental documents: a recent report card, an attendance report and a disciplinary record.

The district says charter seats are not open to families from outside the county unless there is no waitlist in that grade, and that each charter school runs its own transportation.

Calendar

Charter schools set their own calendars and school hours. See CCSE’s calendar page.

Sports and activities

The high school’s basketball teams are in the TSSAA’s Class 1A, Region 3, District 5 for 2026-27, with Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy, Chattanooga School for the Liberal Arts, Copper Basin and Lookout Valley.

The school’s athletics page lists middle and high school teams and says high school track and field, football, cheerleading, baseball and softball are a co-op with Brainerd High School.

More

• The school’s own site: chattanoogacharter.com, listed on Hamilton County Schools’ charter schools page
• Every public school in town: Chattanooga public schools
• Calendars, enrollment and the school board: our Chattanooga schools guide
• Game nights: Friday night football and the scoreboard

Frequently asked questions

What grades does Chattanooga Charter School of Excellence serve?

Kindergarten through 12th grade. The main office number is 423-710-1121.

What is Chattanooga Charter School of Excellence’s state report card grade?

In Tennessee’s 2024-25 School Letter Grades, the state gave a D for the elementary school, a D for the middle school and an F for the high school, according to the Tennessee Department of Education.

How do I apply to Chattanooga Charter School of Excellence?

Apply online through CCSE’s admissions page with a recent report card, attendance report and disciplinary record. The school says applications open Nov. 1, with a priority period through Dec. 15.