Montessori Elementary at Highland Park, 700 S. Hawthorne St.: grades pre-K-5, 329 students in 2024-25, state letter grade D.

Last checked Oct. 18, 2026. Sources: Montessori Elementary at Highland Park, 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.

Montessori Elementary at Highland Park (MEHP) is a tuition-free public charter school for pre-K through fifth grade on South Hawthorne Street, on the site of the former Highland Park Grammar School, according to its About page. The school says it uses the Montessori method and is designed to feed CGLA and other schools.

  • Address: 700 S. Hawthorne St., Chattanooga, TN 37404
  • Main office: 423-541-9822
  • Grades: Pre-K to 5
  • Website: mehp.org

Who to call

  • Front office: 423-541-9822
  • Applying: the admissions office, 423-541-9822 or admissions@mehp.org
  • 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

Principal Amanda Parker, according to the school’s Faculty & Staff page, which lists Dr. Elaine Swafford as chief executive officer.

Enrollment

The federal NCES directory counted 310 students in the 2023-24 school year, with 17 full-time-equivalent teachers, about 18 students per teacher. The Tennessee Department of Education’s 2024-25 school profile file has a newer count of 329 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.”

From the state’s 2024-25 letter grade file:

Measure Montessori Elementary at Highland Park
Overall letter grade, 2024-25 D (score 2.1 of 5)
Achievement grade D
Academic growth grade D
Growth of the lowest-scoring 25% of students C
Overall success rate on state tests, 2024-25 20.5%

The state’s spring 2026 test file has the share of Montessori Elementary at Highland Park students who met or exceeded expectations on each test. On the TCAP achievement tests for grades 3 to 8, English language arts 20.5%, science 15.7% and math 11%. The 2025-26 letter grades have not been published yet.

The State Report Card page for Montessori Elementary at Highland Park holds the full detail: results by subject and grade, chronic absenteeism and results for each group of students.

Admission and attendance zone

MEHP has no attendance zone. Its admissions page says applications for 2026-27 must be completed in person and are being taken for kindergarten through fifth grade, and that a child entering kindergarten must be 5 on or before Aug. 15. Tours run Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.; call 423-498-5878 to schedule one.

Hamilton County Schools’ charter schools page says families apply directly with MEHP and that charter seats are not open to families from outside the county unless there is no waitlist in that grade. The school’s transportation page posts its 2026-27 bus routes.

Calendar

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

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Frequently asked questions

What grades does Montessori Elementary at Highland Park serve?

Pre-K through fifth grade. The main office number is 423-541-9822.

What is Montessori Elementary at Highland Park’s state report card grade?

Montessori Elementary at Highland Park received a D overall in Tennessee’s 2024-25 School Letter Grades, according to the Tennessee Department of Education.

How do I apply to Montessori Elementary at Highland Park?

Applications are completed in person, according to the school; for 2026-27 it is taking applications for kindergarten through fifth grade. The admissions number is 423-541-9822.