Is Chilhowee Middle School a good school?

Chilhowee Middle School ranks 332 nd of 587 Tennessee middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Chilhowee Middle School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 322 students attended Chilhowee Middle School.

What is the racial makeup of Chilhowee Middle School?

Students at Chilhowee Middle School are 94% White, 5% Hispanic.

What high school do graduates of Chilhowee Middle School attend?

Students who attend Chilhowee Middle School usually go on to attend Polk County High School

Chilhowee Middle School

Summary:

Chilhowee Middle School is a public middle school in Benton, Tennessee, serving 322 students in grades 6-8. The school is part of the Polk County School District, which is ranked 99 out of 139 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Chilhowee Middle School faces several challenges, including declining academic performance. The school's proficiency rates on TNReady tests are generally lower than state and county averages across all subjects and grade levels. For example, in 2023-2024, the school's proficiency rates in Mathematics (30.9%), English Language Arts (27.1%), and Science (38.5%) were all below the state averages. Additionally, the school's statewide ranking has fluctuated, ranging from 145th out of 576 Tennessee middle schools in 2020-2021 (4 stars) to 333rd out of 580 in 2023-2024 (2 stars), indicating a decline in relative performance.

Interestingly, Chilhowee Middle School's student population is significantly less diverse than nearby schools, such as Athens City Middle School, Lake Forest Middle School, and Ocoee Middle School, which generally outperform Chilhowee on academic measures. The school's high percentage of white students (93.79% in 2022-2023) and the district's low ranking may be contributing factors to its academic challenges. Addressing these issues will require a comprehensive approach, including targeted interventions, equitable practices, and collaboration with the community and other successful schools in the region.

Detail:

Public 6-8

215 Schoolhouse Hill RD
Benton, TN 37307

(423) 299-0086

District: Polk County

SchoolDigger Rank:
332^nd of 587 Tennessee Middle Schools

Students who attend Chilhowee Middle School usually attend:

High:

Polk County High School

Feeder schools for Chilhowee Middle School:

Elementary:	Benton Elementary
	South Polk Elementary

Student/teacher ratio: 15.3

Number of students: 322

Racial breakdown:

White:

93.8%

Hispanic:

4.7%

African American:

0.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 69.2%

See top rated Tennessee middle schools

Compare Chilhowee Middle School to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Chilhowee Middle School ranks worse than 56.6% of middle schools in Tennessee. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 40.91. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

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Teachers

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Finance

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Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Chilhowee Middle School:

SchoolDigger ranks Chilhowee Middle School 332^nd of 587 Tennessee public middle schools. (See Chilhowee Middle School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

White students:

Polk County:

SchoolDigger ranks Polk County 91^st of 140 Tennessee school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Chilhowee Middle School

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Rank History for all students at Chilhowee Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	TN State Percentile
2011	17.10	414^th	462	10.4%
2012	18.83	413^th	466	11.4%
2013	34.59	388^th	475	18.3%
2014	36.46	359^th	485	26.0%
2015	46.66	313^th	492	36.4%
2017	42.36	243^rd	362	32.9%
2018	32.50	400^th	563	29.0%
2019	56.37	200^th	574	65.2%
2021	63.93	145^th	576	74.8%
2022	57.25	211^th	569	62.9%
2023	46.93	290^th	594	51.2%
2024	40.91	332^nd	587	43.4%

See the entire list of Tennessee Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Chilhowee Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	TN State Percentile
2018	20.33	267^th	279	4.3%
2021	25.98	197^th	238	17.2%
2022	21.18	248^th	260	4.6%
2023	24.49	248^th	288	13.9%
2024	29.40	222^nd	299	25.8%

See the entire list of Best Tennessee Middle Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Chilhowee Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	TN State Percentile
2018	32.01	350^th	481	27.2%
2019	75.43	50^th	490	89.8%
2021	66.66	91^st	483	81.2%
2022	60.25	131^st	495	73.5%
2023	45.27	252^nd	514	51.0%
2024	50.57	228^th	510	55.3%

See the entire list of Best Tennessee Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Chilhowee Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	TN State Percentile
2019	56.32	198^th	529	62.6%
2021	60.12	161^st	538	70.1%
2022	54.11	214^th	552	61.2%
2023	46.28	287^th	560	48.8%
2024	41.24	318^th	554	42.6%

See the entire list of Best Tennessee Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Chilhowee Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	TN State Percentile
2019	53.63	203^rd	523	61.2%
2021	63.42	136^th	529	74.3%
2022	57.07	200^th	540	63.0%
2023	45.18	284^th	557	49.0%
2024	39.40	330^th	560	41.1%

See the entire list of Best Tennessee Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for White students at Chilhowee Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	TN State Percentile
2018	22.68	412^th	481	14.3%
2019	46.62	234^th	484	51.7%
2021	54.17	190^th	496	61.7%
2022	45.84	255^th	500	49.0%
2023	35.70	320^th	503	36.4%
2024	30.53	355^th	504	29.6%

See the entire list of Best Tennessee Middle Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Tennessee Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Tennessee Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Chilhowee Middle School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	545	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	545
1989	473	n/a	3	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	0	476
1990	476	0	3	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	479
1991	463	0	1	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	464
1992	449	0	1	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	450
1993	479	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	479
1994	479	0	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	480
1995	513	0	0	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	515
1996	513	0	0	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	515
1997	489	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	-7	482
1998	448	0	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	449
1999	430	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	-1	429
2000	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	484	484
2001	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	484	484
2002	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	426	426
2003	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	426	426
2004	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	424	424
2005	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	428	428
2006	402	2	1	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	406
2007	445	5	0	3	1	n/a	n/a	0	454
2008	428	3	0	5	2	n/a	n/a	0	438
2009	440	1	0	7	2	n/a	n/a	0	450
2010	447	0	1	10	0	n/a	n/a	0	458
2011	448	0	1	3	0	0	2	0	454
2012	418	0	2	3	0	0	3	0	426
2013	395	0	1	8	0	0	2	0	406
2014	400	0	1	11	1	0	2	0	415
2015	367	2	0	11	0	0	2	0	382
2016	367	4	0	9	1	0	2	0	383
2017	338	1	0	8	0	0	3	0	350
2018	378	1	0	7	0	0	3	0	389
2019	340	2	0	8	1	0	4	0	355
2020	327	0	0	9	2	0	4	0	342
2021	314	2	0	11	2	0	3	0	332
2022	308	1	0	10	1	0	1	0	321
2023	302	3	0	15	0	0	2	0	322

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Chilhowee Middle School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	545	27.0	20.1	n/a
1989	476	27.0	17.6	n/a
1990	479	27.0	17.7	n/a
1991	464	29.0	16.0	n/a
1992	450	29.0	15.5	n/a
1993	479	29.0	16.5	n/a
1994	480	30.0	16.0	n/a
1995	515	32.0	16.1	n/a
1996	515	32.0	16.1	n/a
1997	482	n/a	0.0	n/a
1998	449	n/a	0.0	n/a
1999	429	n/a	0.0	n/a
2000	484	n/a	0.0	n/a
2001	484	n/a	0.0	n/a
2002	426	n/a	n/a	n/a
2003	426	n/a	n/a	n/a
2004	424	n/a	n/a	n/a
2005	428	n/a	n/a	n/a
2006	406	23.0	17.7	n/a
2007	454	25.0	18.2	49.6
2008	438	29.0	15.1	45.7
2009	450	24.5	18.4	62.7
2010	458	24.8	18.4	51.5
2011	454	25.0	18.1	61.9
2012	426	25.0	17.0	65
2013	406	24.0	16.9	64.3
2014	415	22.8	18.2	63.1
2015	382	23.0	16.6	68.6
2016	383	25.0	15.3	69.2
2017	350	24.0	14.5	n/a
2018	389	22.0	17.6	n/a
2019	355	21.0	16.9	n/a
2020	342	22.0	15.5	n/a
2021	332	17.1	19.4	n/a
2022	321	23.5	13.6	n/a
2023	322	21.0	15.3	n/a

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Chilhowee Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	545	27.0	20.1	n/a
1989	476	27.0	17.6	n/a
1990	479	27.0	17.7	n/a
1991	464	29.0	16.0	n/a
1992	450	29.0	15.5	n/a
1993	479	29.0	16.5	n/a
1994	480	30.0	16.0	n/a
1995	515	32.0	16.1	n/a
1996	515	32.0	16.1	n/a
1997	482	n/a	0.0	n/a
1998	449	n/a	0.0	n/a
1999	429	n/a	0.0	n/a
2000	484	n/a	0.0	n/a
2001	484	n/a	0.0	n/a
2002	426	n/a	n/a	n/a
2003	426	n/a	n/a	n/a
2004	424	n/a	n/a	n/a
2005	428	n/a	n/a	n/a
2006	406	23.0	17.7	n/a
2007	454	25.0	18.2	49.6
2008	438	29.0	15.1	45.7
2009	450	24.5	18.4	62.7
2010	458	24.8	18.4	51.5
2011	454	25.0	18.1	61.9
2012	426	25.0	17.0	65
2013	406	24.0	16.9	64.3
2014	415	22.8	18.2	63.1
2015	382	23.0	16.6	68.6
2016	383	25.0	15.3	69.2
2017	350	24.0	14.5	n/a
2018	389	22.0	17.6	n/a
2019	355	21.0	16.9	n/a
2020	342	22.0	15.5	n/a
2021	332	17.1	19.4	n/a
2022	321	23.5	13.6	n/a
2023	322	21.0	15.3	n/a

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Chilhowee Middle School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$684 (7.1%)	$8,562 (88.3%)	$9,694
2020	$670 (7.1%)	$8,266 (87.1%)	$9,487
2021	$1,089 (10.6%)	$8,669 (84.6%)	$10,243
2022	$1,620 (13.0%)	$10,183 (81.4%)	$12,508
2023	$1,950 (13.5%)	$11,122 (77.0%)	$14,449

Data source: Tennessee Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Chilhowee Middle School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 200^th of 574 Middle schools	Ranks 290^th of 594 Middle schools	14%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
6th Grade Mathematics (Chilhowee Middle School)	53.8	28.7	25.1%
6th Grade Mathematics (Polk County)	45.5	29.8	15.7%
6th Grade Mathematics (Tennessee)	39	33.8	5.2%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Chilhowee Middle School)	35	33.3	1.7%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Polk County)	34.6	35.5	0.9%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Tennessee)	33.4	35.9	2.5%
6th Grade Social Studies (Chilhowee Middle School)	48.7	33	15.7%
6th Grade Social Studies (Polk County)	40.9	31.3	9.6%
6th Grade Social Studies (Tennessee)	38	43.4	5.4%
7th Grade Mathematics (Chilhowee Middle School)	28.8	34.8	6%
7th Grade Mathematics (Polk County)	21.5	31.9	10.4%
7th Grade Mathematics (Tennessee)	33.6	35	1.4%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Chilhowee Middle School)	29	27.2	1.8%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Polk County)	23.9	34.1	10.2%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Tennessee)	35.4	36.1	0.7%
7th Grade Social Studies (Chilhowee Middle School)	32	37	5%
7th Grade Social Studies (Polk County)	33.1	39.1	6%
7th Grade Social Studies (Tennessee)	43.2	46.9	3.7%
8th Grade Mathematics (Chilhowee Middle School)	40.9	39.4	1.5%
8th Grade Mathematics (Polk County)	35.5	36.3	0.8%
8th Grade Mathematics (Tennessee)	35.1	34	1.1%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Chilhowee Middle School)	27	26.2	0.8%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Polk County)	25.3	28.5	3.2%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Tennessee)	27.1	26.3	0.8%
8th Grade Social Studies (Chilhowee Middle School)	43.9	43	0.9%
8th Grade Social Studies (Polk County)	41.5	45.7	4.2%
8th Grade Social Studies (Tennessee)	41.5	41.6	0.1%
All Grades Mathematics (Chilhowee Middle School)	40.9	34.8	6.1%
All Grades Mathematics (Polk County)	41.5	38.4	3.1%
All Grades Mathematics (Tennessee)	40.8	38.1	2.7%
All Grades English Language Arts (Chilhowee Middle School)	30.3	28.6	1.7%
All Grades English Language Arts (Polk County)	31.6	36.7	5.1%
All Grades English Language Arts (Tennessee)	33.7	36.6	2.9%
All Grades Social Studies (Chilhowee Middle School)	41.2	38.2	3%
All Grades Social Studies (Polk County)	38.3	39.3	1%
All Grades Social Studies (Tennessee)	40.9	43.9	3%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	355	322	9.3%
African American	2	3	50%
American Indian	1	0	100%
Asian	0	0
Hispanic	8	15	87.5%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	340	302	11.2%
Two or More Races	4	2	50%

Schools Near Chilhowee Middle School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				TNReady Mathematics (2024)				TNReady English Language Arts (2024)				TNReady Algebra I (2024)		TNReady Science (2024)				TNReady Social Studies (2024)				Per Pupil Expenditures (2023)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	TNReady Mathematics 6th Grade	TNReady Mathematics 7th Grade	TNReady Mathematics 8th Grade	TNReady Mathematics All Grades	TNReady English Language Arts 6th Grade	TNReady English Language Arts 7th Grade	TNReady English Language Arts 8th Grade	TNReady English Language Arts All Grades	TNReady Algebra I 8th Grade	TNReady Algebra I All Grades	TNReady Science 6th Grade	TNReady Science 7th Grade	TNReady Science 8th Grade	TNReady Science All Grades	TNReady Social Studies 6th Grade	TNReady Social Studies 7th Grade	TNReady Social Studies 8th Grade	TNReady Social Studies All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Chilhowee Middle School	Public	6-8	215 Schoolhouse Hill RD	Benton	37307	Polk County	Polk County	No	No	No	Yes	(423) 299-0086	322	21	15.3		302 (93.8%)	3 (0.9%)	15 (4.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	40.9	332^nd of 587 public middle schools	43.4%		46.9	290^th of 594 public middle schools	51.2%	42	32.0	31.1	29.3	30.9	27.5	31.1	22.8	27.1			40.8	39.6	34.8	38.5	35.0	34.4	33.7	34.4	$14,449	$1,950	$11,122
Lake Forest Middle School	Public	6-8	610 Kile Lake RD	Cleveland	37323	Bradley County	Bradley County	No	No	No	No	(423) 478-8821	1,127	73	15.5		956 (84.8%)	27 (2.4%)	92 (8.2%)	8 (0.7%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	42 (3.7%)	42.3	327^th of 587 public middle schools	44.3%		45.1	312^th of 594 public middle schools	47.5%	15	30.5	33.9	40.0	34.7	32.5	30.8	24.7	29.4			33.8	34.5	35.1	34.4	38.5	37.3	27.4	34.5	$10,105	$915	$8,429
Ocoee Middle School	Public	6-8	2250 N Ocoee ST	Cleveland	37311	Bradley County	Bradley County	No	No	No	No	(423) 476-0630	997	71	14.0		840 (84.3%)	33 (3.3%)	80 (8.0%)	4 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (4.0%)	67.8	152^nd of 587 public middle schools	74.1%		68.4	151^st of 594 public middle schools	74.6%	1	53.7	37.2	45.6	45.3	48.4	34.6	31.1	38.2			60.6	45.8	45.7	50.8	63.2	43.3	43.5	50.1	$10,272	$798	$8,746
Cleveland Middle	Public	6-8	3635 Georgetown Road N. W.	Cleveland	37312	Bradley County	Cleveland	No	No	No	No	(423) 479-9641	1,271	87	14.6		627 (49.3%)	140 (11.0%)	378 (29.7%)	25 (2.0%)	1 (0.1%)	9 (0.7%)	91 (7.2%)	37.1	364^th of 587 public middle schools	38.0%		44.9	313^th of 594 public middle schools	47.3%	51	30.8	30.0	17.6	26.5	29.0	28.0	22.0	26.3	71.9	71.9	32.0	35.0	33.0	33.3	34.4	40.7	35.3	36.7	$11,013	$1,123	$9,204
Athens City Middle School	Public	6-8	200 Keith LN	Athens	37303	McMinn County	Athens	No	No	No	Yes	(423) 745-1177	481	29	16.3		335 (69.6%)	41 (8.5%)	53 (11.0%)	8 (1.7%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	42 (8.7%)	67.3	156^th of 587 public middle schools	73.4%		64.6	181^st of 594 public middle schools	69.5%	25	42.8	53.5	49.2	47.9	39.4	47.6	38.0	41.3	84.4	84.4	39.6	51.4	48.1	45.8	42.2	56.3	39.2	45.4	$11,640	$1,497	$9,357

Chilhowee Middle School

Chilhowee Middle School:

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Polk County:

What do you think?

Rank History for Chilhowee Middle School

Rank History for all students at Chilhowee Middle School

Rank History for Special Education students at Chilhowee Middle School

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Chilhowee Middle School

Rank History for Female students at Chilhowee Middle School

Rank History for Male students at Chilhowee Middle School

Rank History for White students at Chilhowee Middle School

Enrollment information for Chilhowee Middle School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Chilhowee Middle School

Student/Teacher Ratio Chilhowee Middle School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Chilhowee Middle School

Impact of COVID-19 on Chilhowee Middle School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Chilhowee Middle School