Hamilton County Schools
Developing our diverse graduates to be connected, competitive, and life ready.
Where all children
thrive and experience a future without limits.
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Buildings
6,000
Employees
Opportunity by Design
The mission of HCS is to equip students with the knowledge, skills, and support to THRIVE in life. While we know this mission starts with a primary focus on academics, we also understand from listening to our community that a student must possess qualities beyond academics to excel in the real world. We strive to create graduates who embody our "Portrait of a Graduate" with skills rooted in academics, problem-solving, effective communication, cultural inclusivity, and resiliency.
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We’re proud to celebrate Cassie Davis, Hamilton County Schools’ Manager for Climate and Capacity Building, on her selection for Leadership Chattanooga’s 2026 cohort!Selected as one of 45 community leaders, Cassie is spending the next 10 months learning alongside professionals from across Chattanooga as part of a leadership development experience focused this year on Growth-Minded Leadership.The journey kicked off with a two-day retreat in Knoxville, where the cohort explored leadership styles, trust, collaboration and what it means to help create high-performing, high-learning cultures. But for Cassie, one of the most meaningful parts of the experience has been the relationships she’s already building with people from across the community.“I expected to learn a lot about Chattanooga and leadership, but I didn't necessarily expect how quickly I would feel connected to this group of people,” Cassie shared. “I genuinely feel like we have the best class ever!”As she continues the 10-month experience, Cassie hopes to bring what she learns back to Hamilton County Schools — strengthening connections across the community, finding new opportunities to collaborate and ultimately helping create better outcomes for students and families.We’re excited to follow Cassie’s Leadership Chattanooga journey and see where these connections and conversations take her — and our community — over the next 10 months. 💙
Students at Lookout Valley and Hixson High Schools recently got a hands-on look at how quickly things can change behind the wheel when impairment or distraction comes into play.The UNITE Arrive Alive Tour®, sponsored by the Tennessee Highway Safety Office, visited both campuses with its virtual reality impaired driving and texting simulator. The experience gave students a safe way to see firsthand how dangerous behaviors like distracted and impaired driving can affect reaction time, judgment, and control.Thank you to the schools that welcomed the program and the Tennessee Highway Safety Office for bringing this important program to our students and helping encourage safer choices every time they get behind the wheel. 🚗💙
🧪🔬 A new space for students to explore and discover!Soddy Daisy Middle School recently unveiled its new STEM Center which provides, more opportunities for hands-on learning in science, technology, engineering, and math.TVA and the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation equipped the new e-lab with new resources, new technology, and learning tools that will allow students to put their problem-solving skills to work.We’re grateful for community partners who continue to invest in opportunities that help our students learn and grow.
What makes seventh grade the sweet spot? For East Lake Academy’s Griffen Zemek, it’s the questions, the jokes, the occasional off-topic conversation and, of course, the history.As a first-year teacher, Zemek is learning plenty along the way, from classroom management to the latest student trends. But one thing he already knows is how important it is to build relationships with his students.Read more about Zemek, his path to the classroom and what he’s loving about teaching seventh grade in our latest New Teacher Highlight: bit.ly/4x89Nqm #HCSstories
September 8th is International Literacy Day!📚✨Today, we celebrate the power of reading, writing, and learning that sparks imagination and helps students discover new possibilities.
Happy Labor Day, HCS! Today, we celebrate the hard work and dedication of workers across our community, including the incredible employees who serve our students and families each day.We hope everyone has a safe and restful Labor Day! 💙
Recent Awards and Recognitions
Hamilton County Schools earned an NSPRA Award of Merit through the National School Public Relations Association’s (NSPRA) 2026 Publications and Digital Media Excellence Awards. The honor recognizes excellence in school communications and marketing and places HCS among education organizations from across the United States, Canada, and Department of Defense Education Activity schools worldwide.
