Bess T Shepherd Elementary School

Bess T Shepherd Elementary School is a primary school of medium-sized scale in Chattanooga, Tennessee, operated by Hamilton County, instructing 546 students in grades pre-K through 5.

Hamilton County comprises 82 schools with combined enrollment of 45,981 students; Bess T Shepherd Elementary School is among them.

On demographics, Bess T Shepherd Elementary School logs that the largest single group is Black at 47%, but no single group is in the majority. Beyond that, the school lists 34% Hispanic, 10% White, 8% multiracial, 2% Asian. That is considerably more Black than the county at large, where the share is closer to 17%.

Across the wider county, ACS estimates for Hamilton County put the typical household earns roughly $76,183 per year, 38% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and roughly 9% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Across Hamilton County's 82 public schools (combined enrollment of about 45,981 students), Bess T Shepherd Elementary School is one campus in the mix.

The closest other public school is Tyner Academy, roughly 0.4 miles away. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools.

Bess T Shepherd Elementary School operates from an urban location.

Over the past 7-year window. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Bess T Shepherd Elementary School has held roughly steady, going from 535 students in 2018 to 546 in 2025. The White share of enrollment contracted from 15% to 10% over that span.

On this page, members of the Bess T Shepherd Elementary School community share and discuss pickup logistics, teacher feedback, and after-school programs. The community welcomes input from current and former families.