The top reported proficiency rate is 52% in English language arts. The lowest is 44% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Ivy Academy's Skillern Elementary
Ivy Academy’s Skillern Elementary is a charter school serving kindergarten through fifth grade in Soddy-Daisy, a community that formed from the merger of two former coal-mining settlements along U.S. Route 27 north of Chattanooga. The town developed linearly along that highway and remains largely residential, with a partly rural texture and a population that grew steadily through the 1990s and then more moderately. Many residents commute south to Chattanooga for work, and the most prominent local employer is the Sequoyah Nuclear Generating Station. The school is part of Hamilton County Schools, the district that also includes the county’s other public and charter schools.
The school’s enrollment is small for its grade band, and the student body is predominantly white, with a modest share of Black and Hispanic students. Data on the share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price meals, receive special education services, or are English learners was not available, so a reader’s understanding of the school’s economic and support-need profile is limited. State testing results for the most recent year show that in reading and English language arts, roughly half of tested students met the state’s proficiency benchmark, and the same was true in science. In math, the share reaching that level was somewhat lower. Participation rates on the assessments were very high, meaning nearly all enrolled students took the tests. Because the comparison set for schools in Hamilton County was too small to place these results relative to other schools, a family cannot gauge how they stack up locally using the available data.
The school’s charter status means it operates with some autonomy from the district’s central administration, though it remains a public school and follows state accountability rules. Hamilton County Schools recently implemented a district-wide shift to a structured literacy approach grounded in the science of reading, beginning with kindergarten through second grade, which would affect the early elementary instruction at this school. The curriculum change emphasizes explicit phonics instruction, replacing a balanced literacy model, and represents a lasting pedagogical shift.
Several aspects that can matter to families are not captured in the available data. There was no information on class sizes, teacher qualifications, staffing ratios, or the frequency of discipline incidents. Nor were there details on course access, enrichment programs, or afterschool offerings. The school’s civil rights data, chronic absenteeism rate, and graduation rate are not applicable at this grade level, and no program listings were provided. A parent considering this school would likely want to ask directly about class size, support services for students who need extra help, and the school’s approach to early reading instruction beyond the district-wide shift.
Soddy-Daisy itself does not have a concentrated downtown; civic life is spread along the highway corridor. The municipal building and a small museum operated by the historical association serve as anchors, and parks and recreation areas are present, including the Stone Fort bouldering area and access to Chickamauga Lake. There is no public library within the city limits. The community’s growth has been steady but shows signs of moderating, and it continues to function as a bedroom community for Chattanooga.
This school may fit a family looking for a small elementary setting within a charter structure in a bedroom community north of Chattanooga. The available test results suggest a middle ground in academic performance, though without comparison data it is hard to say more. Parents will want to fill in the missing pieces with direct inquiries to the school.
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