Chattanooga School for the Arts and Sciences is a public school serving Hamilton County students at its historic campus on East Third Street.
CSAS opened as a middle school in 1986 after several years of study by a committee comprised of community, business, and educational leaders. The first senior class graduated in 1991, and CSAS is now the only magnet school within Hamilton County offering a K-12 education.
Over time, the school has posted a proven record of education success, with more than 95 percent of its graduates going on to post-secondary education. The school boasts a 96 percent attendance rate, well above the district average, and had a 99 percent graduation rate in 2009. See more of CSAS's outstanding achievements on the Tennessee Department of Education's most recent report card.
CSAS follows the principles of The Paideia Proposal, requiring the same curriculum for all students. The course study is general, not specialized; liberal, not vocational; and humanistic, not technical. No honors or advanced placement courses are offered; instead, Paideia-based classes offer their own strengths for all students.
A brief history of the school:
1917 - The land for the school building was purchased.
1922 - Wyatt Hall (the center section of the school we now call the Gallery) was completed. It was named after Professor Henry D. Wyatt, who started the public school system of Chattanooga.
1935 - The two wings of the school were added and named after Miss Trimble and Mrs. McDonald, who were teachers at Chattanooga High School. The wings were built by the W.P.A. (Works Project Administration), a program created by the government to give people jobs during the Great Depression.
1941 - The Chattanooga High School Memorial Football Stadium was completed. CSAS now uses the stadium for baseball and soccer.
1955 - The John B. Steele Gymnasium was completed.
The school has had four names since it was built:
Chattanooga School for the Arts and Sciences: 1986 - Present
Erlanger School of Nursing and the Continuing Education Program: 1983 - 1985
Riverside High School: 1963 - 1983
Chattanooga High School: 1922 - 1963
