Public schools in Decatur, GA
Decatur has 41 public schools with a 2024-25 address in the city: 5 high, 9 middle, 27 elementary, enrolling 21,904 students. They are run by 4 districts and agencies; DeKalb County runs 30 of them.
NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25: schools open that year with enrollment · method
The 4 districts and agencies that run Decatur's public schools
Each district decides who can enroll where; its page holds its schools, spending and teachers.
| District | Schools in Decatur | District students, fall 2022 | Spending per student, FY23 |
|---|---|---|---|
| DeKalb County | 30 | 92,368 | $15,368 |
| City Schools of Decatur | 9 | 5,655 | $16,939 |
| State Charter Schools II- DeKalb Brilliance Academy | 1 | 171 | not reported |
| Department of Juvenile Justice | 1 | 372 | not reported |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25: school location city and operating agency; NCES F-33 fiscal year 2022-23: district fall membership and current spending per student. Schools on a city's edge can serve students from outside it.
5 high schools in Decatur, 4,902 students
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Decatur High School | 1,901 | 14.4 | 15.0% | City Schools of Decatur |
| Southwest DeKalb High School | 1,237 | 15.3 | 99.4% | DeKalb County |
| Columbia High School | 877 | 13.9 | 100.0% | DeKalb County |
| Towers High School | 876 | 16.5 | 100.0% | DeKalb County |
| DeKalb Regional Youth Detention Center | 11 | 2.2 | 72.7% | Department of Juvenile Justice |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (membership, staff, lunch); level from the directory. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count.
9 middle schools in Decatur, 6,394 students
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beacon Hill Middle School | 1,285 | 12.7 | 13.7% | City Schools of Decatur |
| Druid Hills Middle School | 985 | 13.7 | 72.3% | DeKalb County |
| McNair Middle School | 701 | 13.5 | 100.0% | DeKalb County |
| Cedar Grove Middle School | 685 | 13.7 | 100.0% | DeKalb County |
| Mary McLeod Bethune Middle School | 655 | 12.6 | 100.0% | DeKalb County |
| Miller Grove Middle School | 625 | 13.3 | 100.0% | DeKalb County |
| Chapel Hill Middle School | 614 | 13.6 | 100.0% | DeKalb County |
| Columbia Middle School | 571 | 11.8 | 100.0% | DeKalb County |
| Wadsworth Magnet School for High Achievers | 273 | 17.1 | 61.2% | DeKalb County |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (membership, staff, lunch); level from the directory. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count.
27 elementary schools in Decatur, 10,608 students
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peachcrest Elementary School | 729 | 14.3 | 100.0% | DeKalb County |
| Oakview Elementary | 685 | 13.4 | 100.0% | DeKalb County |
| Talley Street Upper Elementary School | 623 | 12.1 | 19.6% | City Schools of Decatur |
| DeKalb Preparatory Academy Charter | 537 | 14.5 | 100.0% | DeKalb County |
| Narvie Harris Elementary School | 535 | 14.5 | 88.4% | DeKalb County |
| Fifth Avenue Upper Elementary School | 529 | 11.7 | 10.2% | City Schools of Decatur |
| International Community School | 501 | 15.2 | 95.2% | DeKalb County |
| Chapel Hill Elementary School | 495 | 13.0 | 100.0% | DeKalb County |
| Ronald E McNair Discover Learning Academy Elementary School | 475 | 13.2 | 100.0% | DeKalb County |
| Canby Lane Elementary School | 446 | 14.9 | 100.0% | DeKalb County |
The other 17 elementary schools
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (membership, staff, lunch); level from the directory. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count.
How Decatur's public schools compare with Georgia's
The median Decatur school has 12.8 students per full-time teacher, fewer than the Georgia median of 13.7. 70% of its schools ran a schoolwide Title I program in 2021-22, against 69% across the state. Its median school enrolls 475 students (state 636).
| Decatur | Georgia | |
|---|---|---|
| Median students per teacher | 12.8 | 13.7 |
| Median school size (students) | 475 | 636 |
| Schools with a schoolwide Title I program (2021-22) | 70% | 69% |
| Schools where every student eats free (CEP) | 71% | 55% |
| Charter schools | 7.3% | 3.8% |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (membership, staff, lunch program, charter status; the 41 Decatur schools and the 2,287 Georgia schools open that year with students); Title I status CCD 2021-22. Students per teacher counts 2024-25 teachers and ratios from 3 to 99.
What to look at next in Decatur
- DeKalb CountyRuns 30 of Decatur's 41 public schools and spent $15,368 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$15,368
- Decatur High School, the largest high school in Decatur1,901 students in 2024-25, 14.4 per teacher.1,901
- Compare DeKalb County with City Schools of DecaturDecatur's two largest operators side by side: enrollment, spending and schools.
- The largest public schools in GeorgiaGeorgia's 50 largest schools open in 2024-25, by enrollment.
- Find the school district for a Decatur addressA home's district, not its city, decides which public schools it can enroll in.
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (schools and their operating agencies); NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 (spending per student).
Choosing among them: how to choose a school district with the federal data, and what a Title I school is.
Other cities in Georgia
- Atlanta137 schools
- Marietta60 schools
- Columbus47 schools
- Savannah47 schools
- Macon41 schools
- Augusta39 schools
- Lawrenceville37 schools
- Gainesville32 schools
Questions about schools in Decatur
How many public schools are in Decatur, GA?
41 public schools with an address in Decatur were open in 2024-25: 5 high, 9 middle, 27 elementary, enrolling 21,904 students. 3 are charter schools.What is the largest high school in Decatur?
Decatur High School, with 1,901 students in 2024-25 (City Schools of Decatur).Which districts run Decatur's schools?
DeKalb County (30 schools), City Schools of Decatur (9 schools), State Charter Schools II- DeKalb Brilliance Academy (1 school), Department of Juvenile Justice (1 school). A school's district, not its city, decides who can enroll.
These figures are for information and are not a substitute for the district's enrollment office, which confirms the school a home is assigned to.
Sources
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School directory, membership, staff and lunch files · 2024-25
Source: NCES Common Core of Data Public school search (the official record of each school) · 2024-25