An equity score of 47/100 ranks Dekalb County #119 of 216 districts in Georgia (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $15,368 per pupil, Dekalb County ranks #59 of 219 Georgia districts by per-pupil spending (Georgia districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
92,368
Total Enrollment
131
Schools
$15,368
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Dekalb County operates 131 public schools serving 92,368 students, placing it among the largest districts in Georgia. The school portfolio breaks down into 80 combined, 22 high, 19 middle, 10 elementary schools, giving families in a major system a clear picture of grade-band coverage across a large portfolio before they move, rent, or enrol. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Dekalb County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $15,368 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the upper half of 219 Georgia districts by per-pupil spending. See how Georgia compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 51.6% local, 32.7% state, and 15.7% federal, a local-revenue-heavy mix that leaves the district more exposed to property-tax swings and local ballot measures than state-funded peers. The district's equity score is 47/100, ranked #119 of 216 in Georgia against a state average of 50, in line with the typical spread seen across the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.
Academic infrastructure includes 22 of 131 schools offering Advanced Placement (255 AP courses district-wide), a 413.1:1 student-counselor ratio, above both the ASCA benchmark and the roughly 408:1 national average, and 31.7% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 57.2% African American, 21.4% Hispanic or Latino, 11.2% White across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Dunwoody Elementary School, with a diversity index of 75.1/100.
Its largest campus is Lakeside High School, enrolling 2,234 students (2% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Uhs of Laurel Heights, at 53 students, a 42x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.
Dekalb County school enrollment varies 42× across entities
Dekalb County school enrollment ranges from 53 students (lowest) to 2,234 students (highest), a spread of 2,181 students. That ratio is among the widest observed and reflects extreme enrollment heterogeneity, the district operates both small specialty programs and large comprehensive campuses inside a single budgeting unit. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.
Dekalb County reports 74.1% free-lunch eligibility
The reported share sits between 62.5% and 75%, above a simple majority but below the highest descriptive band used here. Title I operates under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015), but its statutory allocation uses additional LEA-level counts and rules not represented by this average. This percentage is an economic-need context measure; it does not establish a Title I award, show dollars received, or describe how funds are distributed among campuses.
Dekalb County student-counselor ratio is 413:1 — high (typically associated with staffing constraints that limit per-student counselor time; CRDC data shows higher ratios cluster in larger urban systems)
student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment, districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.
Dekalb County chronic absenteeism rate is 31.7% — high (typically associated with higher-than-average disruption; recent CRDC data showed elevated rates persisting after pandemic-era schooling changes)
chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason, illness, family obligations, or disengagement Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.
Dekalb County has 131 schools, including 22 high, 19 middle, 10 elementary, 80 combined. Total enrollment is 92,368 students.
How much does Dekalb County spend per student?
Dekalb County spends $15,368 per student. The district has an equity score of 47/100, ranking #119 in Georgia.
What is the demographic composition of Dekalb County?
Dekalb County students are 57.2% African American, 21.4% Hispanic or Latino, 11.2% White, 6.2% Asian, averaged across 131 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Dekalb County?
Dekalb County has an equity score of 47/100, ranking #119 out of 216 districts in Georgia.