Enrollment
1,901
Georgia · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Decatur, GA
Decatur High School
Federal NCES profile for Decatur High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 47/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 130168000802
👥 S:T ratio 38
📚 AP courses 55
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 24
📋 Attendance 47
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Decatur High School earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 70% of Georgia schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Georgia.
- #1 of 4
- high schools in Decatur · Resource Index
- 47
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.5:1
- large classes for Georgia
- 10.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Decatur High School has class sizes larger than 70% of Georgia schools. Computed live against every Georgia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Decatur High School ranks #1 of 4 high schools in Decatur, GA.
School address
District: City Schools of Decatur · Georgia
NCES ID 130168000802 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
123.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.5:1
vs 14.4:1 Georgia avg
+8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
10.7%
vs 60.7% Georgia avg
-82% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Decatur High School compares with Georgia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Decatur High School
Decatur High School is a lower-poverty, large high school in Decatur, Georgia, enrolling 1,901 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.5:1 puts it in the larger third of Georgia schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 10.7% free-meal eligibility runs 82% below the Georgia average.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Georgia, bigger than 96% of state schools at 1,901 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,314 scored Georgia schools.
Against 97 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #30.
Its student body is led by White (59%) and African American (23%) (diversity index 59/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 11 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 380 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 21.4% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The surrounding City Schools of Decatur spends $16,600 per pupil, 20% above the Georgia average, a better-resourced district than most.
Among Decatur's high schools, it stands alongside Southwest Dekalb High School (1,237 students): Decatur High School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (15.5:1 vs 15.7:1).
City Schools of Decatur also operates Beacon Hill Middle School (1,285 students) and Talley Street Upper Elementary School (623 students) alongside Decatur High School.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Decatur High School compares
Decatur High School on the metrics families compare, against Georgia and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Georgia | Georgia avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.5:1 | ▲ 8% | 14.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 10.7% | ▼ 82% | 60.7% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,901 | top 4% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.5:1
Leaner classes than 42% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,901
Bigger than 98% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
10.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 82% below the Georgia average of 60.7%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
15.5:1
students per teacher
- 8% above state mean
Top 70% in Georgia - lower ratio than 30% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
21.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$16,600
per pupil, district-wide
- above Georgia avg of $13,863
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors5.0 FTE
Per 380 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
113
in-school suspensions + 85 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 5.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 10.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 59.3%
African American 23.0%
Two or More 7.6%
Hispanic or Latino 5.7%
Asian 4.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 59.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 58.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 58.5, Decatur High School is more mixed than the Georgia school average of 50.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 11
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for City Schools of Decatur, which includes Decatur High School.
$16,600
Per student
+20%
vs Georgia
Avg $13,863
+0%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 57.4%
State 34.9%
Federal 7.6%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Decatur High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beacon Hill Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Talley Street Upper Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Fifth Avenue Upper Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Winnona Park Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Oakhurst Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Decatur High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,285
- Students per teacher
- 13.2:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 623
- Students per teacher
- 11.8:1
- Resource Index
- 59/100
- Enrollment
- 529
- Students per teacher
- 10.4:1
- Resource Index
- 60/100
- Enrollment
- 276
- Students per teacher
- 9.9:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 233
- Students per teacher
- 9.7:1
- Resource Index
- 64/100
Similar high schools in Decatur
3 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Georgia, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,901 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Decatur High School's federal record.
- Compare Decatur High School against another school. Compare schools
- City Schools of Decatur's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Decatur High School
How many students attend Decatur High School?
Decatur High School has 1,901 students enrolled. It is a high school in Decatur, GA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Decatur High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Decatur High School is 15.5:1, which is 8% higher than the Georgia average of 14.4:1 and 1% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Decatur High School?
10.7% of students at Decatur High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Georgia average of 60.7%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Decatur High School?
The largest demographic group at Decatur High School is White at 59.3% of enrollment, in Decatur, GA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 58.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Decatur High School?
Decatur High School has a Resource Investment Index of 47/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Decatur High School rank among high schools in Decatur?
By Resource Investment Index, Decatur High School ranks #1 of 4 high schools in Decatur, GA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Decatur on the city page.
Is Decatur High School a good school?
Decatur High School earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 70% of Georgia schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Georgia. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in City Schools of Decatur?
Besides Decatur High School, City Schools of Decatur also operates Beacon Hill Middle School (1,285 students), Talley Street Upper Elementary School (623 students), and Fifth Avenue Upper Elementary School (529 students). See the City Schools of Decatur district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.