Enrollment
1,370
Georgia · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Lithonia, GA
Martin Luther King- Jr. High School
Federal NCES profile for Martin Luther King- Jr. High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 28/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 130174002479
👥 S:T ratio 26
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 32
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Martin Luther King- Jr. High School earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 93% of Georgia schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Georgia schools.
- #3 of 4
- high schools in Lithonia · Resource Index
- 28
- Resource Index · Lower
- 18.5:1
- large classes for Georgia
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Martin Luther King- Jr. High School has class sizes larger than 93% of Georgia schools. Computed live against every Georgia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Martin Luther King- Jr. High School ranks #3 of 4 high schools in Lithonia, GA.
School address
District: Dekalb County · Georgia
NCES ID 130174002479 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
74.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.5:1
vs 14.4:1 Georgia avg
+28% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 60.7% Georgia avg
+65% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Martin Luther King- Jr. High School compares with Georgia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Martin Luther King- Jr. High School
Martin Luther King- Jr. High School is a high-poverty, large high school in Lithonia, Georgia, enrolling 1,370 students.
Class loads run heavy: 18.5:1 is larger than about 93% of Georgia schools and 28% above the 14.4:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need is high: 100.0% of students qualify for free meals, 65% above the Georgia average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Georgia, bigger than 91% of state schools at 1,370 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,314 scored Georgia schools.
Against 113 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #75.
Its student body is predominantly African American (92% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 16/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 2 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 343 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 50.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 15.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 500 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 1,370 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Lithonia's high schools, it stands alongside Lithonia High School (1,547 students): Martin Luther King- Jr. High School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (18.5:1 vs 18.6:1).
Dekalb County also operates Lakeside High School (2,234 students) and Dunwoody High School (2,012 students) alongside Martin Luther King- Jr. 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 Martin Luther King- Jr. High School compares
Martin Luther King- Jr. 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 | 18.5:1 | ▲ 28% | 14.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 65% | 60.7% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,370 | top 9% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.5:1
Leaner classes than 22% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,370
Bigger than 95% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
100.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 65% above the Georgia average of 60.7%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
18.5:1
students per teacher
- 28% above state mean
Top 93% in Georgia - lower ratio than 7% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
50.1%
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
$15,594
per pupil, district-wide
- above Georgia avg of $13,863
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 343 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
202
in-school suspensions + 298 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 14.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 36.5 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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
African American 91.5%
Hispanic or Latino 4.8%
Two or More 2.1%
White 0.8%
Asian 0.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: African American at 91.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 16.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 16.0, Martin Luther King- Jr. High School is less mixed than the Georgia school average of 50.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 2
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Dekalb County, which includes Martin Luther King- Jr. High School.
$15,594
Per student
+12%
vs Georgia
Avg $13,863
-6%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 51.6%
State 32.7%
Federal 15.7%
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 Martin Luther King- Jr. High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lakeside High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Dunwoody High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Chamblee High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Cross Keys High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Sequoyah Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Martin Luther King- Jr. High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,234
- Students per teacher
- 18.2:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 2,012
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 1,867
- Students per teacher
- 17.3:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 1,748
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 1,713
- Students per teacher
- 15.3:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
Similar high schools in Lithonia
3 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Lithonia High School
Standard public school
1,547 students 18.6:1 students per teacher
Arabia Mountain High School - Academy of Engineering- Medic
Standard public school
1,224 students 18.5:1 students per teacher
Miller Grove High School
Standard public school
1,073 students 14.5:1 students per teacher
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 (~1,370 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~18.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Martin Luther King- Jr. High School's federal record.
- Compare Martin Luther King- Jr. High School against another school. Compare schools
- Dekalb County'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 Martin Luther King- Jr. High School
How many students attend Martin Luther King- Jr. High School?
Martin Luther King- Jr. High School has 1,370 students enrolled. It is a high school in Lithonia, GA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Martin Luther King- Jr. High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Martin Luther King- Jr. High School is 18.5:1, which is 28% higher than the Georgia average of 14.4:1 and 18% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Martin Luther King- Jr. High School?
100.0% of students at Martin Luther King- Jr. High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Georgia average of 60.7%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Martin Luther King- Jr. High School?
The largest demographic group at Martin Luther King- Jr. High School is African American at 91.5% of enrollment, in Lithonia, GA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Martin Luther King- Jr. High School?
Martin Luther King- Jr. High School has a Resource Investment Index of 28/100 (lower 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 Martin Luther King- Jr. High School rank among high schools in Lithonia?
By Resource Investment Index, Martin Luther King- Jr. High School ranks #3 of 4 high schools in Lithonia, 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 Lithonia on the city page.
Is Martin Luther King- Jr. High School a good school?
Martin Luther King- Jr. High School earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 93% of Georgia schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Georgia schools. 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 Dekalb County?
Besides Martin Luther King- Jr. High School, Dekalb County also operates Lakeside High School (2,234 students), Dunwoody High School (2,012 students), and Chamblee High School (1,867 students). See the Dekalb County 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.