Summary:
Dalton Public Schools serves two high schools—Dalton High School and The Dalton Academy—covering grades 9-12 for roughly 2,388 students in Dalton, Georgia, a district ranked 114th out of 201 statewide with a 2-star rating.
These two schools offer very different experiences. Dalton High School is the district’s flagship, enrolling about 1,919 students (80% of high schoolers) and showing steady improvement—its state ranking climbed from the 43rd to the 57th percentile over two years. It outperforms The Dalton Academy in every subject: Algebra I proficiency is 47.6% versus 31.4%, Biology is 45.6% versus 22.5%, and US History is 31.5% versus 15.8%. Dalton High also boasts a 91.4% graduation rate (well above the state’s 87.2%) and a low 1.5% dropout rate. Meanwhile, The Dalton Academy, with 469 students, has remained stuck at the 16th percentile for three years. Its graduation rate is just 76.1%, and its chronic absenteeism rate of 25.7% is the district’s highest—nearly double the district average of 12.5%.
A striking paradox emerges with spending: The Dalton Academy spends 54% more per student ($19,102 versus $12,396) and has a much smaller student-teacher ratio (9.2:1 versus 16.9:1), yet achieves far weaker results. This suggests extra resources alone aren’t driving success. On a positive note, The Dalton Academy did improve in Algebra I (+10.2 points) and Biology (+3.5 points) this year, though US History fell by 5.8 points. Both schools struggle with US History, falling below the state average of 38.5%, and both exceed the state’s chronic absenteeism average of 17.7%. For parents, Dalton High School currently offers stronger academics, better graduation outcomes, and more efficient use of funds, while The Dalton Academy faces significant challenges in engagement and achievement that warrant closer attention.
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