Hillside Conant School

Hillside Conant School is a small alternative school in Atlanta's Virginia-Highland/Morningside area, serving just 67 students across grades 1 through 12 under the Atlanta Public Schools district.

This school serves an exceptionally high-need population, with 95.5% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch—a figure that has held steady for three years. As an alternative school, it supports students who have not succeeded in traditional settings, which provides important context for its outcomes. The most striking differentiator is its 5.9% graduation rate, dramatically below the district average of 90.5% and the state's 87.2%. This is a meaningful improvement from 0% the prior year, but remains critically low. In contrast, Atlanta Classical Academy—also classified as an alternative school in the same district—boasts a 97.2% graduation rate with just 17.1% of students in poverty. The dropout rate of 6.9% is nearly three times the district rate, though it has improved from 10.2% two years ago.

Perhaps the most surprising finding is the school's near-perfect attendance: chronic absenteeism sits at just 0.4%, far better than the district's 27.6% and every comparable school in the area. Students show up consistently, yet test scores remain well below averages—Algebra I proficiency was 0% and Biology 5.9% in the most recent release, compared to district rates of 41.7% and 38.7%. The school maintains a very favorable 6.7:1 student-teacher ratio, suggesting significant resources are directed here. With such small cohorts (each grade may have only 5-10 students), a single student's performance can shift proficiency rates by 10-20 percentage points, which explains some year-to-year volatility. The 2023-2024 Biology score of 41.2%—exceeding the district average—demonstrates these students can achieve at competitive levels when conditions are right. The path forward likely requires rethinking instructional models and graduation pathways, not just getting students to show up.