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Test scores delayed: 2026 rankings for Georgia do not yet include English Language Arts scores, which will not be released by the Georgia Department of Education until winter 2026.

Martha Ellen Stilwell School for the Performing Arts

Public Grades 9-12

54^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 455 Georgia High Schools

Better than 88% of Georgia high schools

Summary

Martha Ellen Stilwell School for the Performing Arts is a specialized high school in Jonesboro, GA, serving 494 students in grades 9-12 as a performing arts magnet within the Clayton County district. This school stands out as one of the highest-performing high schools in the district, ranking 54th out of 455 Georgia high schools (88th percentile) and maintaining a top-15% statewide position for nearly a decade.

Academically, Stilwell dramatically outperforms its neighbors. In Algebra I, 65.1% of students are proficient, compared to a 31% district average and 48.1% statewide. Biology proficiency is 61.3% (vs. 29.6% district, 47.2% state), and U.S. History is 56.8% (vs. 26.3% district, 38.5% state). These rates are roughly 2 to 2.5 times higher than the district average and exceed nearby comprehensive schools like Mount Zion High School by 20-23 percentage points in Algebra I and Biology. The school also boasts a perfect 100% graduation rate for five consecutive years—far above the district's 86.3% and state's 87.2%—and an exceptionally low chronic absenteeism rate of 9.4%, compared to 28% district and 17.7% statewide. Notably, Stilwell ranks 20th out of 376 Georgia schools (95th percentile) for African American student performance.

Stilwell's success comes with meaningful investment: per-student spending of $16,950 is higher than most nearby schools (e.g., Riverdale High School at $13,595), and a student-teacher ratio of 14.1:1 supports smaller classes. The school serves a student body where 100% qualify for free/reduced lunch, yet it maintains excellence despite this economic challenge. While Elite Scholars Academy (ranked 7th statewide) posts higher proficiency rates, it is a selective-admissions school; Stilwell's performance is arguably more impressive given its arts focus and different admissions model. For parents, Stilwell offers a proven track record of academic rigor, strong attendance, and a supportive arts environment—a standout option in a district that ranks in the bottom 20% statewide.

494

Students ?

14.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$16,950

Per pupil spending ?

100%

Free/discounted lunch ?

2580 Mount Zion Pkwy
Jonesboro, GA 30236

(770) 473-2785

District: Clayton County

Racial breakdown:

African American:

78.3%

Hispanic:

14.4%

Asian:

3.2%

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Compare Martha Ellen Stilwell School for the Performing Arts to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 92nd percentile in 2017 → 88th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Georgia average (61% vs 45% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 12% of Georgia high schools

✓100% graduate in 4 years — above the Georgia average (87%)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school61%

District avg29%

Georgia avg45%

54^th of 455

Georgia public high schools ?

Top 12%▼ down 4 pts since 2017

From top 8% (2017) to top 12% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Georgia High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 13High Schools in the Clayton County

163^rd of 201Clayton County among Georgia districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	74.9	54 of 455	88.1%	★★★★☆
2025	77.5	56 of 451	87.6%	★★★★☆
2024	87.4	30 of 454	93.4%	★★★★★
2023	82.8	38 of 448	91.5%	★★★★★
2022	75.8	60 of 431	86.1%	★★★★☆
2021	69.7	60 of 410	85.4%	★★★★☆
2019	85.0	29 of 438	93.4%	★★★★★
2018	81.3	37 of 428	91.4%	★★★★★
2017	81.9	32 of 420	92.4%	★★★★★

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	86.8	20 of 376	94.7%	★★★★★
2025	87.8	29 of 391	92.6%	★★★★★
2024	96.0	8 of 382	97.9%	★★★★★
2023	94.7	7 of 384	98.2%	★★★★★
2022	89.7	27 of 372	92.7%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	77.2	44 of 431	89.8%	★★★★★
2025	77.4	58 of 438	86.8%	★★★★☆
2024	88.8	26 of 435	94.0%	★★★★★
2023	82.9	37 of 433	91.5%	★★★★★
2022	79.5	48 of 430	88.8%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2025	94.4	6 of 312	98.1%	★★★★★
2023	81.7	33 of 308	89.3%	★★★★☆
2022	82.2	35 of 295	88.1%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	72.3	63 of 436	85.6%	★★★★☆
2025	77.1	56 of 442	87.3%	★★★★☆
2024	77.2	64 of 436	85.3%	★★★★☆
2023	78.2	47 of 436	89.2%	★★★★☆
2022	70.8	82 of 427	80.8%	★★★★☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Hispanic (2025)98th percentile+10 vs school

African American (2026)95th percentile+7 vs school

Female (2026)90th percentile~ school

Male (2026)86th percentile-3 vs school

By subject vs Georgia (2025-2026) ?

Algebra I65%+17 vs state

Biology61%+14 vs state

United States History57%+18 vs state

★

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Schools Near Martha Ellen Stilwell School for the Performing Arts

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				Milestones Assessment Algebra I (2026)	Milestones Assessment Biology (2026)	Milestones Assessment United States History (2026)	Milestones Assessment Mathematics (2026)			Milestones Assessment Social Studies (2026)	Milestones Assessment HS Physical Science (2026)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	Milestones Assessment Algebra I End of Course	Milestones Assessment Biology End of Course	Milestones Assessment United States History End of Course	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 6th Grade	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 7th Grade	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 8th Grade	Milestones Assessment Social Studies 8th Grade	Milestones Assessment HS Physical Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Martha Ellen Stilwell School for the Performing Arts	Public	9-12	2580 Mount Zion Pkwy	Jonesboro	30236	Clayton County	Clayton County	No	No	No	Yes	(770) 473-2785	494	35	14.1	100.0%	6 (1.2%)	387 (78.3%)	71 (14.4%)	16 (3.2%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (2.2%)	74.9	54^th of 455 public high schools	88.1%		77.5	56^th of 451 public high schools	87.6%	2	65.1	61.3	56.8						$16,950	$1,124	$15,826
Mount Zion High School	Public	9-12	2535 Mount Zion Pkwy	Jonesboro	30236	Clayton County	Clayton County	No	No	No	Yes	(770) 473-2940	1,232	68	18.1	100.0%	17 (1.4%)	833 (67.6%)	319 (25.9%)	39 (3.2%)	2 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	21 (1.7%)	41.7	211^th of 455 public high schools	53.6%		19.9	356^th of 451 public high schools	21.1%	145	42.1	41.2	35.5						$14,527	$1,629	$12,898
Elite Scholars Academy School	Public	6-12	7923 Fielder Rd	Jonesboro	30236	Clayton County	Clayton County	No	No	No	Yes	(770) 472-2823	757	40	18.9	100.0%	8 (1.1%)	478 (63.1%)	127 (16.8%)	109 (14.4%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.3%)	32 (4.2%)	93.7	7^th of 455 public high schools	98.5%		95.2	6^th of 451 public high schools	98.7%	1	97.3	91.9		96.6	96.8	94.5	94.5	96.3	$14,505	$1,023	$13,482
Jonesboro High School	Public	9-12	7728 Mount Zion Blvd	Jonesboro	30236	Clayton County	Clayton County	No	No	No	Yes	(770) 473-2855	1,630	77	21.1	100.0%	51 (3.1%)	1,134 (69.6%)	363 (22.3%)	27 (1.7%)	7 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	47 (2.9%)	31.1	278^th of 455 public high schools	38.9%		34.2	274^th of 451 public high schools	39.2%	4	31.7	37.2	29.4						$13,002	$1,298	$11,704
Utopian Academy for the Arts High School	Public, Charter	9-12	2299 Old Rex Marrow Road	Morrow	30260	Clayton County	Clayton County	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(470) 446-1070	291	24	12.1	77.7%	2 (0.7%)	261 (89.7%)	17 (5.8%)	5 (1.7%)	3 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.0%)	27.6	300^th of 455 public high schools	34.1%		22.7	342^nd of 451 public high schools	24.2%	42	19.2	32.4	35.2						$17,831	$53	$17,778
Perry Career Academy - Eula Wilburn Ponds Perry Center for	Public	6-12	137 Spring St	Jonesboro	30236	Clayton County	Clayton County	No	No	No	Yes	(770) 515-7601	887	66	13.4	100.0%	14 (1.6%)	590 (66.5%)	242 (27.3%)	13 (1.5%)	3 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (2.8%)	4	445^th of 455 public high schools	2.2%		4.3	443^rd of 451 public high schools	1.8%	2	2.2	3.4	3.5
Forest Park High School	Public	9-12	5452 Phillips Dr	Forest Park	30297	Clayton County	Clayton County	No	No	No	Yes	(404) 362-3890	1,711	99	17.2	100.0%	39 (2.3%)	642 (37.5%)	898 (52.5%)	85 (5.0%)	3 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	44 (2.6%)	23.4	334^th of 455 public high schools	26.6%		24.3	335^th of 451 public high schools	25.7%	1	33.7	28.0	22.6						$13,791	$1,403	$12,389
Morrow High School	Public	9-12	4930 Steele Road	Ellenwood	30294	DeKalb County	Clayton County	No	No	No	Yes	(770) 473-3241	2,077	104	19.9	100.0%	19 (0.9%)	1,390 (66.9%)	466 (22.4%)	151 (7.3%)	4 (0.2%)	1 (0.0%)	46 (2.2%)	16.4	383^rd of 455 public high schools	15.8%		19.6	361^st of 451 public high schools	20.0%	22	22.1	24.5	18.5						$12,665	$1,229	$11,436
Riverdale High School	Public	9-12	160 Roberts Dr	Riverdale	30274	Clayton County	Clayton County	No	No	No	Yes	(770) 473-2905	1,359	70	19.4	100.0%	15 (1.1%)	973 (71.6%)	303 (22.3%)	31 (2.3%)	5 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	31 (2.3%)	19.1	361^st of 455 public high schools	20.7%		25.9	324^th of 451 public high schools	28.2%	37	26.1	28.9	18.2						$13,595	$1,547	$12,049
Charles R. Drew High School	Public	9-12	6237 Garden Walk Blvd	Riverdale	30274	Clayton County	Clayton County	No	No	No	Yes	(770) 473-2700	1,708	96	17.7	100.0%	15 (0.9%)	978 (57.3%)	642 (37.6%)	34 (2.0%)	3 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (2.1%)	29.8	287^th of 455 public high schools	36.9%		27.8	312^th of 451 public high schools	30.8%	25	21.1	30.3	39.5						$13,751	$1,366	$12,385

Frequently Asked Questions about Martha Ellen Stilwell School for the Performing Arts

What district is Martha Ellen Stilwell School for the Performing Arts in?

Clayton County

How many students attend Martha Ellen Stilwell School for the Performing Arts?

In the 2024-25 school year, 494 students attended Martha Ellen Stilwell School for the Performing Arts.

Is Martha Ellen Stilwell School for the Performing Arts a good school?

Martha Ellen Stilwell School for the Performing Arts ranks 54^th of 455 Georgia high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Martha Ellen Stilwell School for the Performing Arts?

Students at Martha Ellen Stilwell School for the Performing Arts are 78% African American, 14% Hispanic, 3% Asian, 2% Two or more races, 1% White.

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Latest Georgia data All new data »

2025–26 attendance dataAug 6, 2026

2025–26 Milestones Assessment scoresAug 6, 2026

2021–22 through 2024–25 Milestones Assessment scores (updated)Aug 6, 2026

2024–25 dropout ratesFeb 19, 2026

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Georgia Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.