Rockbridge Elementary School

Rockbridge Elementary School in Stone Mountain, GA, is a large PK-5 school within the DeKalb County district, serving 900 students in a high-poverty area where all students qualify for free or reduced lunch. The school holds a 1-star rating and has consistently ranked in the bottom quarter of Georgia elementary schools over the past decade.

One standout strength is attendance. Rockbridge’s chronic absenteeism rate has dropped dramatically from 31.6% in 2021-2022 to 18.8% for 2025-2026—a rate that is far better than most nearby schools, which range from 28.5% to 38.5%, and also better than the district average of 26.7%. This improvement suggests targeted efforts are working. In academics, 3rd-grade math is a relative bright spot, with 31.7% of students proficient—the highest among comparable neighborhood schools and close to the district average of 35.9%. However, performance in other areas is concerning; for example, 5th-grade science proficiency is just 13.8%, less than half the district average of 30.4%. This pattern of stronger 3rd-grade results not carrying through to 5th grade points to a possible area for instructional focus in upper grades.

Compared to its neighbors, Rockbridge is the second-largest school in the immediate area, and its per-student spending of $18,472 is on the lower end—several nearby schools spend over $20,000. Notably, Allgood Elementary, which spends slightly more, achieves significantly better test scores, raising questions about resource allocation. The DeKalb Agriculture Technology and Environment School stands out as a high-performing outlier with a 4-star rating and much higher proficiency rates, likely due to its specialized model. Subgroup data shows Rockbridge is relatively more effective for its African American students (28th percentile statewide) than for male students (10th percentile) or English Language Learners (7th percentile), highlighting opportunities to better support specific groups.