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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.

Fernbank Elementary School

Q: Is Fernbank Elementary School a good school?

Fernbank Elementary School ranks 162 nd of 1222 Georgia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

162^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,222 Georgia Elementary Schools

Better than 87% of Georgia elementary schools

Summary

Fernbank Elementary School in Atlanta, GA, serves 895 students from Pre-K through 5th grade and has earned a strong reputation as a top performer within the DeKalb County school district, ranking in the 87th percentile statewide. The school consistently earns 4-star ratings and has shown remarkable stability over the past five years, with rankings ranging from the 81st to 90th percentiles. This is especially notable because the district itself ranks in the 32nd percentile, meaning Fernbank significantly outperforms the average school in its own district by wide margins—often doubling the district's proficiency rates in math and science.

Academically, Fernbank's test scores are impressive across all grade levels and subjects. In the most recent testing cycle, math proficiency ranged from 60.2% to 76.3%, compared to district averages of 31.7% to 37.5% and state averages of 44.1% to 50.1%. Fifth-grade science proficiency reached 67.8%, versus just 30.4% in the district and 44.2% statewide. The school also excels in serving diverse student populations: African American students rank in the 91st percentile statewide, White students in the 86th percentile, and Special Education students in the 81st percentile. Chronic absenteeism has dropped steadily from 17.6% to 11.3% over four years—less than half the district rate of 26.7% and well below the state average of 17.7%.

What makes Fernbank particularly compelling is its efficiency. At $17,952 per student, it spends the least among nearby schools—far below Westchester Elementary ($30,758), Clairemont Elementary ($30,032), and Oakhurst Elementary ($27,844)—while still delivering top-13% results. It serves a larger, more economically diverse student body (27.8% free/reduced lunch) than elite neighbors like Mary Lin Elementary (5.3%) and Springdale Park Elementary (18.3%), yet achieves proficiency rates that rival or exceed those schools. While Fernbank doesn't quite reach the 98th–99th percentile of those Atlanta Public Schools counterparts, it remains a standout choice for families seeking a high-performing, efficiently run community school.

895

Students ?

15.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$17,952

Per pupil spending ?

27.8%

Free/discounted lunch ?

157 Heaton Park Dr NE
Atlanta, GA 30307

(678) 874-9302

District: DeKalb County

Students who attend Fernbank Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Druid Hills Middle School
High:	Druid Hills High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

44.8%

African American:

23.0%

Asian:

16.1%

See top rated Georgia elementary schools

Compare Fernbank Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 92nd percentile in 2016 → 87th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Georgia average (67% vs 47% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 13% of Georgia elementary schools

✓Among the top-ranked schools in DeKalb County

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 5 percentile points since 2016

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school67%

District avg34%

Georgia avg47%

162^nd of 1,222

Georgia public elementary schools ?

Top 13%▼ down 6 pts since 2016

From top 8% (2016) to top 13% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Georgia Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

6^th of 81Elementary Schools in the DeKalb County

137^th of 202DeKalb 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	86.5	162 of 1222	86.7%	★★★★☆
2025	88.2	146 of 1238	88.2%	★★★★☆
2024	87.2	163 of 1236	86.8%	★★★★☆
2023	91.0	121 of 1223	90.1%	★★★★★
2022	82.8	210 of 1220	82.8%	★★★★☆
2021	79.9	226 of 1214	81.4%	★★★★☆
2019	65.0	392 of 1234	68.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	61.2	417 of 1209	65.5%	★★★☆☆
2017	75.1	260 of 1205	78.4%	★★★★☆
2016	91.5	94 of 1233	92.4%	★★★★★
2015	95.3	56 of 1240	95.5%	★★★★★
2014	84.0	91 of 1231	92.6%	★★★★★
2013	82.4	137 of 1225	88.8%	★★★★☆
2012	82.6	136 of 1201	88.7%	★★★★☆
2011	85.0	99 of 1212	91.8%	★★★★★
2010	86.2	85 of 1183	92.8%	★★★★★
2009	90.7	28 of 1133	97.5%	★★★★★
2008	89.2	51 of 1134	95.5%	★★★★★
2007	89.9	33 of 1125	97.1%	★★★★★
2006	88.5	43 of 1101	96.1%	★★★★★

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	87.4	75 of 829	91.0%	★★★★★
2025	80.4	129 of 892	85.5%	★★★★☆
2024	83.5	107 of 879	87.8%	★★★★☆
2023	57.6	300 of 870	65.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	58.9	295 of 876	66.3%	★★★☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	17.7	95 of 107	11.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	10.7	110 of 120	8.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	9.6	110 of 121	9.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	22.1	100 of 115	13.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	1.4	101 of 106	4.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2025	70.5	55 of 317	82.6%	★★★★☆
2024	52.4	110 of 304	63.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	49.4	118 of 283	58.3%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	87.6	140 of 1189	88.2%	★★★★☆
2025	87.3	144 of 1224	88.2%	★★★★☆
2024	84.9	176 of 1223	85.6%	★★★★☆
2023	90.9	116 of 1212	90.4%	★★★★★
2022	84.6	171 of 1206	85.8%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	82.9	187 of 1186	84.2%	★★★★☆
2025	87.0	157 of 1225	87.2%	★★★★☆
2024	87.3	152 of 1220	87.5%	★★★★☆
2023	89.3	128 of 1210	89.4%	★★★★☆
2022	79.0	242 of 1209	80.0%	★★★★☆

Migrant

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2022	70.9	7 of 36	80.6%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	75.1	87 of 466	81.3%	★★★★☆
2025	69.8	124 of 565	78.1%	★★★★☆
2022	91.8	24 of 415	94.2%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	84.8	97 of 703	86.2%	★★★★☆
2025	90.5	52 of 769	93.2%	★★★★★
2024	83.6	103 of 772	86.7%	★★★★☆
2023	92.8	36 of 775	95.4%	★★★★★
2022	88.5	69 of 779	91.1%	★★★★★

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)

African American (2026)91st percentile+4 vs school

Female (2026)88th percentile~ school

White (2026)86th percentile~ school

Male (2026)84th percentile-3 vs school

English Language Learner (2025)83rd percentile-6 vs school

Special Education (2026)81st percentile-5 vs school

Migrant (2022)81st percentile~ school

Asian (2026)11th percentile-76 vs school

By subject vs Georgia (2025-2026) ?

Science68%+24 vs state

Mathematics67%+20 vs state

3.0

6 ratings · 5 written reviews

5★3

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★3

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What people are saying

by a parent
Sunday, January 21, 2024

Our family left Fernbank last year and haven't looked back. Our kids loved learning before we started at Fernbank, but it only took until 1st grade for Fernbank to crush that joy. My kids came home everyday hating school. I discovered that the teachers and administrators focused on social issues that were too heavy for their age and made them anxious about the future. The focus on activism meant that my kids were not getting the fundamental lessons that they needed. One of my boys was having trouble writing his letters correctly in 2nd grade, but the teacher was "not concerned". It was only at the end of the year that I discovered why the teacher wasn't concerned, they didn't do any handwritten work, all of their lessons on tablets. In addition, the DCSD heavily focuses on MAP testing students to look for "progress", which sounds like a good thing....except it means that the kids are constantly doing standardized test and teachers are only teaching to the test performance. Close Quote

by a parent
Monday, January 31, 2022

We heard glowing reviews from parents about Fernbank, so we bought our house specifically to be zoned for this school. We were told that parents are highly engaged and that academics were great. Both things couldn't be further from the truth. Parent "engagement" is a constant barrage of fundraising and because of covid rules parents aren't even allowed in the building, which means the after-school clubs can't be expanded because they won't allow parent volunteers. As for academics, "gifted" means nothing in this school. A gifted child is not challenged and are actually behind when they get to middle-school. Fernbank is no longer the jewel of the Dekalb school district. Close Quote

by a parent
Monday, January 31, 2022

This used to be a great school with a diverse student body and inclusive environment. During the pandemic, the superintendent and Fernbank principal have developed a curriculum based on social and political issues. If your beliefs do not align with the district and staff at the school then it is an unwelcome environment. Teachers lesson plans are not focused on reading or math and helping kids catch up from their learning loss due to a full year of virtual learning (March 2020-March 2021). Instead of focusing on reading or math, they focus on gender and racial identity. It is a shame that our children are in the hands of people that don't care about anything other than their own radical political points of view. Some veteran teachers are amazing, but other teachers are dividing 3rd grades in the bathroom line by boys, girls and nonbinary. Pushing gender identity in 3rd grade is not appropriate and against state guidelines that sexual education not be taught without informed parental consent. The administration should be focused on closing learning gaps not pushing social and political issues. Close Quote

by a parent
Friday, March 23, 2012

Great school Close Quote

by a parent
Thursday, October 27, 2011

This school is an example of what elementary education in America should be. The administration is effective, the teachers are well qualified and excited about their students and their job, and the parents are very involved in supporting the school. They have a wonderful art program and a free-standing science lab. They also have a stellar musical education program. This is a wonderful school! Close Quote

Schools Near Fernbank Elementary School

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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 Mathematics (2026)			Milestones Assessment 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 (2025)	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 Mathematics 3rd Grade	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 4th Grade	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 5th Grade	Milestones Assessment Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Fernbank Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	157 Heaton Park Dr NE	Atlanta	30307	Fulton County	DeKalb County	No	No	No	No	(678) 874-9302	895	56	15.9	27.8%	401 (44.8%)	206 (23.0%)	69 (7.7%)	144 (16.1%)	5 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	70 (7.8%)	86.5	162^nd of 1222 public elementary schools	86.7%		88.2	146^th of 1238 public elementary schools	88.2%	16	76.3	60.2	63.8	67.8	$17,952	$1,289	$16,663
Westchester Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-2	758 Scott Blvd	Decatur	30030	DeKalb County	City Schools of Decatur	No	No	No	No	(404) 370-4400	174	17	10.3	5.7%	127 (73.0%)	8 (4.6%)	15 (8.6%)	8 (4.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (9.2%)								(n/a)					$30,758	$257	$30,500
Oakhurst Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-2	175 Mead Rd	Decatur	30030	DeKalb County	City Schools of Decatur	No	No	No	No	(404) 370-4470	233	22	10.4	11.2%	143 (61.4%)	26 (11.2%)	15 (6.4%)	15 (6.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (14.6%)								(n/a)					$27,844	$119	$27,725
Clairemont Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-2	155 Erie Ave	Decatur	30030	DeKalb County	City Schools of Decatur	No	No	No	Yes	(404) 370-4450	162	17	9.8	32.1%	59 (36.4%)	58 (35.8%)	11 (6.8%)	15 (9.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (11.7%)								(n/a)					$30,032	$1,684	$28,348
Mary Lin Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	586 Candler Park Dr NE	Atlanta	30307	Fulton County	Atlanta Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(404) 802-8850	526	35	15.2	5.3%	387 (73.6%)	46 (8.7%)	27 (5.1%)	22 (4.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	43 (8.2%)	98.1	20^th of 1222 public elementary schools	98.4%		98.3	20^th of 1238 public elementary schools	98.4%		83.6	83.1	91.3	87.0	$24,003	$1,048	$22,954
Glennwood Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-2	440 E Ponce de Leon Ave	Decatur	30030	DeKalb County	City Schools of Decatur	No	No	No	No	(404) 370-4435	184	19	9.8	21.7%	79 (42.9%)	44 (23.9%)	21 (11.4%)	17 (9.2%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (12.0%)								(n/a)					$29,488	$500	$28,987
Fifth Avenue Upper Elementary School	Public	3-5	101 5th Ave	Decatur	30030	DeKalb County	City Schools of Decatur	No	No	No	No	(404) 370-4460	529	45	11.7	11.3%	366 (69.2%)	62 (11.7%)	26 (4.9%)	31 (5.9%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (7.9%)	95.3	67^th of 1222 public elementary schools	94.5%		96.4	56^th of 1238 public elementary schools	95.5%	11	81.5	92.5	82.4	64.8	$19,783	$175	$19,608
Springdale Park Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	803 Briarcliff Rd NE	Atlanta	30306	Fulton County	Atlanta Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(404) 802-6050	437	34	12.9	18.3%	247 (56.5%)	75 (17.2%)	53 (12.1%)	18 (4.1%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	42 (9.6%)	98.7	8^th of 1222 public elementary schools	99.3%		98.8	10^th of 1238 public elementary schools	99.2%	2	85.0	90.4	90.0	91.7	$26,553	$941	$25,612
Fred A. Toomer Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	65 Rogers St NE	Atlanta	30317	DeKalb County	Atlanta Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(404) 802-3450	513	39	13.0	90.3%	147 (28.7%)	320 (62.4%)	27 (5.3%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	17 (3.3%)	48.3	569^th of 1222 public elementary schools	53.4%		34.4	763^rd of 1238 public elementary schools	38.4%	194	48.3	35.6	39.8	48.2	$27,321	$2,059	$25,262
Winnona Park Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-2	510 Avery St	Decatur	30030	DeKalb County	City Schools of Decatur	No	No	No	No	(404) 370-4490	276	21	13.1	8.0%	177 (64.1%)	34 (12.3%)	18 (6.5%)	14 (5.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	32 (11.6%)								(n/a)					$23,902	$258	$23,643

Frequently Asked Questions about Fernbank Elementary School

What is the racial makeup of Fernbank Elementary School?

Students at Fernbank Elementary School are 45% White, 23% African American, 16% Asian, 8% Two or more races, 8% Hispanic.

Is Fernbank Elementary School a good school?

Fernbank Elementary School ranks 162^nd of 1222 Georgia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Fernbank Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 895 students attended Fernbank Elementary School.

What schools do graduates of Fernbank Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Fernbank Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Druid Hills Middle School
High : Druid Hills High School

What district is Fernbank Elementary School in?

DeKalb County

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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.