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Southwest DeKalb High School

Q: Is Southwest DeKalb High School a good school?

Southwest DeKalb High School ranks 254 th of 452 Georgia high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

254^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 452 Georgia High Schools

Better than 44% of Georgia high schools

Summary

Southwest DeKalb High School is a public high school located in Decatur, Georgia, serving 1,207 students in grades 9-12. The school is part of the DeKalb County School District, which is ranked 131 out of 206 districts in the state and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Southwest DeKalb High School has seen fluctuating four-year graduation rates, ranging from 75.8% to 85.4% over the past few years, which is slightly below the state average. The school's test scores on the Milestones Assessments are generally lower than the state and county averages across various subjects and grade levels. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, the school's proficiency rates ranged from 18.8% in Algebra I to 44.5% in United States History, compared to the state averages of 44.9% and 38.6%, respectively. The school has a very high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 75.97% to 100% over the past few years, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage among the student population.

When compared to the nearby high schools in the DeKalb County district, DeKalb School of the Arts consistently outperforms Southwest DeKalb High School, with proficiency rates above 70% in many subjects. Southwest DeKalb High School's statewide ranking has fluctuated over the years, ranging from 201 out of 428 Georgia high schools in 2017-2018 to 271 out of 458 in 2023-2024, placing the school in the bottom half of high schools in the state.

1,237

Students ?

15.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$18,040

Per pupil spending ?

99.4%

Free/discounted lunch ?

2863 Kelley Chapel Rd
Decatur, GA 30034

(678) 874-1902

District: DeKalb County

Feeder schools for Southwest DeKalb High School:

Elementary:	Bob Mathis Elementary School
	Rainbow Elementary School
Middle:	Chapel Hill Middle School

Racial breakdown:

African American:

94.1%

Hispanic:

3.1%

Two or more races:

1.9%

See top rated Georgia high schools

Compare Southwest DeKalb High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 50th percentile in 2015 → 44th in 2025

Strengths

✓91% graduate in 4 years — above the Georgia average (87%)

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Georgia average (31% vs 42% meeting standards)

!High chronic absenteeism (40% vs 20% Georgia)

!Ranking has slipped — down 6 percentile points since 2015

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school31%

District avg33%

Georgia avg42%

254^th of 452

Georgia public high schools ?

Bottom 44%▼ down 6 pts since 2015

From top 50% (2015) to bottom 44% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Georgia High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

10^th of 23High Schools in the DeKalb County

131^st of 206DeKalb 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
2025	36.7	254 of 452	43.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	34.9	271 of 458	40.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	35.0	260 of 442	41.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	34.8	253 of 429	41.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	39.4	216 of 410	47.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	34.7	262 of 438	40.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	43.1	201 of 428	53.0%	★★★☆☆
2017	33.9	247 of 420	41.2%	★★☆☆☆
2016	43.2	199 of 426	53.3%	★★★☆☆
2015	40.4	218 of 435	49.9%	★★★☆☆
2014	38.2	281 of 425	33.9%	★★☆☆☆
2013	41.0	278 of 425	34.6%	★★☆☆☆
2012	40.2	262 of 396	33.8%	★★☆☆☆
2011	49.5	227 of 402	43.5%	★★☆☆☆
2010	52.3	185 of 384	51.8%	★★★☆☆
2009	43.5	243 of 372	34.7%	★★☆☆☆
2008	44.7	224 of 370	39.5%	★★☆☆☆
2007	42.3	228 of 358	36.3%	★★☆☆☆
2006	35.4	245 of 335	26.9%	★☆☆☆☆

By subject vs Georgia (2024-2025) ?

United States History44%+6 vs state

American Literature and Composition35%-5 vs state

Biology28%-16 vs state

Algebra I19%-26 vs state

3.7

3 ratings · 3 written reviews

5★2

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★1

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What people are saying

by a parent
Thursday, April 25, 2019

Great teachers, bright and ambitious students, and a community who cares. Close Quote

by a parent
Sunday, November 7, 2010

I just enrolled my daughter in SW Dekalb and from what I thought it would be a good school, my daughter has a 3.9167 GPA and has made honor roll since she has been kindergarten. My daughter loves school and this has been an unwelcoming experience for her where does not want to go to school. I believe that daughter would be an asset to the school with her test scores and character when it comes to education; whereas before we moved this year she would be taking college courses.

The hallways do not stay clear, children need to be in class. There needs to be better monitoring, what I have seen that works is that when the bell rings classroom doors need to shut and lock so that the teacher can be aware who is in class and who is not and with no pass they are redirected to an administrator or caught in the hall sweep it is senseless when the parents come in and see this type of behavior.

I am not used to this type of school environment and neither is my daughter, there should be a type of respect and dignity when it comes to education and schooling which is not all the teachers or administrators responsibility, there should be stricter consequences when it comes to discipline in the school environment and parents should be notified of their child's behavior and actions. It reminded me of a milder school within Lean on Me (the movie). To the point I am getting ready to find a better school for my daughter and address the school board here, I know what corrupt schools are like I come from Washington, DC and North Carolina dealing with the school system and abrupt changes can be made, I have already spoken with the principle there and I do not know what actions will be taken but I hope some are taken for the sake of the children. Close Quote

by a teacher
Wednesday, April 14, 2010

As a former graduate and now an employee of Southwest DeKalb High School, I must say that I am so excited about the new programs and initiatives at the school. I think since the school has gotten a new principal (A. Bethea) the school is now moving back in the positive direction it was once in. There is no easy solution to any problem but the new administrative team is great! They seem to handle parent and student concerns with effective means to getting problems resolved. I think that with the principal that is currently in place Southwest DeKalb will rise in rankings not only for test scores but for the overall well-being of the students herein. Great job SWD! Close Quote

Schools Near Southwest DeKalb High School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				Milestones Assessment American Literature and Composition (2025)	Milestones Assessment Algebra I (2025)	Milestones Assessment Biology (2025)	Milestones Assessment United States History (2025)	Milestones Assessment English Language Arts (2025)		Milestones Assessment Mathematics (2025)		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 (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	Milestones Assessment American Literature and Composition End of Course	Milestones Assessment Algebra I End of Course	Milestones Assessment Biology End of Course	Milestones Assessment United States History End of Course	Milestones Assessment English Language Arts 6th Grade	Milestones Assessment English Language Arts 7th Grade	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 6th Grade	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 7th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Southwest DeKalb High School	Public	9-12	2863 Kelley Chapel Rd	Decatur	30034	DeKalb County	DeKalb County	No	No	No	Yes	(678) 874-1902	1,237	81	15.2	99.4%	2 (0.2%)	1,164 (94.1%)	38 (3.1%)	6 (0.5%)	2 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	24 (1.9%)	36.7	254^th of 452 public high schools	43.8%		34.9	271^st of 458 public high schools	40.8%	17	35.2	18.8	27.9	44.5					$18,040	$1,913	$16,127
The Anchor School	Public, Charter	6-12	2460 Wesley Chapel Road	Decatur	30035	DeKalb County	State Specialty Schools II- The Anchor School	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(678) 503-4880	208	15	13.5	100.0%	4 (1.9%)	182 (87.5%)	7 (3.4%)	13 (6.3%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)					20.5	33.0	3.4	15.4	$14,927	$2,325	$12,602
Columbia High School	Public	9-12	2106 Columbia Dr	Decatur	30032	DeKalb County	DeKalb County	No	No	No	Yes	(678) 874-0802	877	63	13.9	100.0%	3 (0.3%)	803 (91.6%)	47 (5.4%)	10 (1.1%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (1.4%)	17.1	375^th of 452 public high schools	17.0%		14.7	398^th of 458 public high schools	13.1%	23	16.1	15.2	18.5	25.0					$20,258	$2,270	$17,988
DeKalb Regional Youth Detention Center	Public	5-12	2946 Clifton Springs Rd	Decatur	30034	DeKalb County	Department of Juvenile Justice	No	No	No	Yes	(404) 244-2183	11	5	2.2	72.7%	0 (0.0%)	9 (81.8%)	2 (18.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Towers High School	Public	9-12	3919 Brookcrest Cir	Decatur	30032	DeKalb County	DeKalb County	No	No	No	Yes	(678) 874-2202	876	53	16.5	100.0%	21 (2.4%)	676 (77.2%)	121 (13.8%)	31 (3.5%)	5 (0.6%)	3 (0.3%)	19 (2.2%)	15	389^th of 452 public high schools	13.9%		11.5	414^th of 458 public high schools	9.6%	25	13.1	12.4	23.5	21.4					$18,332	$1,720	$16,613
Martin Luther King- Junior High School	Public	9-12	3991 Snapfinger Rd	Lithonia	30038	DeKalb County	DeKalb County	No	No	No	Yes	(678) 874-5402	1,370	84	16.3	100.0%	11 (0.8%)	1,254 (91.5%)	66 (4.8%)	6 (0.4%)	4 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (2.1%)	14.5	393^rd of 452 public high schools	13.1%		13.6	403^rd of 458 public high schools	12.0%	10	17.6	17.8	13.4	19.8					$18,800	$2,089	$16,710
Miller Grove High School	Public	9-12	2645 Dekalb Medical Pkwy	Lithonia	30058	DeKalb County	DeKalb County	No	No	No	Yes	(678) 875-1102	1,073	72	14.9	100.0%	6 (0.6%)	983 (91.6%)	63 (5.9%)	7 (0.7%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (1.1%)	30.2	295^th of 452 public high schools	34.7%		20.1	360^th of 458 public high schools	21.4%	65	29.7	33.4	18.6	36.0					$19,071	$1,964	$17,108
Cedar Grove High School	Public	9-12	2360 River Rd	Ellenwood	30294	DeKalb County	DeKalb County	No	No	No	Yes	(678) 874-4002	1,121	78	14.3	100.0%	0 (0.0%)	1,033 (92.1%)	64 (5.7%)	5 (0.4%)	3 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (1.4%)	13.7	397^th of 452 public high schools	12.2%		11.3	415^th of 458 public high schools	9.4%	18	11.4	23.8	12.3	21.3					$18,965	$2,012	$16,954
DeKalb School of the Arts	Public	8-12	1192 Clarendon Ave	Avondale Estates	30002	DeKalb County	DeKalb County	No	No	No	No	(678) 676-2502	298	23	13.2	35.6%	72 (24.2%)	172 (57.7%)	24 (8.1%)	7 (2.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (7.4%)	93.2	11^th of 452 public high schools	97.6%		83.7	40^th of 458 public high schools	91.3%	29	85.9	81.0	72.6	85.1					$25,160	$2,670	$22,490
Redan High School	Public	9-12	5247 Redan Rd	Stone Mountain	30088	DeKalb County	DeKalb County	No	No	No	Yes	(678) 676-3602	1,052	59	17.8	100.0%	12 (1.1%)	894 (85.0%)	96 (9.1%)	19 (1.8%)	5 (0.5%)	1 (0.1%)	25 (2.4%)	29.7	302^nd of 452 public high schools	33.2%		19.8	364^th of 458 public high schools	20.5%	62	23.3	32.4	31.0	31.5					$18,491	$1,960	$16,531

Frequently Asked Questions about Southwest DeKalb High School

Is Southwest DeKalb High School a good school?

Southwest DeKalb High School ranks 254^th of 452 Georgia high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Southwest DeKalb High School?

Students at Southwest DeKalb High School are 94% African American, 3% Hispanic, 2% Two or more races.

How many students attend Southwest DeKalb High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,237 students attended Southwest DeKalb High School.

What schools feed into Southwest DeKalb High School?

Southwest DeKalb High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Bob Mathis Elementary School
Elementary : Rainbow Elementary School
Middle : Chapel Hill Middle School

What district is Southwest DeKalb High School in?

DeKalb County

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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.