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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.

Martin Luther King- Junior High School

Public Grades 9-12

357^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 457 Georgia High Schools

Better than 22% of Georgia high schools

Summary

Martin Luther King Jr. High School is a large public high school in Lithonia, Georgia, serving 1,370 students in grades 9–12 within the DeKalb County School District.

This school faces a significant challenge with student attendance. In the most recent school year, 56.7% of students were chronically absent, meaning they missed 10% or more of the school year. That rate is more than double the district average of 26.7% and more than triple the state average of 17.7%. This pattern has persisted for five straight years. The contrast with nearby Arabia Mountain High School is striking—that school, located just four miles away, has a chronic absenteeism rate of only 15.3% and ranks in the 61st percentile statewide, compared to MLK's 22nd percentile. Arabia Mountain also posts a 100% graduation rate and much higher test scores in Algebra I (49.6% proficient vs. 22%) and Biology (46.8% vs. 28.9%).

There are some positive signs. The graduation rate has climbed from 75.3% to 85.9% over four years, now surpassing the district average. Algebra I proficiency, while still low, has improved from 3.1% to 22% over two years. The school also spends more per student ($18,800) than several higher-performing nearby schools, including Lithonia High School ($17,439) and Arabia Mountain ($17,247). However, this increased funding—up 44% in three years—has not yet translated into broad academic gains. The school's strongest area is Biology, where 28.9% of students scored proficient. For parents, the key takeaway is that attendance is the single biggest barrier to progress here; until that improves, the school's ability to raise achievement will likely remain limited.

1,370

Students ?

16.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$18,800

Per pupil spending ?

100%

Free/discounted lunch ?

3991 Snapfinger Rd
Lithonia, GA 30038

(678) 874-5402

District: DeKalb County

Feeder schools for Martin Luther King- Junior High School:

Elementary:	Browns Mill Elementary School
	Chapel Hill Elementary School
Middle:	Salem Middle School

Racial breakdown:

African American:

91.5%

Hispanic:

4.8%

Two or more races:

2.1%

See top rated Georgia high schools

Compare Martin Luther King- Junior High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 18th percentile in 2016 → 22nd in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Georgia average (24% vs 45% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (22nd percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (57% vs 18% Georgia)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school24%

District avg37%

Georgia avg45%

357^th of 457

Georgia public high schools ?

Bottom 22%▲ up 4 pts since 2016

From bottom 18% (2016) to bottom 22% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Georgia High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

18^th of 23High 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	19.9	357 of 457	21.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	14.5	392 of 451	13.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	13.6	401 of 454	11.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	15.9	380 of 448	15.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	14.4	377 of 431	12.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	20.5	327 of 410	20.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	20.4	345 of 438	21.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	21.2	339 of 428	20.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	22.2	326 of 420	22.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	19.1	348 of 426	18.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	17.0	376 of 435	13.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	27.7	346 of 425	18.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	32.5	317 of 425	25.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	35.7	281 of 396	29.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	44.5	255 of 402	36.6%	★★☆☆☆
2010	29.8	310 of 384	19.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	34.2	283 of 372	23.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	28.0	302 of 370	18.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	30.9	286 of 358	20.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	27.8	276 of 335	17.6%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	32.6	229 of 377	39.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	26.8	295 of 391	24.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	23.7	303 of 382	20.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	27.1	277 of 384	27.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	24.4	293 of 372	21.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	20.1	344 of 431	20.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	15.8	378 of 438	13.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	11.9	397 of 435	8.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	17.1	362 of 433	16.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	14.0	377 of 430	12.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2025	17.8	275 of 312	11.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	13.0	291 of 315	7.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	23.6	248 of 308	19.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	18.9	353 of 436	19.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	12.9	400 of 442	9.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	14.0	391 of 436	10.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	14.6	381 of 436	12.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	13.9	379 of 427	11.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	28.4	255 of 339	24.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	22.2	295 of 347	15.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	23.2	291 of 344	15.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	20.3	306 of 343	10.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	17.7	312 of 331	5.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)39th percentile+17 vs school

Special Education (2026)25th percentile+3 vs school

Female (2026)20th percentile~ school

Male (2026)19th percentile-3 vs school

Hispanic (2025)12th percentile~ school

By subject vs Georgia (2025-2026) ?

Biology29%-18 vs state

United States History22%-16 vs state

Algebra I22%-26 vs state

3.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a parent
Sunday, July 31, 2011

I hesitantly give MLK three stars. As a parent, I think that the teachers and administrators are there to "do a job" more so than focus on connecting with parents and students. Just a parent's intuition. The school is not that old so the facilities appear to be well maintained. I think some kids may really like the school if they get involved in extracurricular activities. I guesstimate there are 2100 kids enrolled. Perhaps, I simply long for the days of old when you didn't hear all the profanity that can be heard when kids are changing classes or when school is dismissed. And my son has had to deal with some minor cases of bullying, though I suppose that could happen at any school. What bothers me most is the time it takes to connect with teachers. I have had a horrible time reaching my son's teachers. It can take a week just to get a return phone call. I know that's not every teacher, but that has been my experience for the last two years at MLK. I don't blast the whole school because I have to balance it with my own personal experience. I can say that I have overheard the frustrations of several other parents in PTA meetings and the like. I hope others who send their children there will have a better experience. I have applied to transfer my son to a nearby school in order to be in a somewhat smaller setting. School is not to blame for all the problems our students incur. Nor is transferring schools always "the answer" but it may be what's right for my son at this point in his school career. Close Quote

Schools Near Martin Luther King- Junior High 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 Algebra I (2026)	Milestones Assessment Biology (2026)	Milestones Assessment United States History (2026)	Milestones Assessment Mathematics (2026)			Milestones Assessment Science (2026)	Milestones Assessment Social Studies (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 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 Science 8th Grade	Milestones Assessment Social Studies 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
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%)	19.9	357^th of 457 public high schools	21.9%		14.5	392^nd of 451 public high schools	13.1%	35	22.0	28.9	22.1						$18,800	$2,089	$16,710
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%)	29.4	290^th of 457 public high schools	36.5%		36.7	253^rd of 451 public high schools	43.9%	37	40.1	25.8	31.5						$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)	33.4			14.4	11.0	22.1	19.5	2.4	$14,927	$2,325	$12,602
Arabia Mountain High School - Academy of Engineering- Medic	Public	9-12	6610 Browns Mill Rd	Lithonia	30038	DeKalb County	DeKalb County	No	No	No	Yes	(678) 875-3602	1,224	73	16.7	65.2%	1 (0.1%)	1,148 (93.8%)	43 (3.5%)	6 (0.5%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.2%)	23 (1.9%)	47	180^th of 457 public high schools	60.6%		55.4	145^th of 451 public high schools	67.8%	35	49.6	46.8	32.1						$17,247	$1,601	$15,646
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%)	25.6	317^th of 457 public high schools	30.6%		30.2	294^th of 451 public high schools	34.8%	23	32.1	30.9	25.1						$19,071	$1,964	$17,108
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%)	16.5	384^th of 457 public high schools	16.0%		19.6	361^st of 451 public high schools	20.0%	23	22.1	24.5	18.5						$12,665	$1,229	$11,436
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)
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%)	27.5	304^th of 457 public high schools	33.5%		17.1	374^th of 451 public high schools	17.1%	70	27.9	34.5	29.7						$20,258	$2,270	$17,988
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%)	17.1	378^th of 457 public high schools	17.3%		13.7	396^th of 451 public high schools	12.2%	18	29.3	19.8	21.5						$18,965	$2,012	$16,954
Lithonia High School	Public	9-12	2440 Phillips Rd	Lithonia	30058	DeKalb County	DeKalb County	No	No	No	Yes	(678) 676-2902	1,547	95	16.2	100.0%	24 (1.6%)	1,362 (88.0%)	105 (6.8%)	14 (0.9%)	8 (0.5%)	2 (0.1%)	32 (2.1%)	38.3	239^th of 457 public high schools	47.7%		23.3	340^th of 451 public high schools	24.6%	101	36.1	39.3	35.9						$17,439	$1,887	$15,552

Frequently Asked Questions about Martin Luther King- Junior High School

How many students attend Martin Luther King- Junior High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,370 students attended Martin Luther King- Junior High School.

What is the racial makeup of Martin Luther King- Junior High School?

Students at Martin Luther King- Junior High School are 92% African American, 5% Hispanic, 2% Two or more races.

Is Martin Luther King- Junior High School a good school?

Martin Luther King- Junior High School ranks in the bottom 21.9% of Georgia high schools.

What schools feed into Martin Luther King- Junior High School?

Martin Luther King- Junior High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Browns Mill Elementary School
Elementary : Chapel Hill Elementary School
Middle : Salem Middle School

What district is Martin Luther King- Junior High 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.