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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.

Ronald E McNair Discover Learning Academy Elementary School

Public Grades PK, KG-5

1199^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,222 Georgia Elementary Schools

Better than 2% of Georgia elementary schools

Summary

Ronald E McNair Discover Learning Academy Elementary School in Decatur, GA, serves 475 students in grades PK-5 within the DeKalb County School District, where 100% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.

Recent test scores show that math proficiency at McNair ranges from 10.1% (5th grade) to 20.6% (3rd grade), compared to state averages of 44-50%. Fifth-grade science proficiency is especially low at 3.9%, versus the state average of 44.2%. Chronic absenteeism is a major concern: 35.3% of students are chronically absent, nearly double the state rate of 17.7% and up from 28.8% the prior year. While the school has improved its student-teacher ratio to 13.1 and increased per-student spending to $21,016—higher than several nearby schools—these investments have not yet translated into sustained academic gains. The school’s statewide ranking fell from the 17th percentile in 2024-2025 to the 2nd percentile in 2025-2026.

For context, nearby schools in other districts show dramatically different outcomes. Fifth Avenue Upper Elementary School (1.95 miles away, in City Schools of Decatur) ranks at the 95th percentile with 82-92% math proficiency and only 3.5% chronic absenteeism. Burgess-Peterson Elementary School and Charles R. Drew Charter School (both in Atlanta Public Schools) rank in the 88-90th percentile with math proficiency of 61-75%. Within DeKalb County, McNair outperforms Toney Elementary School (4th percentile) and Flat Shoals Elementary School (5th percentile) but trails Kelley Lake Elementary School (14th percentile) and Barack H. Obama Elementary Magnet School of Technology (24th percentile). The stark contrast in outcomes—despite McNair’s higher spending than some higher-performing peers—highlights that addressing chronic absenteeism and instructional support will be critical to improving student success.

475

Students ?

13.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$21,016

Per pupil spending ?

100%

Free/discounted lunch ?

2162 Second Ave
Decatur, GA 30032

(678) 874-3402

District: DeKalb County

Students who attend Ronald E McNair Discover Learning Academy Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	McNair Middle School
High:	McNair High School

Racial breakdown:

African American:

90.1%

Hispanic:

3.6%

White:

2.9%

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Compare Ronald E McNair Discover Learning Academy Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 5th percentile in 2016 → 2nd in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Georgia average (13% vs 47% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (2nd percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (35% vs 18% Georgia)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school13%

District avg34%

Georgia avg47%

1,199^th of 1,222

Georgia public elementary schools ?

Bottom 2%▼ down 3 pts since 2016

From bottom 5% (2016) to bottom 2% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Georgia Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

76^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	6.1	1199 of 1222	1.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	18.1	1027 of 1238	17.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	11.7	1154 of 1236	6.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	14.4	1088 of 1223	11.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	11.4	1127 of 1220	7.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	9.3	1143 of 1214	5.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	7.5	1188 of 1234	3.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	9.8	1134 of 1209	6.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	10.5	1117 of 1205	7.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	10.0	1167 of 1233	5.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	9.3	1180 of 1240	4.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2014	0.6	1230 of 1231	0.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	2.4	1206 of 1225	1.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	3.5	1179 of 1201	1.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	2.8	1196 of 1212	1.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2010	2.0	1172 of 1183	0.9%	☆☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	11.4	799 of 829	3.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	28.4	662 of 892	25.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	18.1	798 of 879	9.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	22.6	720 of 870	17.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	20.2	754 of 876	13.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	7.1	1166 of 1189	1.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	18.9	1020 of 1224	16.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	15.2	1094 of 1223	10.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	19.7	1011 of 1212	16.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	12.6	1097 of 1206	9.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	7.0	1153 of 1186	2.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	18.8	1022 of 1225	16.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	10.0	1173 of 1220	3.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	10.8	1151 of 1210	4.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	11.6	1120 of 1209	7.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)4th percentile~ school

Male (2026)3rd percentile~ school

Female (2026)2nd percentile~ school

By subject vs Georgia (2025-2026) ?

Mathematics16%-32 vs state

Science4%-40 vs state

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What people are saying

by a parent
Tuesday, May 21, 2013

This school needs better teachers, staff, and a new principle. This school isn't ran properly, teachers don't care about the students nor their safety. Please don't send your children here. Its a waste of time.. Close Quote

Schools Near Ronald E McNair Discover Learning Academy 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)		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 Mathematics 3rd Grade	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 4th Grade	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 5th Grade	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 6th Grade	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 7th Grade	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 8th Grade	Milestones Assessment Science 5th 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
Ronald E McNair Discover Learning Academy Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2162 Second Ave	Decatur	30032	DeKalb County	DeKalb County	No	No	No	Yes	(678) 874-3402	475	36	13.1	100.0%	14 (2.9%)	428 (90.1%)	17 (3.6%)	6 (1.3%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (1.9%)	6.1	1199^th of 1222 public elementary schools	1.9%		18.1	1027^th of 1238 public elementary schools	17.0%	172	20.6	17.6	10.1				3.9			$21,016	$1,793	$19,224
Charles R. Drew Charter School	Public, Charter	PK, KG-5	301 E Lake Blvd SE	Atlanta	30317	DeKalb County	Atlanta Public Schools	Yes	No	No	No	(404) 687-0001	961	89	10.8	38.0%	308 (32.0%)	539 (56.1%)	44 (4.6%)	6 (0.6%)	2 (0.2%)	3 (0.3%)	59 (6.1%)	88.4	145^th of 1222 public elementary schools	88.1%		91.9	109^th of 1238 public elementary schools	91.2%	36	72.8	70.4	66.9				61.4			$30,852	$06	$30,846
PEACE Academy Charter School	Public, Charter	K-5	1954 Candler Road	Decatur	30032	DeKalb County	State Specialty Schools II- PEACE Academy Charter School	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(470) 722-0706	241	16	15.0	100.0%	0 (0.0%)	231 (95.9%)	9 (3.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	10.3	1156^th of 1222 public elementary schools	5.4%		9.1	1197^th of 1238 public elementary schools	3.3%	41	11.7	0.0	13.9				27.8			$14,619	$1,029	$13,590
Kelley Lake Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2590 Kelly Lake Rd	Decatur	30032	DeKalb County	DeKalb County	No	No	No	Yes	(678) 874-4802	302	26	11.6	94.4%	1 (0.3%)	172 (57.0%)	118 (39.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (3.3%)	17.2	1047^th of 1222 public elementary schools	14.3%		14.4	1105^th of 1238 public elementary schools	10.7%	58	27.0	36.1	21.9				12.5			$23,473	$1,549	$21,924
Toney Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2701 Oakland Ter	Decatur	30032	DeKalb County	DeKalb County	No	No	No	Yes	(678) 874-2102	207	21	9.8	100.0%	1 (0.5%)	175 (84.5%)	19 (9.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (5.3%)	9	1168^th of 1222 public elementary schools	4.4%		10.6	1171^st of 1238 public elementary schools	5.4%	3	16.7	24.1	17.6				11.8			$29,467	$2,055	$27,412
Burgess-Peterson Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	480 Clifton St SE	Atlanta	30316	Fulton County	Atlanta Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(404) 802-3400	580	39	14.9	48.4%	225 (38.8%)	247 (42.6%)	39 (6.7%)	12 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	56 (9.7%)	90.9	118^th of 1222 public elementary schools	90.3%		87.3	158^th of 1238 public elementary schools	87.2%	40	69.0	75.3	73.0				66.3			$24,690	$1,003	$23,688
Ivy Preparatory Academy- Inc	Public, Charter	K-8	1807 Memorial Dr SE	Atlanta	30317	DeKalb County	State Specialty Schools I- Ivy Preparatory Academy- Inc	Yes	No	No	Yes	(404) 622-2727	436	41	10.5	79.4%	1 (0.2%)	398 (91.3%)	22 (5.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (3.2%)	26.8	883^rd of 1222 public elementary schools	27.7%		29.4	843^rd of 1238 public elementary schools	31.9%	40	26.1	37.3	19.1	29.5	18.4	46.6	36.2	45.2	22.6	$14,373	$1,113	$13,261
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
Flat Shoals Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3226 Flat Shoals Rd	Decatur	30034	DeKalb County	DeKalb County	No	No	No	Yes	(678) 874-4602	373	31	12.0	100.0%	1 (0.3%)	349 (93.6%)	10 (2.7%)	2 (0.5%)	3 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.1%)	9.2	1165^th of 1222 public elementary schools	4.7%		7.3	1207^th of 1238 public elementary schools	2.5%	42	17.2	22.4	11.1				20.4			$24,890	$3,037	$21,853
Barack H. Obama Elementary Magnet School of Technology	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	3132 Clifton Church Rd SE	Atlanta	30316	Fulton County	DeKalb County	No	Yes	No	Yes	(678) 874-4402	844	52	16.2	100.0%	9 (1.1%)	754 (89.3%)	41 (4.9%)	6 (0.7%)	9 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (3.0%)	24.1	934^th of 1222 public elementary schools	23.6%		29.9	835^th of 1238 public elementary schools	32.6%	99	29.3	35.9	31.1				24.3			$18,379	$2,160	$16,219

Frequently Asked Questions about Ronald E McNair Discover Learning Academy Elementary School

Is Ronald E McNair Discover Learning Academy Elementary School a good school?

Ronald E McNair Discover Learning Academy Elementary School ranks in the bottom 1.9% of Georgia elementary schools.

What district is Ronald E McNair Discover Learning Academy Elementary School in?

DeKalb County

How many students attend Ronald E McNair Discover Learning Academy Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 475 students attended Ronald E McNair Discover Learning Academy Elementary School.

What schools do graduates of Ronald E McNair Discover Learning Academy Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Ronald E McNair Discover Learning Academy Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : McNair Middle School
High : McNair High School

What is the racial makeup of Ronald E McNair Discover Learning Academy Elementary School?

Students at Ronald E McNair Discover Learning Academy Elementary School are 90% African American, 4% Hispanic, 3% White, 2% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

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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.