Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

Ronald E McNair Discover Learning Academy Elementary School

Public Grades PK, KG-5

1027^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,238 Georgia Elementary Schools

Better than 17% of Georgia elementary schools

Summary

Ronald E McNair Discover Learning Academy Elementary School is a public elementary school in Decatur, Georgia, serving 531 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the DeKalb County School District, which is ranked 131 out of 206 districts in the state.

Despite increased spending per student, Ronald E McNair Discover Learning Academy Elementary School consistently ranks in the bottom 20% of Georgia elementary schools, with significantly below-average performance on state assessments. The school has extremely high free/reduced lunch rates, ranging from 64.97% to 100%, indicating a high-poverty student population. Its student-teacher ratio is also higher than nearby schools in the same district, such as Kelley Lake Elementary School, Toney Elementary School, and Flat Shoals Elementary School, which all have higher academic performance, lower free/reduced lunch rates, and better student-teacher ratios.

Despite the school's efforts and increased funding, its academic performance has not shown significant improvement over the past 10 years. The high poverty level and low academic performance suggest that the students may face significant socioeconomic and educational challenges that require targeted interventions and support. However, the school's location in Decatur and proximity to other higher-performing schools in the DeKalb County School District could present opportunities for collaboration, resource-sharing, and learning from best practices to improve student outcomes.

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%

See top rated Georgia elementary schools

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

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 5th percentile in 2015 → 17th in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 12 percentile points since 2015

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Georgia average (21% vs 42% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (17th percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (29% vs 20% Georgia)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school21%

District avg33%

Georgia avg42%

1,027^th of 1,238

Georgia public elementary schools ?

Bottom 17%▲ up 12 pts since 2015

From bottom 5% (2015) to bottom 17% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Georgia Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

47^th of 81Elementary 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	18.1	1027 of 1238	17.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	11.7	1162 of 1248	6.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	14.4	1099 of 1242	11.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	11.4	1145 of 1244	8.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
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%	☆☆☆☆☆

By subject vs Georgia (2024-2025) ?

Mathematics22%-23 vs state

English Language Arts22%-17 vs state

Science14%-29 vs state

1.0

2 ratings · 1 written review

5★0

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★2

Rate Ronald E McNair Discover Learning Academy Elementary School

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

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

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				Milestones Assessment English Language Arts (2025)						Milestones Assessment Mathematics (2025)						Milestones Assessment Science (2025)		Milestones Assessment Social Studies (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 English Language Arts 3rd Grade	Milestones Assessment English Language Arts 4th Grade	Milestones Assessment English Language Arts 5th Grade	Milestones Assessment English Language Arts 6th Grade	Milestones Assessment English Language Arts 7th Grade	Milestones Assessment English Language Arts 8th Grade	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%)	18.1	1027^th of 1238 public elementary schools	17.0%		11.7	1162^nd of 1248 public elementary schools	6.9%	135	20.5	10.7	34.3				27.8	14.9	24.6				14.3			$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%)	91.9	109^th of 1238 public elementary schools	91.2%		92.7	100^th of 1248 public elementary schools	92.0%	9	55.6	65.1	68.5				68.9	67.1	72.5				75.8			$30,852	$06	$30,846
PEACE Academy Charter School	Public, Charter	K-4	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%)	9.1	1197^th of 1238 public elementary schools	3.3%					(n/a)	7.1	21.2					3.6	15.2								$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%)	14.4	1105^th of 1238 public elementary schools	10.7%		36	757^th of 1248 public elementary schools	39.3%	348	13.5	13.6	18.6				25.0	25.0	25.6				11.9			$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%)	10.6	1171^st of 1238 public elementary schools	5.4%		14.3	1109^th of 1248 public elementary schools	11.1%	62	12.1	13.2	26.8				12.1	13.2	14.6				12.2			$29,467	$2,055	$27,412
Burgess-Peterson Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	480 Clifton St SE	Atlanta	30316	DeKalb 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%)	87.3	158^th of 1238 public elementary schools	87.2%		87.7	156^th of 1248 public elementary schools	87.5%	2	56.5	68.5	61.6				60.0	68.5	68.6				55.8			$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%)	29.4	843^rd of 1238 public elementary schools	31.9%		27	892^nd of 1248 public elementary schools	28.5%	49	28.6	30.2	33.9	43.5	41.3	51.2	20.4	30.2	23.2	21.7	23.9	51.2	19.6	34.9	20.9	$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%)	96.4	56^th of 1238 public elementary schools	95.5%		95	65^th of 1248 public elementary schools	94.8%	9	71.6	72.5	76.4				83.9	80.8	76.4				69.2			$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%)	7.3	1207^th of 1238 public elementary schools	2.5%		9.5	1200^th of 1248 public elementary schools	3.8%	7	13.0	14.5	10.4				11.6	12.7	11.9				6.0			$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	DeKalb 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%)	29.9	835^th of 1238 public elementary schools	32.6%		34.8	779^th of 1248 public elementary schools	37.6%	56	26.5	33.8	28.6				32.6	35.8	27.9				22.1			$18,379	$2,160	$16,219

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

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

DeKalb County

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

Ronald E McNair Discover Learning Academy Elementary School ranks in the bottom 17.0% of Georgia elementary schools.

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.

Rate Ronald E McNair Discover Learning Academy Elementary School!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

GAGeorgia Elementary School Rankings

GAGeorgia District Rankings

Schools in Decatur, GA

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Ronald E McNair Discover Learning Academy Elementary School!

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.