Langston Hughes High School

Langston Hughes High School in Fairburn, GA, is a large public high school serving 1,891 students in grades 9-12 within the Fulton County School District. The school has undergone a remarkable transformation, climbing from the bottom quartile of Georgia high schools to the 60th percentile in just two years—a jump of 184 state ranking positions.

This upward momentum is visible across nearly every subject. Between 2022-2023 and 2025-2026, proficiency in Algebra I jumped from 13.7% to 44.1%, Biology from 20.3% to 37.7%, and U.S. History from 19.1% to 50.5%—the latter now exceeding both the state average (38.5%) and the district average (45.5%). The school's graduation rate of 94.3% also surpasses the district average of 91.9%. Notably, Langston Hughes ranks in the 79th percentile statewide for African American students, earning a 4-star rating. English Language Learner students also perform well, ranking in the 68th percentile statewide. The school achieves these results while spending $15,880 per student—less than nearby Banneker High School ($18,662) and Creekside High School ($16,357), both of which rank lower statewide.

The most significant challenge remains chronic absenteeism, which sits at 48.4%—nearly three times the district average of 16.6%. This is particularly striking given that the school has achieved its academic gains despite nearly half of students missing significant school time. When students are present, the school is clearly effective, but attendance remains a barrier to even greater success. Compared to Westlake High School (which declined from 167th to 223rd in state ranking) and Global Impact Academy (a smaller, more selective school with far lower poverty rates), Langston Hughes stands out for its rapid improvement while serving a much larger and more economically disadvantaged population. If the school can make progress on attendance while maintaining its current academic momentum, it has strong potential to keep climbing in the years ahead.