Summary:
Zip code 30032 in Decatur, GA is home to two middle schools within the DeKalb County School District, serving grades 6-8 at McNair Middle School (701 students) and grades 4-8 at Wadsworth Magnet School for High Achievers (273 students), presenting a dramatic contrast in academic outcomes within the same small geographic area.
Wadsworth Magnet School for High Achievers is a statewide standout, earning the #1 ranking in Georgia for three consecutive years with a 5-star rating and 100th percentile placement. Its proficiency rates are near-universal: 94.7-100% in mathematics across grade levels, 98.1% in 8th grade science, and 100% in both 8th grade social studies and Algebra I. Chronic absenteeism sits at just 1.2%, far better than the state average of 17.7%. In stark contrast, McNair Middle School has fallen to the bottom 10% of Georgia schools (9th percentile, 0 stars), with proficiency rates of just 9.1-20.7% in mathematics, 14.4% in science, and a shocking 4.9% in social studies—roughly 12% of the state average. McNair's chronic absenteeism rate of 42% is 35 times higher than Wadsworth's and more than double the state average.
Notably, McNair actually spends more per student ($20,408 vs. $17,904) and has a better student-teacher ratio (13.4:1 vs. 17:1), yet achieves dramatically worse results. McNair's Algebra I proficiency (46.4%) is its strongest subject but plummeted from 95.5% the prior year—a 49-point drop worth investigating. While Wadsworth's magnet model benefits from self-selected high achievers, the data suggests McNair's challenges are systemic, with chronic absenteeism likely driving much of the underperformance. Families in 30032 face a stark choice: a top-ranked magnet school requiring an application, or a traditional school struggling with attendance and achievement, illustrating profound educational stratification within a single zip code.
Thank you for your feedback!