Summary:
Zip code 30087 in Stone Mountain, Georgia, is served by a single high school, Stephenson High School, part of the DeKalb County School District, which enrolls 1,339 students in grades 9 through 12.
Stephenson High School is a school on the rise, improving its state ranking from the 33rd percentile in 2023–2024 to the 55th percentile in 2025–2026. The school’s standout subject is U.S. History, where 51.9% of students are proficient—a remarkable 13.4 percentage points above the state average and nearly 20 points above the district. This strength contrasts with math and science, where proficiency rates (33.8% in Algebra I and 37.2% in Biology) trail state averages by 14 and 10 points, respectively. However, the school is making significant year-over-year gains, with Biology proficiency jumping 12.9 points and Algebra I improving 6.6 points in a single year. The graduation rate of 86.1% exceeds the district’s 81.4% and nearly matches the state’s 87.2%, while the dropout rate of 2.9% is well below the district’s 4.4%.
Despite serving a high-poverty population—94.77% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch—Stephenson outperforms its district in key areas, including graduation rate and U.S. History proficiency. The school spends a substantial $18,120 per student, well above the state average, yet the biggest obstacle to further progress is chronic absenteeism, which affects 29.2% of students, compared to 17.7% statewide. With a student-teacher ratio of 16.7:1 and a clear upward trajectory across all tested subjects, Stephenson High School demonstrates that meaningful academic improvement is possible even under challenging circumstances. The primary opportunity for continued growth lies in reducing absenteeism, which would likely accelerate the already positive momentum in test scores and graduation outcomes.
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