Best Public Schools in Zip Code 30274

ZIP code 30274 in Riverdale, Georgia, is home to 9 schools serving approximately 8,196 students across elementary, middle, and high school levels, with nearly all students qualifying for free or reduced lunch. The area is served primarily by the Clayton County district, which ranks in the bottom 20% of Georgia districts, alongside the State Specialty Schools I- Dubois Integrity Academy district.

For parents, the standout high school is Charles R. Drew High School, which ranks 287th in the state (37th percentile) and has shown consistent year-over-year improvement in both its ranking and test scores, including a U.S. History proficiency rate that exceeds the state average. Riverdale High School lags in test scores but boasts an 89.1% graduation rate, above both district and state averages. At the elementary level, Harper Elementary School stands out with the lowest chronic absenteeism rate in the area (16.6%, below the state average) despite 100% poverty rates, while Riverdale Elementary School posts the strongest 3rd-grade math scores among elementary schools. Among middle schools, Sequoyah Middle School outperforms Riverdale Middle School in 8th-grade math. Dubois Integrity Academy, a K-8 charter, posts an extraordinary 70% Algebra I proficiency rate but very low scores in other subjects.

The most pressing challenge across the ZIP code is chronic absenteeism, which exceeds 45% at both high schools—more than 2.5 times the state rate—and likely drives the consistently low test scores. Spending does not correlate with outcomes: Pointe South Elementary School spends the most per student yet ranks in the 3rd percentile, while Drew High spends the least among Clayton County schools yet achieves the best rankings. Overall, this is a high-poverty area where most schools score 20-30 points below state averages, but Drew High's upward trajectory, Riverdale High's strong graduation rate, Harper Elementary's attendance success, and Dubois Academy's math results show pockets of promise that parents may want to investigate further.