Summary:
ZIP code 30311 in southwest Atlanta is home to 9 schools—6 elementary schools, 2 middle schools, and 1 high school—serving approximately 3,640 students, all of whom qualify for free/reduced lunch, within the Atlanta Public Schools system (with one exception).
Beecher Hills Elementary School is the clear standout, ranking in the 72nd percentile statewide with a 4-star rating—far ahead of every other school in the area. Its chronic absenteeism rate of 14.6% is the lowest in the ZIP code and actually below the state average, and its test scores consistently beat district and state averages. West Manor Elementary School shows promise with 5th grade ELA proficiency (46.7%) exceeding both district and state averages, though its overall ranking sits in the 38th percentile. The other elementary schools—Tuskegee Airman Global Academy, Cascade Elementary School, L. O. Kimberly Elementary School, and Peyton Forest Elementary School—all rank in the 21st–44th percentile range, with chronic absenteeism between 27% and 36%.
The middle schools present the biggest challenge. Jean Childs Young Middle School ranks in the 5th percentile statewide with a 45.7% chronic absenteeism rate, while Atlanta SMART Academy (operating under State Specialty Schools II- Atlanta SMART Academy) ranks in the 13th percentile. D. M. Therrell High School offers a bright spot with a 90.5% graduation rate—exceeding the state average—and a dropout rate of just 2.1%, despite test scores lagging state averages. A consistent 5th grade math slump appears across elementary schools, and attendance strongly correlates with performance: schools with lower chronic absenteeism consistently outperform those with higher rates, making attendance the most reliable predictor of success in this area.
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