Best Public Schools in Zip Code 30360

Zip code 30360 is home to a single school, Hightower Elementary School, a PK-5 school in Doraville serving 604 students within the DeKalb County School District.

Hightower Elementary is a high-poverty school, with 88.58% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch, yet it stands out for its favorable 12.3:1 student-teacher ratio and substantial per-student spending of $19,101. The school has shown meaningful progress in recent years, climbing from the 5th percentile in 2023-2024 (0 stars) to the 15th percentile in 2025-2026 (1 star) in state rankings—a 10-percentage-point improvement. Notably, its chronic absenteeism rate of 15.3% is lower than both the district (26.7%) and state (17.7%) averages, which is an encouraging sign of student engagement despite economic challenges. However, academic proficiency remains below state averages across all tested subjects. In mathematics, 3rd and 4th graders score around 32-33% proficiency, but 5th graders drop sharply to 17.7%, a more pronounced decline than the district or state trends. Science proficiency for 5th graders is even lower at 16.7%, significantly trailing the state's 44.2%.

For parents, the key takeaway is that Hightower is a well-funded school with improving momentum and strong attendance, but it faces clear academic hurdles, particularly in upper-elementary math and science. The school performs below its district average in every subject, with the largest gap in 5th-grade science (13.7 points below district). While current-year English Language Arts data is not yet available, last year's 5th-grade ELA proficiency (25.8%) outpaced the school's math scores, suggesting relative strength in literacy. Given the high per-student spending and positive ranking trajectory, there is potential for continued growth if resources are strategically focused on the upper-grade subjects where students struggle most. Parents should consider the school's improving trend and supportive attendance environment, while also recognizing that academic performance still lags state benchmarks.