Howard High School

Q: Is Howard High School a good school?

Howard High School ranks 333 rd of 458 Georgia high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Summary:

Howard High School is a public high school located in Macon, Georgia, serving grades 9-12 with a total enrollment of 1,076 students. The school is part of the Bibb County School District, which is ranked 173 out of 203 districts in Georgia and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger. Over the past decade, Howard High School has consistently ranked in the bottom half of Georgia high schools, with its statewide ranking ranging from 203 to 435 out of 458 schools.

Howard High School consistently underperforms compared to the state and county averages on the Georgia Milestones End-of-Course assessments, with proficiency rates ranging from 15.4% in US History to 32.2% in American Literature and Composition, significantly lower than the state averages of 38.7% and 42%, respectively. While the school's four-year graduation rate has improved, reaching 84.5% in 2021-2022, it still lags behind the state average of around 83-84%. Additionally, Howard High School has a 100% free and reduced-price lunch rate, indicating a high percentage of students from low-income families, which is significantly higher than the state and county averages.

When comparing Howard High School to the other high schools in the Bibb County School District, it becomes evident that the academic performance and overall school quality are consistently lower. For example, Central High School, which is only 8.1 miles away, outperforms Howard High School on the Milestones assessments and has a higher graduation rate. Despite the higher per-student spending at Howard High School compared to the state average, the school's academic performance remains relatively low, raising questions about the effective allocation and utilization of resources to address the specific needs of the student population.

Detail:

Public 9-12

6400 Forsyth Rd
Macon, GA 31210

(478) 779-7852

District: Bibb County

SchoolDigger Rank:
333^rd of 458 Georgia High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $10,167

Feeder schools for Howard High School:

Elementary:	Carter Elementary School
	Lane Elementary School
	Springdale Elementary School
Middle:	Howard Middle School

Student/teacher ratio: 15.3

Number of students: 1,076

Racial breakdown:

African American:

70.5%

White:

14.7%

Hispanic:

6.8%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 100%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Howard High School ranks worse than 72.7% of high schools in Georgia. It also ranks first among 6 ranked high schools in the Bibb County School District! (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 23.59. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Howard High School who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.

Student Body

Compare Details Howard High School has the largest high school student body size in the Bibb County School District. (See more...)

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Teachers

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Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Howard High School is $10,167. 4 high schools in the Bibb County School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Howard High School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

SchoolDigger ranks Howard High School 333^rd of 458 Georgia public high schools. (See Howard High School in the ranking list.)

Bibb County:

SchoolDigger ranks Bibb County 173^rd of 203 Georgia school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Howard High School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	GA State Percentile
2010	48.46	204^th	384	46.9%
2011	53.00	198^th	402	50.7%
2012	42.26	249^th	396	37.1%
2013	45.49	244^th	425	42.6%
2014	51.16	203^rd	425	52.2%
2015	39.55	227^th	435	47.8%
2016	34.96	247^th	426	42.0%
2017	34.79	242^nd	420	42.4%
2018	32.62	267^th	428	37.6%
2019	36.97	246^th	438	43.8%
2021	16.84	351^st	410	14.4%
2022	21.68	326^th	429	24.0%
2023	21.51	336^th	442	24.0%
2024	23.59	333^rd	458	27.3%

See the entire list of Georgia High School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: Georgia Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Data source: Georgia Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 4)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Wednesday, March 21, 2012

My kids have had a great experience at Howard! The principal is great, open, honest and a man of integrity who is respected and liked by his staff. Teachers are helpful and seem to have mastery of subjects taught. The music dept.(choral and symphony) is the best I've ever seen - college caliber. This staff is keeping its head up, staying focused, and forging onward and upward, despite low morale system-wide with the current goings-on in our district. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Howard High School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
2009	298	410	21	16	3	n/a	n/a	5	753
2010	445	575	42	24	0	0	17	0	1103
2011	436	606	48	28	0	1	15	0	1134
2012	446	631	43	17	2	1	18	0	1158
2013	449	676	50	32	2	2	17	0	1228
2014	379	639	50	34	3	1	31	0	1137
2015	377	680	57	43	1	1	27	0	1186
2016	390	759	66	53	0	3	29	0	1300
2017	358	744	61	56	1	2	34	0	1256
2018	346	774	53	45	3	3	25	0	1249
2019	300	762	60	52	3	1	22	0	1200
2020	254	770	46	65	3	0	33	0	1171
2021	226	812	49	78	2	0	43	0	1210
2022	193	747	47	77	0	0	51	0	1115
2023	158	759	40	73	0	0	46	0	1076

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Howard High School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2009	753	46.1	16.3	49.1
2010	1103	68.0	16.2	50.9
2011	1134	71.8	15.7	51.3
2012	1158	72.5	15.9	54.1
2013	1228	70.0	17.5	54.4
2014	1137	68.4	16.6	61.3
2015	1186	70.0	16.9	98.5
2016	1300	69.0	18.8	99.1
2017	1256	70.0	17.9	99.1
2018	1249	71.2	17.5	99.1
2019	1200	72.1	16.6	99.1
2020	1171	72.5	16.1	95
2021	1210	70.1	17.2	100
2022	1115	73.4	15.1	n/a
2023	1076	70.3	15.3	100

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Howard High School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2009	753	46.1	16.3	49.1
2010	1103	68.0	16.2	50.9
2011	1134	71.8	15.7	51.3
2012	1158	72.5	15.9	54.1
2013	1228	70.0	17.5	54.4
2014	1137	68.4	16.6	61.3
2015	1186	70.0	16.9	98.5
2016	1300	69.0	18.8	99.1
2017	1256	70.0	17.9	99.1
2018	1249	71.2	17.5	99.1
2019	1200	72.1	16.6	99.1
2020	1171	72.5	16.1	95
2021	1210	70.1	17.2	100
2022	1115	73.4	15.1	n/a
2023	1076	70.3	15.3	100

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Howard High School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2017	$1,101 (12.8%)	$7,481 (87.2%)	$8,582
2018	$1,040 (10.7%)	$8,638 (89.2%)	$9,679
2019	$1,028 (10.1%)	$9,139 (89.9%)	$10,167

Data source: Georgia Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Howard High School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 246^th of 438 High schools	Ranks 336^th of 442 High schools	19.9%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
End of Course American Literature and Composition (Howard High School)	34.7	24.6	10.1%
End of Course American Literature and Composition (Bibb County)	27.3	18	9.3%
End of Course American Literature and Composition (Georgia)	47.3	38.9	8.4%
End of Course Algebra I (Howard High School)	15	13.6	1.4%
End of Course Algebra I (Bibb County)	18.3	8.6	9.7%
End of Course Algebra I (Georgia)	41.1	35.8	5.3%
End of Course Biology (Howard High School)	40.8	24.5	16.3%
End of Course Biology (Bibb County)	26	17.2	8.8%
End of Course Biology (Georgia)	49	45.5	3.5%
End of Course United States History (Howard High School)	36.4	18.2	18.2%
End of Course United States History (Bibb County)	22.8	9.5	13.3%
End of Course United States History (Georgia)	48.3	37.1	11.2%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	1200	1076	10.3%
African American	762	759	0.4%
American Indian	3	0	100%
Asian	60	40	33.3%
Hispanic	52	73	40.4%
Pacific Islander	1	0	100%
White	300	158	47.3%
Two or More Races	22	46	109.1%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	99.1%	100%	0.9%

Schools Near Howard High School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				Milestones Assessment American Literature and Composition (2024)	Milestones Assessment Algebra I (2024)	Milestones Assessment Biology (2024)	Milestones Assessment United States History (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	Milestones Assessment American Literature and Composition End of Course	Milestones Assessment Algebra I End of Course	Milestones Assessment Biology End of Course	Milestones Assessment United States History End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Howard High School	Public	9-12	6400 Forsyth Rd	Macon	31210	Bibb County	Bibb County	No	No	No	Yes	(478) 779-7852	1,076	70	15.3	100.0%	158 (14.7%)	759 (70.5%)	73 (6.8%)	40 (3.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	46 (4.3%)	23.6	333^rd of 458 public high schools	27.3%		21.5	336^th of 442 public high schools	24.0%	3	32.2	28.4	20.3	15.4	$10,167	$1,028	$9,139
Westside High School	Public	9-12	2851 Heath Rd	Macon	31206	Bibb County	Bibb County	No	No	No	Yes	(478) 779-3800	1,025	56	18.3	100.0%	42 (4.1%)	868 (84.7%)	85 (8.3%)	8 (0.8%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (2.0%)	8.7	426^th of 458 public high schools	7.0%		8.3	420^th of 442 public high schools	5.0%	6	16.3	6.0	6.9	9.1	$6,296	$932	$5,364
Central High School	Public	9-12	2155 Napier Ave	Macon	31204	Bibb County	Bibb County	No	No	No	Yes	(478) 779-2292	844	56	14.9	100.0%	43 (5.1%)	730 (86.5%)	41 (4.9%)	5 (0.6%)	2 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	22 (2.6%)	20.9	353^rd of 458 public high schools	22.9%		19.6	349^th of 442 public high schools	21.0%	4	31.5	12.3	26.8	7.8	$10,583	$958	$9,625
Southwest High School	Public	9-12	1775 Williamson Rd	Macon	31206	Bibb County	Bibb County	No	No	No	Yes	(478) 779-4459	800	52	15.2	100.0%	22 (2.8%)	740 (92.5%)	28 (3.5%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.3%)	6 (0.8%)	7.1	435^th of 458 public high schools	5.0%		7.9	423^rd of 442 public high schools	4.3%	12	9.7	6.3	8.3	6.5	$11,218	$1,199	$10,019
Northeast High School	Public	9-12	1646 Upper River Rd	Macon	31211	Bibb County	Bibb County	No	No	No	Yes	(478) 779-4157	742	47	15.7	100.0%	21 (2.8%)	699 (94.2%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (2.6%)	11.2	416^th of 458 public high schools	9.2%		8.5	419^th of 442 public high schools	5.2%	3	10.3	13.3	20.7	3.5	$12,982	$2,713	$10,269
Rutland High School	Public	9-12	6250 Skipper Rd	Macon	31216	Bibb County	Bibb County	No	No	No	Yes	(478) 779-3041	907	54	16.7	100.0%	250 (27.6%)	453 (49.9%)	157 (17.3%)	11 (1.2%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (3.7%)	21.1	351^st of 458 public high schools	23.4%		18.7	352^nd of 442 public high schools	20.4%	1	26.3	10.5	29.8	15.6	$11,064	$821	$10,243
Mary Persons High School	Public	9-12	310 Montpelier Ave	Forsyth	31029	Monroe County	Monroe County	No	No	No	No	(478) 994-2812	1,287	76	16.9	41.3%	877 (68.1%)	306 (23.8%)	52 (4.0%)	15 (1.2%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (2.8%)	75.8	64^th of 458 public high schools	86.0%		67.6	87^th of 442 public high schools	80.3%	23	52.7	58.2	62.7	56.2	$10,482	$218	$10,263
Macon Youth Development Campus	Public	5-12	4160 Riggins Mill Rd	Macon	31217	Bibb County	Department of Juvenile Justice	No	No	No	Yes	(478) 751-3432	17	7	2.4	82.4%	2 (11.8%)	12 (70.6%)	2 (11.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (5.9%)								(n/a)
Macon Regional Youth Detention Center	Public	5-12	4164 Riggins Mill Rd	Macon	31217	Bibb County	Department of Juvenile Justice	No	No	No	Yes	(912) 751-3400	16			81.3%	1 (6.3%)	13 (81.3%)	1 (6.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (6.3%)								(n/a)		0.0
Department of Juvenile Justice Bibb ETC	Public	6-12	4160 Riggins Mill Rd	Macon	31217	Bibb County	Department of Juvenile Justice	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(478) 207-1401	0				0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)

Frequently Asked Questions about Howard High School

Is Howard High School a good school?

Howard High School ranks 333^rd of 458 Georgia high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Howard High School?

Students at Howard High School are 71% African American, 15% White, 7% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races, 4% Asian.

What district is Howard High School in?

Bibb County

How many students attend Howard High School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 1,076 students attended Howard High School.

What schools feed into Howard High School?

Howard High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Carter Elementary School
Elementary : Lane Elementary School
Elementary : Springdale Elementary School
Middle : Howard Middle School

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Georgia Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.