Harper Elementary School

Summary:

Harper Elementary School is a public elementary school located in Riverdale, Georgia, serving grades PK-5 with a total enrollment of 722 students. The school is part of the Clayton County School District, which is ranked 168 out of 203 districts in Georgia and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Harper Elementary School has consistently ranked in the bottom quarter of Georgia elementary schools over the past decade, with its statewide ranking ranging from 844 out of 1209 schools in 2017-2018 to 1175 out of 1248 schools in the current 2023-2024 school year. The school has maintained a 0-1 star rating from SchoolDigger during this time period, indicating poor overall performance. This is in stark contrast to nearby schools like Haynie Elementary School, which consistently outperforms Harper Elementary across all grade levels and subject areas.

The key factors contributing to Harper Elementary School's underperformance include significantly below-average academic performance on the Milestones Assessment, an extremely high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch (ranging from 90.44% to 92.99%), and relatively low spending per student (ranging from $8,261 to $8,997) compared to the state average. These challenges suggest that targeted interventions and support are needed to address the unique needs of the school's predominantly economically disadvantaged student population and improve academic outcomes.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

93 Valley Hill Rd SW
Riverdale, GA 30274

(678) 479-2654

District: Clayton County

SchoolDigger Rank:
1175^th of 1,248 Georgia Elementary Schools

Students who attend Harper Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Sequoyah Middle School
High:	Charles R. Drew High School

Student/teacher ratio: 13.5

Number of students: 722

Racial breakdown:

African American:

64.8%

Hispanic:

29.4%

Two or more races:

2.6%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 90.4%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Harper Elementary School ranks worse than 94.2% of elementary schools in Georgia. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 10.53. (See more...)

Student Body

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Teachers

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Finance

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Schooldigger Rankings:

Harper Elementary School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

Clayton County:

SchoolDigger ranks Clayton County 168^th of 203 Georgia school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Rating:

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Rank History for Harper Elementary School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	GA State Percentile
2006	8.46	1053^rd	1101	4.4%
2007	10.12	1052^nd	1125	6.5%
2008	19.97	987^th	1134	13.0%
2009	12.91	1049^th	1133	7.4%
2010	30.73	932^nd	1183	21.2%
2011	25.45	1006^th	1212	17.0%
2012	13.93	1085^th	1201	9.7%
2013	11.42	1112^th	1225	9.2%
2014	13.34	1106^th	1231	10.2%
2015	16.33	1078^th	1240	13.1%
2016	20.72	993^rd	1233	19.5%
2017	30.53	831^st	1205	31.0%
2018	30.82	844^th	1209	30.2%
2019	30.27	856^th	1234	30.6%
2022	10.04	1172^nd	1244	5.8%
2023	13.24	1114^th	1242	10.3%
2024	10.53	1175^th	1248	5.8%

See the entire list of Georgia Elementary 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: 5)

100%

Reviews:

by a principal
Thursday, December 3, 2020

The new administration has provided the community with a host of supplies and materials to ensure that all are safe and able to enage in instruction during COVID-19. Additionally, the support provided to parents helps with understanding of school materials and how to use the provided laptops and chromebooks Close Quote

Enrollment information for Harper Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
2002	64	581	27	112	0	n/a	n/a	0	784
2003	64	581	27	112	0	n/a	n/a	0	784
2004	51	588	22	137	2	n/a	n/a	0	800
2005	30	554	18	175	2	n/a	n/a	32	811
2006	19	569	11	190	1	n/a	n/a	41	831
2007	16	533	11	201	0	n/a	n/a	56	817
2008	25	561	8	200	0	n/a	n/a	44	838
2009	22	500	11	191	0	n/a	n/a	33	757
2010	26	500	15	227	0	0	22	0	790
2011	22	497	19	253	1	1	21	0	814
2012	23	561	20	271	1	2	24	0	902
2013	9	592	26	275	0	2	16	0	920
2014	12	544	24	285	0	1	10	0	876
2015	10	523	23	294	1	2	19	0	872
2016	12	553	22	306	1	3	17	0	914
2017	8	524	22	255	0	0	18	0	827
2018	7	553	17	264	0	0	32	0	873
2019	5	582	16	264	0	0	31	0	898
2020	6	558	13	246	5	0	21	0	849
2021	3	509	15	208	5	0	16	0	756
2022	2	496	16	202	3	1	15	0	735
2023	6	468	13	212	3	1	19	0	722

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 Harper Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2002	784	44.0	17.8	70.3
2003	784	44.0	17.8	70.3
2004	800	45.0	17.8	75.9
2005	811	57.1	14.2	86.5
2006	831	56.5	14.7	91.9
2007	817	64.0	12.8	94.3
2008	838	57.5	14.6	91.8
2009	757	60.2	12.6	91.6
2010	790	56.0	14.1	86.7
2011	814	55.5	14.6	86.9
2012	902	53.5	16.8	95.1
2013	920	50.8	18.1	94.8
2014	876	55.8	15.6	99.7
2015	872	56.0	15.5	95.5
2016	914	56.0	16.3	99.5
2017	827	54.0	15.3	99.5
2018	873	55.0	15.8	99.4
2019	898	54.0	16.6	92.9
2020	849	53.0	16.0	92.9
2021	756	51.0	14.8	93
2022	735	48.5	15.1	n/a
2023	722	53.2	13.5	90.4

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 Harper Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2002	784	44.0	17.8	70.3
2003	784	44.0	17.8	70.3
2004	800	45.0	17.8	75.9
2005	811	57.1	14.2	86.5
2006	831	56.5	14.7	91.9
2007	817	64.0	12.8	94.3
2008	838	57.5	14.6	91.8
2009	757	60.2	12.6	91.6
2010	790	56.0	14.1	86.7
2011	814	55.5	14.6	86.9
2012	902	53.5	16.8	95.1
2013	920	50.8	18.1	94.8
2014	876	55.8	15.6	99.7
2015	872	56.0	15.5	95.5
2016	914	56.0	16.3	99.5
2017	827	54.0	15.3	99.5
2018	873	55.0	15.8	99.4
2019	898	54.0	16.6	92.9
2020	849	53.0	16.0	92.9
2021	756	51.0	14.8	93
2022	735	48.5	15.1	n/a
2023	722	53.2	13.5	90.4

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 Harper Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2017	$769 (8.5%)	$8,228 (91.5%)	$8,997
2018	$583 (6.5%)	$8,363 (93.5%)	$8,946
2019	$568 (6.9%)	$7,694 (93.1%)	$8,261

Data source: Georgia Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Harper Elementary 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 856^th of 1234 Elementary schools	Ranks 1114^th of 1242 Elementary schools	20.3%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Harper Elementary School)	22	19	3%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Clayton County)	26.9	18.1	8.8%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Georgia)	42	38.6	3.4%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Harper Elementary School)	30.5	25.6	4.9%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Clayton County)	35.9	23.7	12.2%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Georgia)	52	45.6	6.4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Harper Elementary School)	28.8	12	16.8%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Clayton County)	26.5	18.2	8.3%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Georgia)	42	36.1	5.9%
4th Grade Mathematics (Harper Elementary School)	24.5	13	11.5%
4th Grade Mathematics (Clayton County)	29.2	23.4	5.8%
4th Grade Mathematics (Georgia)	49	45.7	3.3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Harper Elementary School)	33.1	16.8	16.3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Clayton County)	30.4	22.9	7.5%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Georgia)	45	41.6	3.4%
5th Grade Mathematics (Harper Elementary School)	32.5	12.4	20.1%
5th Grade Mathematics (Clayton County)	23.2	15.6	7.6%
5th Grade Mathematics (Georgia)	41	37.4	3.6%
5th Grade Science (Harper Elementary School)	42	7.1	34.9%
5th Grade Science (Clayton County)	26.5	17.1	9.4%
5th Grade Science (Georgia)	43	40	3%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	898	722	19.6%
African American	582	468	19.6%
American Indian	0	3
Asian	16	13	18.8%
Hispanic	264	212	19.7%
Pacific Islander	0	1
White	5	6	20%
Two or More Races	31	19	38.7%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	92.9%	90.4%	2.4%

Schools Near Harper Elementary School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				Milestones Assessment Algebra I (2024)	Milestones Assessment English Language Arts (2024)						Milestones Assessment Mathematics (2024)						Milestones Assessment Science (2024)		Milestones Assessment Social Studies (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 Algebra I End of Course	Milestones Assessment English Language Arts 3rd Grade	Milestones Assessment English Language Arts 4th Grade	Milestones Assessment English Language Arts 5th Grade	Milestones Assessment English Language Arts 6th Grade	Milestones Assessment English Language Arts 7th Grade	Milestones Assessment English Language Arts 8th Grade	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 3rd Grade	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 4th Grade	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 5th Grade	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 6th Grade	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 7th Grade	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 8th Grade	Milestones Assessment Science 5th Grade	Milestones Assessment Science 8th Grade	Milestones Assessment Social Studies 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Harper Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	93 Valley Hill Rd SW	Riverdale	30274	Clayton County	Clayton County	No	No	No	Yes	(678) 479-2654	722	53	13.5	90.4%	6 (0.8%)	468 (64.8%)	212 (29.4%)	13 (1.8%)	3 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	19 (2.6%)	10.5	1175^th of 1248 public elementary schools	5.8%		13.2	1114^th of 1242 public elementary schools	10.3%	61		15.6	18.4	20.4				15.6	22.1	5.3				3.5			$8,261	$568	$7,694
Riverdale Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	6253 Garden Walk Blvd	Riverdale	30274	Clayton County	Clayton County	No	No	No	Yes	(770) 994-4015	635	48	13.2	90.4%	10 (1.6%)	411 (64.7%)	171 (26.9%)	18 (2.8%)	3 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	21 (3.3%)	20	1004^th of 1248 public elementary schools	19.6%		14.8	1091^st of 1242 public elementary schools	12.2%	87		20.5	11.0	32.7				15.7	14.3	29.6				29.6			$8,335	$458	$7,877
Church Street Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	7013 Church St	Riverdale	30274	Clayton County	Clayton County	No	No	No	Yes	(770) 994-4000	698	48	14.5	90.4%	8 (1.1%)	544 (77.9%)	93 (13.3%)	22 (3.2%)	6 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (3.6%)	13.7	1121^st of 1248 public elementary schools	10.2%		12.5	1135^th of 1242 public elementary schools	8.6%	14		7.8	18.3	18.9				8.6	18.3	27.9				20.7			$8,338	$632	$7,705
Tara Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	937 Mount Zion Rd	Morrow	30260	Clayton County	Clayton County	No	No	No	Yes	(770) 968-2915	584	41	14.2	90.4%	11 (1.9%)	367 (62.8%)	187 (32.0%)	2 (0.3%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (2.6%)	16.1	1084^th of 1248 public elementary schools	13.1%		16.5	1075^th of 1242 public elementary schools	13.4%	9		23.2	16.0	25.8				15.2	24.7	18.0				19.1			$8,789	$599	$8,191
Dubois Integrity Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	6479 Church St	Riverdale	30274	Clayton County	State Specialty Schools I- Dubois Integrity Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(770) 629-1534	1,320	81	16.3	96.4%	6 (0.5%)	1,218 (92.3%)	54 (4.1%)	9 (0.7%)	2 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	30 (2.3%)	15.3	1096^th of 1248 public elementary schools	12.2%		24.8	921^st of 1242 public elementary schools	25.8%	175	42.1	18.1	19.0	27.6	36.4	31.7	46.3	16.5	8.9	7.7	11.6	16.3	21.3	12.8	16.7	40.7	$9,995	$858	$9,137
Callaway Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	120 Oriole Dr	Jonesboro	30238	Clayton County	Clayton County	No	No	No	Yes	(678) 479-2600	706	50	14.1	90.5%	1 (0.1%)	543 (76.9%)	129 (18.3%)	7 (1.0%)	5 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (3.0%)	16.3	1074^th of 1248 public elementary schools	13.9%		10.7	1168^th of 1242 public elementary schools	6.0%	94		23.3	19.2	28.1				28.9	16.3	14.2				13.3			$8,366	$691	$7,675
Kilpatrick Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	7534 Tara Rd	Jonesboro	30236	Clayton County	Clayton County	No	No	No	Yes	(770) 473-2790	618	48	12.8	90.5%	15 (2.4%)	280 (45.3%)	292 (47.2%)	3 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (4.4%)	18.6	1023^rd of 1248 public elementary schools	18.0%		20.3	1002^nd of 1242 public elementary schools	19.3%	21		21.0	13.0	33.3				25.0	25.9	21.0				18.1			$8,422	$539	$7,883
Swint Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	500 Highway 138 W	Jonesboro	30238	Clayton County	Clayton County	No	No	No	Yes	(770) 473-2780	582	44	13.2	90.4%	6 (1.0%)	437 (75.1%)	119 (20.4%)	6 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (2.4%)	25.4	923^rd of 1248 public elementary schools	26.0%		20.3	1004^th of 1242 public elementary schools	19.2%	81		32.6	17.3	27.8				47.2	16.0	13.4				22.7			$8,695	$778	$7,917
Haynie Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1169 Morrow Rd	Morrow	30260	Clayton County	Clayton County	No	No	No	Yes	(770) 968-2905	793	56	14.1	90.5%	13 (1.6%)	307 (38.7%)	404 (50.9%)	47 (5.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (2.8%)	24	945^th of 1248 public elementary schools	24.3%		24.1	932^nd of 1242 public elementary schools	25.0%	13		22.0	23.9	31.3				22.0	40.4	20.1				23.9			$7,800	$565	$7,235
Martin Luther King- Junior Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	5745 W Lees Mill Rd	College Park	30349	Fulton County	Clayton County	No	No	No	Yes	(770) 991-4651	578	40	14.4	90.3%	4 (0.7%)	496 (85.8%)	42 (7.3%)	17 (2.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (3.1%)	8.5	1217^th of 1248 public elementary schools	2.5%		14.7	1092^nd of 1242 public elementary schools	12.1%	125		12.5	10.5	15.2				9.1	17.1	12.7				12.8			$9,839	$924	$8,914

Frequently Asked Questions about Harper Elementary School

How many students attend Harper Elementary School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 722 students attended Harper Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Harper Elementary School?

Students at Harper Elementary School are 65% African American, 29% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

Is Harper Elementary School a good school?

Harper Elementary School ranks in the bottom 5.8% of Georgia elementary schools.

What district is Harper Elementary School in?

Clayton County

What schools do graduates of Harper Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Harper Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Sequoyah Middle School
High : Charles R. Drew High 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.