Towers High School

Summary:

Towers High School is a public high school located in Decatur, Georgia, serving grades 9-12 with a total enrollment of 764 students. The school is part of the DeKalb County School District, which is ranked 138 out of 203 districts in Georgia and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Towers High School consistently underperforms compared to the DeKalb County and Georgia state averages on the Milestones Assessments. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, the percentage of students proficient or better in American Literature and Composition was 12.8% at Towers High School, compared to 33.7% in DeKalb County and 42% statewide. Additionally, Towers High School has had relatively low four-year graduation rates, ranging from 59.6% to 74.1% over the past five years, which are significantly lower than the state average. The school also has an extremely high percentage of students (over 99%) receiving free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage among the student population.

When comparing Towers High School to the nearby schools in the DeKalb County district, such as Southwest DeKalb High School and Decatur High School, it consistently underperforms on academic metrics. Despite the relatively high per-student spending at Towers High School, the academic outcomes do not seem to reflect this level of investment, raising questions about the effective allocation of resources and the need for targeted interventions to address the specific needs of the student population. However, the lower student-teacher ratio at Towers High School could be an asset, as it may allow for more individualized attention and support for students, potentially leading to improvements in academic performance and graduation rates with the right strategies and interventions.

Detail:

Public 9-12

3919 Brookcrest Cir
Decatur, GA 30032

(678) 874-2202

District: DeKalb County

SchoolDigger Rank:
414^th of 458 Georgia High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $12,581

Feeder schools for Towers High School:

Elementary:	Canby Lane Elementary School
	Peachcrest Elementary School
	Rowland Elementary School
Middle:	Mary McLeod Bethune Middle School

Student/teacher ratio: 15.5

Number of students: 764

Racial breakdown:

African American:

81.9%

Hispanic:

9.9%

Asian:

3.3%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 100%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Towers High School ranks worse than 90.4% of high schools in Georgia. It also ranks 21^st among 23 ranked high schools in the DeKalb County School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 11.51. (See more...)

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

Student Body

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

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Teachers

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Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Towers High School is $12,581, which is the 6^th highest among 23 high schools in the DeKalb County School District.

Schooldigger Rankings:

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

SchoolDigger ranks Towers High School 414^th of 458 Georgia public high schools. (See Towers High School in the ranking list.)

DeKalb County:

SchoolDigger ranks DeKalb County 138^th of 203 Georgia school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Towers High School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	GA State Percentile
2006	8.41	322^nd	335	3.9%
2007	11.78	336^th	358	6.1%
2008	10.31	350^th	370	5.4%
2009	15.83	345^th	372	7.3%
2010	15.83	350^th	384	8.9%
2011	13.50	372^nd	402	7.5%
2012	17.01	357^th	396	9.8%
2013	15.67	390^th	425	8.2%
2014	18.14	384^th	425	9.6%
2015	15.92	378^th	435	13.1%
2016	16.82	363^rd	426	14.8%
2017	12.32	380^th	420	9.5%
2018	12.57	380^th	428	11.2%
2019	12.45	385^th	438	12.1%
2021	15.45	362^nd	410	11.7%
2022	12.30	385^th	429	10.3%
2023	11.82	402^nd	442	9.0%
2024	11.51	414^th	458	9.6%

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

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Enrollment information for Towers High School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1989	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	1271	1271
1991	0	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	1088	1088
1992	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	1086	1086
1993	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	1220	1220
1994	67	1211	39	17	2	n/a	n/a	0	1336
1995	47	1372	45	14	1	n/a	n/a	0	1479
1996	47	1372	45	14	1	n/a	n/a	0	1479
1997	46	1352	42	19	2	n/a	n/a	0	1461
1998	27	1410	33	18	1	n/a	n/a	0	1489
1999	21	1364	29	11	1	n/a	n/a	0	1426
2000	21	1346	23	13	0	n/a	n/a	0	1403
2001	19	1370	24	12	1	n/a	n/a	0	1426
2002	12	1069	13	19	0	n/a	n/a	0	1113
2003	12	1069	13	19	0	n/a	n/a	0	1113
2004	6	1172	11	17	0	n/a	n/a	0	1206
2005	3	1224	13	13	1	n/a	n/a	10	1264
2006	6	1246	15	16	2	n/a	n/a	12	1297
2007	5	1099	16	15	1	n/a	n/a	10	1146
2008	3	1051	17	13	1	n/a	n/a	13	1098
2009	5	980	16	20	0	n/a	n/a	14	1035
2010	1	971	9	20	0	2	4	0	1007
2011	2	896	11	21	1	0	4	0	935
2012	8	997	4	35	1	0	5	0	1050
2013	6	939	9	28	0	1	7	0	990
2014	2	948	6	29	0	2	6	0	993
2015	4	953	6	29	2	1	6	0	1001
2016	7	926	8	29	0	1	4	0	975
2017	9	885	15	41	4	0	8	0	962
2018	12	858	21	58	2	0	6	0	957
2019	4	746	19	58	5	0	10	0	842
2020	7	647	21	56	1	0	5	0	737
2021	8	646	16	69	0	0	8	0	747
2022	10	681	21	65	5	1	12	0	795
2023	17	626	25	76	4	1	15	0	764

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 Towers High School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	1271	83.0	15.3	15.8
1991	1088	79.0	13.7	23.3
1992	1086	85.5	12.7	26.1
1993	1220	72.0	16.9	28.8
1994	1336	97.9	13.6	29.9
1995	1479	94.9	15.6	43.7
1996	1479	94.9	15.6	43.7
1997	1461	95.7	15.3	54.6
1998	1489	95.9	15.5	44.6
1999	1426	85.0	16.8	53.2
2000	1403	80.4	17.5	51.5
2001	1426	85.8	16.6	48.4
2002	1113	63.0	17.7	60.1
2003	1113	63.0	17.7	60.1
2004	1206	61.3	19.7	56.1
2005	1264	70.7	17.9	60.8
2006	1297	71.6	18.1	70.1
2007	1146	67.6	17.0	69.2
2008	1098	67.2	16.3	74.3
2009	1035	64.5	16.0	75.7
2010	1007	68.0	14.8	77.8
2011	935	64.0	14.6	79
2012	1050	67.0	15.6	80.3
2013	990	57.5	17.2	81.9
2014	993	62.0	16.0	83.5
2015	1001	64.0	15.6	81
2016	975	59.0	16.5	74.8
2017	962	62.0	15.5	100
2018	957	64.0	14.9	100
2019	842	60.0	14.0	100
2020	737	47.0	15.6	99.2
2021	747	55.0	13.5	99.2
2022	795	50.0	15.9	n/a
2023	764	49.0	15.5	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 Towers High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	1271	83.0	15.3	15.8
1991	1088	79.0	13.7	23.3
1992	1086	85.5	12.7	26.1
1993	1220	72.0	16.9	28.8
1994	1336	97.9	13.6	29.9
1995	1479	94.9	15.6	43.7
1996	1479	94.9	15.6	43.7
1997	1461	95.7	15.3	54.6
1998	1489	95.9	15.5	44.6
1999	1426	85.0	16.8	53.2
2000	1403	80.4	17.5	51.5
2001	1426	85.8	16.6	48.4
2002	1113	63.0	17.7	60.1
2003	1113	63.0	17.7	60.1
2004	1206	61.3	19.7	56.1
2005	1264	70.7	17.9	60.8
2006	1297	71.6	18.1	70.1
2007	1146	67.6	17.0	69.2
2008	1098	67.2	16.3	74.3
2009	1035	64.5	16.0	75.7
2010	1007	68.0	14.8	77.8
2011	935	64.0	14.6	79
2012	1050	67.0	15.6	80.3
2013	990	57.5	17.2	81.9
2014	993	62.0	16.0	83.5
2015	1001	64.0	15.6	81
2016	975	59.0	16.5	74.8
2017	962	62.0	15.5	100
2018	957	64.0	14.9	100
2019	842	60.0	14.0	100
2020	737	47.0	15.6	99.2
2021	747	55.0	13.5	99.2
2022	795	50.0	15.9	n/a
2023	764	49.0	15.5	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 Towers High School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2017	$820 (8.0%)	$9,418 (92.0%)	$10,238
2018	$949 (8.9%)	$9,715 (91.1%)	$10,665
2019	$935 (7.4%)	$11,646 (92.6%)	$12,581

Data source: Georgia Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Towers 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 385^th of 438 High schools	Ranks 402^nd of 442 High schools	3.1%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
End of Course American Literature and Composition (Towers High School)	10.8	16.4	5.6%
End of Course American Literature and Composition (DeKalb County)	40.6	30.9	9.7%
End of Course American Literature and Composition (Georgia)	47.3	38.9	8.4%
End of Course Coordinate Algebra (Towers High School)	11.5	1.9	9.6%
End of Course Coordinate Algebra (DeKalb County)	26.6	21.9	4.7%
End of Course Coordinate Algebra (Georgia)	33.7	26.4	7.3%
End of Course Biology (Towers High School)	16	10.1	5.9%
End of Course Biology (DeKalb County)	38.6	32.6	6%
End of Course Biology (Georgia)	49	45.5	3.5%
End of Course United States History (Towers High School)	18.9	11.7	7.2%
End of Course United States History (DeKalb County)	46.5	27	19.5%
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	842	764	9.3%
African American	746	626	16.1%
American Indian	5	4	20%
Asian	19	25	31.6%
Hispanic	58	76	31%
Pacific Islander	0	1
White	4	17	325%
Two or More Races	10	15	50%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	100%	100%

Schools Near Towers 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)	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 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	Milestones Assessment English Language Arts 6th Grade	Milestones Assessment English Language Arts 7th Grade	Milestones Assessment English Language Arts 8th Grade	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 6th Grade	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 7th Grade	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 8th 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
Towers High School	Public	9-12	3919 Brookcrest Cir	Decatur	30032	DeKalb County	DeKalb County	No	No	No	Yes	(678) 874-2202	764	49	15.5	100.0%	17 (2.2%)	626 (81.9%)	76 (9.9%)	25 (3.3%)	4 (0.5%)	1 (0.1%)	15 (2.0%)	11.5	414^th of 458 public high schools	9.6%		11.8	402^nd of 442 public high schools	9.0%	12	12.8	9.0	18.0	13.6									$12,581	$935	$11,646
Columbia High School	Public	9-12	2106 Columbia Dr	Decatur	30032	DeKalb County	DeKalb County	No	No	No	Yes	(678) 874-0802	898	59	15.2	100.0%	10 (1.1%)	837 (93.2%)	35 (3.9%)	5 (0.6%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.2%)	8 (0.9%)	14.7	398^th of 458 public high schools	13.1%		18.3	357^th of 442 public high schools	19.2%	41	15.3	17.3	18.5	18.1									$12,785	$1,091	$11,695
DeKalb School of the Arts	Public	8-12	1192 Clarendon Ave	Avondale Estates	30002	DeKalb County	DeKalb County	No	No	No	No	(678) 676-2502	302	21	14.3	20.9%	96 (31.8%)	171 (56.6%)	14 (4.6%)	10 (3.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (3.3%)	83.7	40^th of 458 public high schools	91.3%		82.9	35^th of 442 public high schools	92.1%	5	86.3	49.2	65.6	82.5									$12,327	$636	$11,691
The Anchor School	Public, Charter	6-12	2460 Wesley Chapel Road	Decatur	30035	DeKalb County	State Specialty Schools II- The Anchor School	Yes	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(404) 909-4555	0				0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)					29.9			5.2
Southwest DeKalb High School	Public	9-12	2863 Kelley Chapel Rd	Decatur	30034	DeKalb County	DeKalb County	No	No	No	Yes	(678) 874-1902	1,307	79	16.4	100.0%	4 (0.3%)	1,231 (94.2%)	46 (3.5%)	5 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (1.5%)	34.9	271^st of 458 public high schools	40.8%		35	260^th of 442 public high schools	41.2%	11	31.2	26.5	31.1	38.0									$11,703	$767	$10,936
Clarkston High School	Public	9-12	618 N Indian Creek Dr	Clarkston	30021	DeKalb County	DeKalb County	No	No	No	Yes	(678) 676-5302	1,413	92	15.3	100.0%	84 (5.9%)	818 (57.9%)	83 (5.9%)	395 (28.0%)	4 (0.3%)	4 (0.3%)	25 (1.8%)	16.5	388^th of 458 public high schools	15.3%		20	345^th of 442 public high schools	21.9%	43	18.5	18.8	14.4	21.4									$12,511	$873	$11,638
Redan High School	Public	9-12	5247 Redan Rd	Stone Mountain	30088	DeKalb County	DeKalb County	No	No	No	Yes	(678) 676-3602	951	50	19.0	100.0%	2 (0.2%)	852 (89.6%)	67 (7.0%)	13 (1.4%)	3 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (1.5%)	19.8	364^th of 458 public high schools	20.5%		18.4	355^th of 442 public high schools	19.7%	9	19.8	17.5	24.5	22.8									$11,418	$646	$10,773
Decatur High School	Public	9-12	310 N McDonough St	Decatur	30030	DeKalb County	City Schools of Decatur	No	No	No	No	(404) 370-4420	1,853	123	15.0	12.4%	1,079 (58.2%)	435 (23.5%)	123 (6.6%)	65 (3.5%)	5 (0.3%)	2 (0.1%)	144 (7.8%)	78.3	55^th of 458 public high schools	88.0%		76.3	56^th of 442 public high schools	87.3%	1	69.3	57.8	73.4	37.2									$12,629	$472	$12,157
DeKalb Regional Youth Detention Center	Public	5-12	2946 Clifton Springs Rd	Decatur	30034	DeKalb County	Department of Juvenile Justice	No	No	No	Yes	(404) 244-2183	7				0 (0.0%)	4 (57.1%)	3 (42.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Charles Drew Charter Ja/Senior Academy	Public, Charter	6-12	300 E Lake Blvd SE	Atlanta	30317	DeKalb County	Atlanta Public Schools	Yes	No	No	No	(404) 687-0001	925	80	11.6	40.0%	158 (17.1%)	694 (75.0%)	28 (3.0%)	9 (1.0%)	3 (0.3%)	3 (0.3%)	30 (3.2%)	63.5	115^th of 458 public high schools	74.9%		59.8	120^th of 442 public high schools	72.9%	5	51.3	63.1	47.1	38.4	60.4	57.5	61.2	51.0	58.2	63.3	15.6	42.4	$16,471	$572	$15,899

Frequently Asked Questions about Towers High School

What district is Towers High School in?

DeKalb County

What is the racial makeup of Towers High School?

Students at Towers High School are 82% African American, 10% Hispanic, 3% Asian, 2% White, 2% Two or more races.

How many students attend Towers High School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 764 students attended Towers High School.

Is Towers High School a good school?

Towers High School ranks in the bottom 9.6% of Georgia high schools.

What schools feed into Towers High School?

Towers High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Canby Lane Elementary School
Elementary : Peachcrest Elementary School
Elementary : Rowland Elementary School
Middle : Mary McLeod Bethune 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.