Hightower Elementary School

Summary:

Hightower Elementary School is a public elementary school located in Doraville, Georgia, serving grades PK-5 with a total enrollment of 619 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. Hightower Elementary has consistently ranked in the bottom quarter of Georgia elementary schools, with a ranking between 975 and 1190 out of around 1,200-1,250 schools over the past decade.

Hightower Elementary consistently underperforms compared to the DeKalb County and Georgia state averages on the Milestones Assessments, with proficiency rates in English Language Arts, Math, and Science significantly below the district and state levels. The school also has an extremely high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 70.94% to 93.38% over the past few years, which is significantly higher than the nearby schools like Vanderlyn Elementary and Montgomery Elementary, which are ranked in the top 5-10% of Georgia elementary schools. Despite the relatively high per-student spending and low student-teacher ratio at Hightower, the school's academic performance remains strikingly low.

The stark contrast in academic performance between Hightower Elementary and the nearby high-performing schools suggests that the school is struggling to provide a high-quality education to its students, potentially due to the significant socioeconomic challenges faced by the student population. While Hightower's performance has been consistently low over the past decade, the school's resources and low student-teacher ratio indicate that there may be opportunities to implement more effective instructional strategies and targeted interventions to improve student outcomes. Addressing the unique needs of the Hightower Elementary community could be a key step in helping the school achieve better results for its students.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

4236 Tilly Mill Rd
Doraville, GA 30360

(678) 676-7302

District: DeKalb County

SchoolDigger Rank:
1190^th of 1,248 Georgia Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $11,581

Students who attend Hightower Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Peachtree Middle School
High:	Dunwoody High School

Student/teacher ratio: 13.3

Number of students: 619

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

90.6%

Asian:

3.7%

African American:

3.4%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 97.7%

See top rated Georgia elementary schools

Compare Hightower Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Hightower Elementary School ranks worse than 95.4% of elementary schools in Georgia. It also ranks 74^th among 79 ranked elementary schools in the DeKalb County School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 9.86. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (90.6%), Asian (3.7%), African American (3.4%). (See more...)

Compare Details 97.7% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Hightower Elementary School is 13.3, which is the 27^th best among 79 elementary schools in the DeKalb County School District. (See more...)

Compare Hightower Elementary School employs 46.3 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Hightower Elementary School is $11,581. 60 elementary schools in the DeKalb County School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger Rankings:

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

DeKalb County:

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

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Rank History for Hightower Elementary School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	GA State Percentile
2006	11.15	1031^st	1101	6.4%
2007	27.21	903^rd	1125	19.7%
2008	33.31	854^th	1134	24.7%
2009	42.12	750^th	1133	33.8%
2010	46.71	743^rd	1183	37.2%
2011	31.95	941^st	1212	22.4%
2012	37.22	882^nd	1201	26.6%
2013	28.73	984^th	1225	19.7%
2014	30.06	975^th	1231	20.8%
2015	20.52	1000^th	1240	19.4%
2016	17.90	1027^th	1233	16.7%
2017	15.74	1035^th	1205	14.1%
2018	15.14	1045^th	1209	13.6%
2019	15.57	1057^th	1234	14.3%
2021	11.30	1108^th	1214	8.7%
2022	13.22	1105^th	1244	11.2%
2023	13.42	1111^th	1242	10.5%
2024	9.86	1190^th	1248	4.6%

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

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Reviews:
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Enrollment information for Hightower Elementary 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	320	320
1991	0	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	345	345
1992	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	387	387
1993	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	416	416
1994	109	217	18	76	1	n/a	n/a	0	421
1995	99	272	14	59	0	n/a	n/a	0	444
1996	99	272	14	59	0	n/a	n/a	0	444
1997	103	233	20	96	0	n/a	n/a	0	452
1998	79	245	17	103	0	n/a	n/a	0	444
1999	58	202	18	120	1	n/a	n/a	0	399
2000	60	160	21	188	0	n/a	n/a	0	429
2001	41	144	22	232	0	n/a	n/a	0	439
2002	26	87	18	275	0	n/a	n/a	0	406
2003	26	87	18	275	0	n/a	n/a	0	406
2004	30	101	13	334	2	n/a	n/a	0	480
2005	19	121	14	367	0	n/a	n/a	12	533
2006	24	86	17	395	0	n/a	n/a	9	531
2007	13	83	17	439	0	n/a	n/a	12	564
2008	9	77	16	467	0	n/a	n/a	11	580
2009	24	74	37	464	0	n/a	n/a	15	614
2010	16	41	22	485	0	0	5	0	569
2011	15	56	25	556	0	0	2	0	654
2012	13	66	36	595	0	0	6	0	716
2013	16	78	36	640	0	0	6	0	776
2014	22	81	47	710	0	0	6	0	866
2015	17	80	35	692	0	0	8	0	832
2016	14	69	38	715	1	1	6	0	844
2017	11	50	35	660	0	1	5	0	762
2018	17	40	27	675	1	1	4	0	765
2019	20	29	30	669	1	1	2	0	752
2020	18	27	32	689	3	1	4	0	774
2021	10	28	26	540	2	0	3	0	609
2022	8	27	22	550	2	0	5	0	614
2023	5	36	22	546	4	0	6	0	619
2024	6	21	23	561	4	0	4	0	619

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 Hightower Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	320	25.0	12.8	24.1
1991	345	26.0	13.2	34.2
1992	387	25.0	15.4	48.8
1993	416	28.0	14.9	56.7
1994	421	31.0	13.6	64.8
1995	444	29.0	15.3	57.7
1996	444	29.0	15.3	57.7
1997	452	29.8	15.2	75
1998	444	31.3	14.2	77.3
1999	399	31.7	12.6	90.7
2000	429	31.2	13.8	73.4
2001	439	31.3	14.0	83.1
2002	406	34.0	11.9	83.3
2003	406	34.0	11.9	83.3
2004	480	33.5	14.3	92.1
2005	533	39.3	13.6	91.7
2006	531	41.3	12.9	94.1
2007	564	42.3	13.3	94.7
2008	580	43.3	13.4	97.9
2009	614	44.5	13.8	99.3
2010	569	41.8	13.6	96.8
2011	654	42.3	15.4	95.3
2012	716	49.0	14.6	95.5
2013	776	48.8	15.9	97.2
2014	866	52.7	16.4	95
2015	832	59.0	14.1	99.6
2016	844	60.0	14.0	95.1
2017	762	60.7	12.5	94
2018	765	59.2	12.9	90.8
2019	752	56.2	13.3	92.6
2020	774	55.3	13.9	87.5
2021	609	54.3	11.2	70.9
2022	614	50.3	12.2	n/a
2023	619	46.3	13.3	93.4
2024	619	46.3	13.3	97.7

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 Hightower Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	320	25.0	12.8	24.1
1991	345	26.0	13.2	34.2
1992	387	25.0	15.4	48.8
1993	416	28.0	14.9	56.7
1994	421	31.0	13.6	64.8
1995	444	29.0	15.3	57.7
1996	444	29.0	15.3	57.7
1997	452	29.8	15.2	75
1998	444	31.3	14.2	77.3
1999	399	31.7	12.6	90.7
2000	429	31.2	13.8	73.4
2001	439	31.3	14.0	83.1
2002	406	34.0	11.9	83.3
2003	406	34.0	11.9	83.3
2004	480	33.5	14.3	92.1
2005	533	39.3	13.6	91.7
2006	531	41.3	12.9	94.1
2007	564	42.3	13.3	94.7
2008	580	43.3	13.4	97.9
2009	614	44.5	13.8	99.3
2010	569	41.8	13.6	96.8
2011	654	42.3	15.4	95.3
2012	716	49.0	14.6	95.5
2013	776	48.8	15.9	97.2
2014	866	52.7	16.4	95
2015	832	59.0	14.1	99.6
2016	844	60.0	14.0	95.1
2017	762	60.7	12.5	94
2018	765	59.2	12.9	90.8
2019	752	56.2	13.3	92.6
2020	774	55.3	13.9	87.5
2021	609	54.3	11.2	70.9
2022	614	50.3	12.2	n/a
2023	619	46.3	13.3	93.4
2024	619	46.3	13.3	97.7

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 Hightower Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2017	$738 (7.2%)	$9,577 (92.8%)	$10,315
2018	$819 (8.0%)	$9,470 (92.0%)	$10,289
2019	$689 (5.9%)	$10,892 (94.1%)	$11,581

Data source: Georgia Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Hightower 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 1057^th of 1234 Elementary schools	Ranks 1111^th of 1242 Elementary schools	3.8%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Hightower Elementary School)	15.2	17.6	2.4%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (DeKalb County)	33.5	31.7	1.8%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Georgia)	42	38.6	3.4%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Hightower Elementary School)	34.7	18.6	16.1%
3rd Grade Mathematics (DeKalb County)	40.1	33.8	6.3%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Georgia)	52	45.6	6.4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Hightower Elementary School)	21.4	9.3	12.1%
4th Grade English Language Arts (DeKalb County)	34.4	30.2	4.2%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Georgia)	42	36.1	5.9%
4th Grade Mathematics (Hightower Elementary School)	28.1	16.8	11.3%
4th Grade Mathematics (DeKalb County)	35.5	33.9	1.6%
4th Grade Mathematics (Georgia)	49	45.7	3.3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Hightower Elementary School)	14.5	16.9	2.4%
5th Grade English Language Arts (DeKalb County)	37.4	33.9	3.5%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Georgia)	45	41.6	3.4%
5th Grade Mathematics (Hightower Elementary School)	19.6	14.5	5.1%
5th Grade Mathematics (DeKalb County)	30.5	25.3	5.2%
5th Grade Mathematics (Georgia)	41	37.4	3.6%
5th Grade Science (Hightower Elementary School)	22.5	18.8	3.7%
5th Grade Science (DeKalb County)	33.9	27.9	6%
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	752	619	17.7%
African American	29	36	24.1%
American Indian	1	4	300%
Asian	30	22	26.7%
Hispanic	669	546	18.4%
Pacific Islander	1	0	100%
White	20	5	75%
Two or More Races	2	6	200%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	92.6%	93.4%	0.8%

Schools Near Hightower Elementary School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				Milestones Assessment English Language Arts (2024)			Milestones Assessment Mathematics (2024)			Milestones Assessment Science (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 English Language Arts 3rd Grade	Milestones Assessment English Language Arts 4th Grade	Milestones Assessment English Language Arts 5th Grade	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 3rd Grade	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 4th Grade	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 5th Grade	Milestones Assessment Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Hightower Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4236 Tilly Mill Rd	Doraville	30360	DeKalb County	DeKalb County	No	No	No	Yes	(678) 676-7302	619	46	13.3	97.7%	6 (1.0%)	21 (3.4%)	561 (90.6%)	23 (3.7%)	4 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.6%)	9.9	1190^th of 1248 public elementary schools	4.6%		13.4	1111^th of 1242 public elementary schools	10.5%	79	12.6	13.1	17.0	11.8	20.6	11.7	15.2	$11,581	$689	$10,892
Chesnut Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4576 N Peachtree Rd	Dunwoody	30338	DeKalb County	DeKalb County	No	No	No	Yes	(678) 676-7102	512	41	12.6	50.2%	124 (24.2%)	170 (33.2%)	141 (27.5%)	42 (8.2%)	4 (0.8%)	2 (0.4%)	29 (5.7%)	79.7	237^th of 1248 public elementary schools	81.0%		58.5	461^st of 1242 public elementary schools	62.9%	224	64.7	50.7	65.6	69.4	55.9	53.1	41.3	$14,256	$1,605	$12,651
Huntley Hills Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2112 Seaman Cir	Chamblee	30341	DeKalb County	DeKalb County	No	No	No	Yes	(678) 676-7402	463	41	11.3	69.5%	80 (17.3%)	90 (19.4%)	218 (47.1%)	47 (10.2%)	3 (0.6%)	3 (0.6%)	22 (4.8%)	37.4	735^th of 1248 public elementary schools	41.1%		44.2	628^th of 1242 public elementary schools	49.4%	107	27.0	26.6	44.9	33.3	23.1	33.3	43.5	$14,113	$755	$13,358
Doraville United Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3630 Shallowford Rd NE	Atlanta	30340	DeKalb County	DeKalb County	No	No	No	Yes	(404) 202-0093	931	65	14.3	95.7%	5 (0.5%)	24 (2.6%)	870 (93.4%)	18 (1.9%)	5 (0.5%)	1 (0.1%)	8 (0.9%)	9.9	1187^th of 1248 public elementary schools	4.9%		12.1	1141^st of 1242 public elementary schools	8.1%	46	10.5	10.9	19.8	16.7	21.0	15.3	9.9
Oakcliff Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3151 Willow Oak Way	Doraville	30340	DeKalb County	DeKalb County	No	No	No	Yes	(678) 676-3102	648	40	16.2	95.5%	4 (0.6%)	28 (4.3%)	560 (86.4%)	52 (8.0%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	30.7	840^th of 1248 public elementary schools	32.7%		34.7	773^rd of 1242 public elementary schools	37.8%	67	30.2	20.8	32.1	34.4	30.2	41.7	20.2	$11,548	$849	$10,699
Dunwoody Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1923 Womack Rd	Dunwoody	30338	DeKalb County	DeKalb County	No	No	No	No	(678) 875-4002	774	56	13.9	21.3%	250 (32.3%)	155 (20.0%)	76 (9.8%)	241 (31.1%)	3 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	48 (6.2%)	95.2	63^rd of 1248 public elementary schools	95.0%		94.9	74^th of 1242 public elementary schools	94.0%	11	64.1	73.3	80.2	67.2	79.8	78.0	84.0	$10,414	$435	$9,979
Kingsley Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2051 Brendon Dr	Dunwoody	30338	DeKalb County	DeKalb County	No	No	No	Yes	(678) 874-8902	364	29	12.4	65.1%	76 (20.9%)	32 (8.8%)	218 (59.9%)	22 (6.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (4.4%)	36	758^th of 1248 public elementary schools	39.3%		43.3	637^th of 1242 public elementary schools	48.7%	121	36.0	31.7	30.8	44.9	30.0	25.5	30.8	$14,861	$734	$14,127
Cary Reynolds Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1663 East Nancy Creek Drive	Atlanta	30319	DeKalb County	DeKalb County	No	No	No	Yes	(678) 676-6802	256	26	9.7	93.8%	3 (1.2%)	7 (2.7%)	224 (87.5%)	19 (7.4%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.8%)	20.6	1002^nd of 1248 public elementary schools	19.7%		14.9	1090^th of 1242 public elementary schools	12.2%	88	31.6	20.9	27.1	29.7	30.2	14.6	10.6	$11,862	$760	$11,102
Vanderlyn Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1877 Vanderlyn Dr	Dunwoody	30338	DeKalb County	DeKalb County	No	No	No	No	(678) 874-9002	444	32	13.7	8.1%	220 (49.5%)	33 (7.4%)	42 (9.5%)	127 (28.6%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (4.7%)	97.4	33^rd of 1248 public elementary schools	97.4%		97.2	38^th of 1242 public elementary schools	96.9%	5	77.2	72.4	85.2	78.5	82.8	79.6	77.8	$11,336	$540	$10,796
Montgomery Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3995 Ashford Dunwoody Rd NE	Brookhaven	30319	DeKalb County	DeKalb County	No	No	No	No	(678) 676-7502	697	43	16.3	16.2%	371 (53.2%)	100 (14.3%)	77 (11.0%)	70 (10.0%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	78 (11.2%)	94.6	72^nd of 1248 public elementary schools	94.2%		93.9	86^th of 1242 public elementary schools	93.1%	14	68.1	64.3	83.5	70.7	73.8	72.2	81.0	$9,859	$835	$9,024

Frequently Asked Questions about Hightower Elementary School

What is the racial makeup of Hightower Elementary School?

Students at Hightower Elementary School are 91% Hispanic, 4% Asian, 3% African American.

What district is Hightower Elementary School in?

DeKalb County

Is Hightower Elementary School a good school?

Hightower Elementary School ranks in the bottom 4.6% of Georgia elementary schools.

What schools do graduates of Hightower Elementary School attend?

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

Middle : Peachtree Middle School
High : Dunwoody High School

How many students attend Hightower Elementary School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 619 students attended Hightower Elementary School.

Rate Hightower Elementary 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.