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:
1190th of 1,248 Georgia Elementary Schools


Students who attend Hightower Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:    Peachtree Middle School
High:    Dunwoody High School

Student/teacher ratio:  13.3 Help
Number of students:  619

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
88.2%
African American:
5.8%
Asian:
3.6%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  93.4% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Hightower Elementary School ranks worse than 95.4% of elementary schools in Georgia. (See more...)
Help
Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 9.86. (See more...)
Finance
Schooldigger Rankings:

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

DeKalb County:

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


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Rank History for Hightower Elementary School

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

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

Hightower Elementary School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    





Data source: Georgia Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Hightower Elementary School

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Compare
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

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

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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

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

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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

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

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal 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 1057th of 1234 Elementary schoolsRanks 1111th 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)15.217.6
 2.4%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (DeKalb County)33.531.7
 1.8%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Georgia)4238.6
 3.4%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Hightower Elementary School)34.718.6
 16.1%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (DeKalb County)40.133.8
 6.3%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Georgia)5245.6
 6.4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Hightower Elementary School)21.49.3
 12.1%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (DeKalb County)34.430.2
 4.2%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Georgia)4236.1
 5.9%
4th Grade Mathematics (Hightower Elementary School)28.116.8
 11.3%
   4th Grade Mathematics (DeKalb County)35.533.9
 1.6%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Georgia)4945.7
 3.3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Hightower Elementary School)14.516.9
 2.4%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (DeKalb County)37.433.9
 3.5%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Georgia)4541.6
 3.4%
5th Grade Mathematics (Hightower Elementary School)19.614.5
 5.1%
   5th Grade Mathematics (DeKalb County)30.525.3
 5.2%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Georgia)4137.4
 3.6%
5th Grade Science (Hightower Elementary School)22.518.8
 3.7%
   5th Grade Science (DeKalb County)33.927.9
 6%
   5th Grade Science (Georgia)4340
 3%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students752619
 17.7%
African American2936
 24.1%
American Indian14
 300%
Asian3022
 26.7%
Hispanic669546
 18.4%
Pacific Islander10
 100%
White205
 75%
Two or More Races26
 200%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients92.6%93.4%
 0.8%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Hightower Elementary School

Students at Hightower Elementary School are 88% Hispanic, 6% African American, 4% Asian.

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

In the 2022-23 school year, 619 students attended Hightower Elementary School.

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

Middle : Peachtree Middle School
High : Dunwoody 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.





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