McLendon Elementary School

Q: Is McLendon Elementary School a good school?

McLendon Elementary School ranks 862 nd of 1248 Georgia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Summary:

McLendon Elementary School is a public elementary school in Decatur, Georgia, serving grades PK-5 with a total enrollment of 309 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.

Despite having a relatively low student-teacher ratio and higher per-student spending compared to nearby schools like International Community School and DeKalb Elementary School of the Arts, McLendon Elementary consistently underperforms on the Milestones Assessment for English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, only 22.6% of 3rd graders, 35.6% of 4th graders, and 32.1% of 5th graders were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 31.6%, 30.5%, and 40.8% for DeKalb County, respectively. Additionally, the school has an extremely high percentage of students (100%) receiving free or reduced-price lunch, suggesting a high concentration of students from low-income families.

Despite the school's challenges, the nearby schools generally outperform McLendon Elementary in test scores and overall school rankings, indicating that factors beyond just funding and staffing may be contributing to the differences in academic outcomes. Further investigation into the school's instructional practices, curriculum, and support systems may be necessary to identify the root causes of the underperformance and develop targeted interventions to address the needs of the students.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

3169 Hollywood Dr
Decatur, GA 30033

(678) 676-5902

District: DeKalb County

SchoolDigger Rank:
862^nd of 1,248 Georgia Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $14,739

Students who attend McLendon Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Druid Hills Middle School
High:	Druid Hills High School

Student/teacher ratio: 11.2

Number of students: 317

Racial breakdown:

African American:

61.8%

Hispanic:

15.8%

Asian:

9.5%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 96.8%

See top rated Georgia elementary schools

Compare McLendon Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details McLendon Elementary School ranks worse than 69.1% of elementary schools in Georgia. It also ranks 38^th among 79 ranked elementary schools in the DeKalb County School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 29.54. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: African American (61.8%), Hispanic (15.8%), Asian (9.5%). (See more...)

Compare Details 96.8% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at McLendon Elementary School is 11.2, which is the 10^th best among 79 elementary schools in the DeKalb County School District. (See more...)

Compare McLendon Elementary School employs 28.3 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at McLendon Elementary School is $14,739, which is the 13^th highest among 79 elementary schools in the DeKalb County School District.

Schooldigger Rankings:

McLendon 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.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for McLendon Elementary School.

What do you think?

Your rating for McLendon Elementary School?

(Ranking FAQ)

Rank History for McLendon Elementary School

Compare

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	GA State Percentile
2006	3.69	1086^th	1101	1.4%
2007	5.20	1098^th	1125	2.4%
2008	4.23	1113^th	1134	1.9%
2009	5.55	1109^th	1133	2.1%
2010	4.05	1158^th	1183	2.1%
2011	3.21	1193^rd	1212	1.6%
2012	4.08	1171^st	1201	2.5%
2013	5.96	1173^rd	1225	4.2%
2014	20.80	1053^rd	1231	14.5%
2015	37.24	774^th	1240	37.6%
2016	24.73	917^th	1233	25.6%
2017	19.97	978^th	1205	18.8%
2018	31.72	825^th	1209	31.8%
2019	41.15	711^th	1234	42.4%
2021	22.47	917^th	1214	24.5%
2022	30.13	843^rd	1244	32.2%
2023	37.83	728^th	1242	41.4%
2024	29.54	862^nd	1248	30.9%

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 citizen
Wednesday, January 24, 2018

This is a great school with students from 24 countries speaking multiple languages. The faculty is caring and the students respect each other. The reason the scoring is so low is because of the way the state calculates testing. We have many students that are new immigrants to this country. Everyone has to take the math tests because math is a universal language. Not true, when almost all questions are two stage word problems. You have to be proficient in English to understand the questions. Close Quote

Enrollment information for McLendon Elementary School

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	682	682
1991	0	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	683	683
1992	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	583	583
1993	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	827	827
1994	191	540	72	20	2	n/a	n/a	0	825
1995	120	585	47	28	1	n/a	n/a	0	781
1996	120	585	47	28	1	n/a	n/a	0	781
1997	101	509	44	27	2	n/a	n/a	0	683
1998	82	531	40	32	1	n/a	n/a	0	686
1999	68	491	37	31	0	n/a	n/a	0	627
2000	90	491	40	28	1	n/a	n/a	0	650
2001	116	436	57	27	3	n/a	n/a	0	639
2002	69	390	49	30	2	n/a	n/a	0	540
2003	69	390	49	30	2	n/a	n/a	0	540
2004	48	410	40	31	2	n/a	n/a	0	531
2005	33	382	33	41	3	n/a	n/a	15	507
2006	41	352	36	37	1	n/a	n/a	15	482
2007	48	371	35	55	3	n/a	n/a	16	528
2008	52	407	44	59	1	n/a	n/a	19	582
2009	30	401	72	45	1	n/a	n/a	27	576
2010	49	361	75	50	2	1	12	0	550
2011	49	340	111	41	1	2	13	0	557
2012	37	308	111	45	2	4	8	0	515
2013	33	285	110	46	3	4	8	0	489
2014	31	255	97	38	2	4	9	0	436
2015	50	176	97	52	4	1	13	0	393
2016	52	187	124	59	2	2	12	0	438
2017	50	193	128	70	1	0	14	0	456
2018	41	175	116	75	2	0	12	0	421
2019	44	214	107	77	6	1	14	0	463
2020	31	198	80	72	2	1	11	0	395
2021	20	177	60	53	1	1	14	0	326
2022	21	189	35	53	1	1	24	0	324
2023	20	184	28	50	1	0	26	0	309
2024	17	196	30	50	3	0	21	0	317

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 McLendon Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	682	40.0	17.0	32.7
1991	683	42.0	16.2	37.6
1992	583	41.0	14.2	58.7
1993	827	43.0	19.2	56.2
1994	825	48.1	17.2	53.2
1995	781	41.0	19.0	60.3
1996	781	41.0	19.0	60.3
1997	683	37.4	18.3	85.4
1998	686	39.7	17.3	83.4
1999	627	37.6	16.7	76.7
2000	650	37.0	17.6	81.4
2001	639	38.0	16.8	84.7
2002	540	41.3	13.1	84.6
2003	540	41.3	13.1	84.6
2004	531	36.3	14.6	88.3
2005	507	38.5	13.2	89.2
2006	482	34.2	14.1	99.8
2007	528	36.8	14.3	93.9
2008	582	40.0	14.6	94
2009	576	40.0	14.4	92.7
2010	550	36.0	15.2	89.3
2011	557	37.0	15.0	88.7
2012	515	36.5	14.1	89.9
2013	489	36.3	13.4	89.8
2014	436	37.0	11.7	90.8
2015	393	32.0	12.2	89.6
2016	438	34.0	12.8	84.9
2017	456	36.0	12.6	89.3
2018	421	39.0	10.7	87.2
2019	463	37.3	12.4	100
2020	395	38.3	10.3	99
2021	326	37.3	8.7	99.1
2022	324	33.3	9.7	n/a
2023	309	25.3	12.2	100
2024	317	28.3	11.2	96.8

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 McLendon Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	682	40.0	17.0	32.7
1991	683	42.0	16.2	37.6
1992	583	41.0	14.2	58.7
1993	827	43.0	19.2	56.2
1994	825	48.1	17.2	53.2
1995	781	41.0	19.0	60.3
1996	781	41.0	19.0	60.3
1997	683	37.4	18.3	85.4
1998	686	39.7	17.3	83.4
1999	627	37.6	16.7	76.7
2000	650	37.0	17.6	81.4
2001	639	38.0	16.8	84.7
2002	540	41.3	13.1	84.6
2003	540	41.3	13.1	84.6
2004	531	36.3	14.6	88.3
2005	507	38.5	13.2	89.2
2006	482	34.2	14.1	99.8
2007	528	36.8	14.3	93.9
2008	582	40.0	14.6	94
2009	576	40.0	14.4	92.7
2010	550	36.0	15.2	89.3
2011	557	37.0	15.0	88.7
2012	515	36.5	14.1	89.9
2013	489	36.3	13.4	89.8
2014	436	37.0	11.7	90.8
2015	393	32.0	12.2	89.6
2016	438	34.0	12.8	84.9
2017	456	36.0	12.6	89.3
2018	421	39.0	10.7	87.2
2019	463	37.3	12.4	100
2020	395	38.3	10.3	99
2021	326	37.3	8.7	99.1
2022	324	33.3	9.7	n/a
2023	309	25.3	12.2	100
2024	317	28.3	11.2	96.8

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 McLendon Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2017	$682 (5.5%)	$11,710 (94.5%)	$12,392
2018	$642 (4.6%)	$13,254 (95.4%)	$13,896
2019	$776 (5.3%)	$13,963 (94.7%)	$14,739

Data source: Georgia Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on McLendon 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 711^th of 1234 Elementary schools	Ranks 728^th of 1242 Elementary schools	1%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (McLendon Elementary School)	33.9	38.3	4.4%
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 (McLendon Elementary School)	54.8	38.3	16.5%
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 (McLendon Elementary School)	41.5	27.5	14%
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 (McLendon Elementary School)	46.2	31.4	14.8%
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 (McLendon Elementary School)	34.8	33.3	1.5%
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 (McLendon Elementary School)	25.8	21.6	4.2%
5th Grade Mathematics (DeKalb County)	30.5	25.3	5.2%
5th Grade Mathematics (Georgia)	41	37.4	3.6%
5th Grade Science (McLendon Elementary School)	31.8	31.4	0.4%
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	463	309	33.3%
African American	214	184	14%
American Indian	6	1	83.3%
Asian	107	28	73.8%
Hispanic	77	50	35.1%
Pacific Islander	1	0	100%
White	44	20	54.5%
Two or More Races	14	26	85.7%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	100%	100%

Schools Near McLendon 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
McLendon Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3169 Hollywood Dr	Decatur	30033	DeKalb County	DeKalb County	No	No	No	Yes	(678) 676-5902	317	28	11.2	96.8%	17 (5.4%)	196 (61.8%)	50 (15.8%)	30 (9.5%)	3 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (6.6%)	29.5	862^nd of 1248 public elementary schools	30.9%		37.8	728^th of 1242 public elementary schools	41.4%	134		22.6	35.6	32.1				12.9	50.0	19.6				23.2			$14,739	$776	$13,963
Laurel Ridge Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1215 Balsam Dr	Decatur	30033	DeKalb County	DeKalb County	No	No	No	No	(678) 874-6902	440	37	11.8	43.9%	174 (39.5%)	99 (22.5%)	86 (19.5%)	40 (9.1%)	3 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	37 (8.4%)	73	306^th of 1248 public elementary schools	75.5%		75.4	278^th of 1242 public elementary schools	77.6%	28		62.3	35.3	60.0				57.4	41.2	60.0				64.6			$12,895	$1,125	$11,770
Robert Shaw Theme School	Public	PK, KG-5	385 Glendale Rd	Scottdale	30079	DeKalb County	DeKalb County	No	No	No	Yes	(678) 676-6002	314	28	11.3	86.0%	5 (1.6%)	291 (92.7%)	10 (3.2%)	6 (1.9%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	92	110^th of 1248 public elementary schools	91.2%		73.9	291^st of 1242 public elementary schools	76.6%	181		79.6	69.2	69.0				75.5	67.3	66.7				61.9			$12,453	$801	$11,652
Indian Creek Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	724 N Indian Creek Dr	Clarkston	30021	DeKalb County	DeKalb County	No	No	No	Yes	(678) 676-5702	871	64	13.6	100.0%	82 (9.4%)	304 (34.9%)	59 (6.8%)	405 (46.5%)	3 (0.3%)	2 (0.2%)	16 (1.8%)	13.1	1137^th of 1248 public elementary schools	8.9%		25.6	903^rd of 1242 public elementary schools	27.3%	234		12.7	12.9	21.4				19.1	21.4	23.0				15.9			$11,606	$897	$10,709
International Community School	Public, Charter	K-5	2418 Wood Trail Ln	Decatur	30033	DeKalb County	DeKalb County	Yes	No	No	Yes	(404) 499-8969	473	31	15.2	70.6%	84 (17.8%)	180 (38.1%)	25 (5.3%)	159 (33.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	24 (5.1%)	51.5	549^th of 1248 public elementary schools	56.0%		50.4	546^th of 1242 public elementary schools	56.0%	3		52.9	28.8	38.8				50.0	34.8	43.3				38.8			$3,776	$691	$3,085
DeKalb Elementary School of the Arts	Public	K-8	3131 Old Rockbridge Rd	Avondale Estates	30002	DeKalb County	DeKalb County	No	No	No	Yes	(678) 874-1302	591	40	14.8	64.6%	43 (7.3%)	499 (84.4%)	20 (3.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (4.7%)	70	345^th of 1248 public elementary schools	72.4%		69.2	345^th of 1242 public elementary schools	72.2%		75.0	66.7	67.2	74.3	67.4	61.9	84.7	45.8	50.9	24.3	28.3	38.1	70.6	50.0	83.5	53.6	$10,804	$627	$10,178
Avondale Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	8 Lakeshore Dr	Avondale Estates	30002	DeKalb County	DeKalb County	No	No	No	Yes	(678) 676-5202	456	33	13.7	97.8%	71 (15.6%)	298 (65.4%)	38 (8.3%)	30 (6.6%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (3.9%)	30.4	847^th of 1248 public elementary schools	32.1%		20.3	1001^st of 1242 public elementary schools	19.4%	154		31.0	31.6	29.0				40.8	31.6	21.3				16.1			$15,027	$946	$14,080
Jolly Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1070 Otello Ave	Clarkston	30021	DeKalb County	DeKalb County	No	No	No	Yes	(678) 676-5802	808	50	16.3	100.0%	89 (11.0%)	338 (41.8%)	56 (6.9%)	316 (39.1%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (0.9%)	11.9	1159^th of 1248 public elementary schools	7.1%		11	1159^th of 1242 public elementary schools	6.7%			14.5	12.3	23.2				16.3	17.9	16.9				16.3			$12,321	$809	$11,512
Museum School Avondale Estates	Public, Charter	K-8	3191 Covington Hwy	Avondale Estates	30002	DeKalb County	DeKalb County	Yes	No	No	No	(404) 292-9760	587	47	12.4	37.0%	284 (48.4%)	194 (33.0%)	45 (7.7%)	24 (4.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	39 (6.6%)	76.3	275^th of 1248 public elementary schools	78.0%		72.3	314^th of 1242 public elementary schools	74.7%	39	52.6	61.7	49.3	53.8	62.0	62.5	58.6	61.7	61.2	49.2	32.4	47.2	52.9	55.4	56.5	34.3	$11,819	$300	$11,819
Coralwood Education Center	Public	PK-K	2477 Coralwood Dr	Decatur	30033	DeKalb County	DeKalb County	No	No	No	No	(678) 874-6002	216	27	7.9	47.2%	76 (35.2%)	63 (29.2%)	32 (14.8%)	24 (11.1%)	2 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (8.8%)								(n/a)																	$36,316	$5,842	$30,474

Frequently Asked Questions about McLendon Elementary School

How many students attend McLendon Elementary School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 317 students attended McLendon Elementary School.

What district is McLendon Elementary School in?

DeKalb County

Is McLendon Elementary School a good school?

McLendon Elementary School ranks 862^nd of 1248 Georgia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of McLendon Elementary School?

Students at McLendon Elementary School are 62% African American, 16% Hispanic, 9% Asian, 7% Two or more races, 5% White.

What schools do graduates of McLendon Elementary School attend?

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

Middle : Druid Hills Middle School
High : Druid Hills High School

Rate McLendon Elementary School!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

GAGeorgia Elementary School Rankings

GAGeorgia District Rankings

Schools in Decatur, GA

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for McLendon Elementary School!

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.