Stephenson High School

Q: Is Stephenson High School a good school?

Stephenson High School ranks 308 th of 458 Georgia high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Stephenson High School is a public high school located in Stone Mountain, Georgia, serving 1,354 students in grades 9-12. 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.

Stephenson High School consistently underperforms compared to the DeKalb County and Georgia state averages on the Milestones Assessments, with proficiency rates ranging from 19.4% in Algebra I to 39.7% in United States History, while the state averages were 44% and 38.7%, respectively. The school's four-year graduation rate has fluctuated, ranging from a low of 74.4% in 2021-2022 to a high of 86.9% in 2017-2018, generally lower than the state average. Additionally, Stephenson High School has a high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 60.39% to 64.18% in recent years, indicating a relatively high level of economic disadvantage among the student population.

When comparing Stephenson High School to nearby schools, such as Dekalb Early College Academy, a high-performing school in the same district, it becomes evident that Stephenson is generally underperforming academically. Dekalb Early College Academy consistently outperforms Stephenson on the Milestones Assessments, with proficiency rates ranging from 72.3% to 87.3% in recent years. This stark contrast in performance suggests that factors beyond just the school district may be contributing to the differences in student outcomes, and raises concerns about equity and access to quality education for economically disadvantaged students in the area.

Detail:

Public 9-12

701 Stephenson Rd
Stone Mountain, GA 30087

(678) 676-4202

District: DeKalb County

SchoolDigger Rank:
308^th of 458 Georgia High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $11,133

Feeder schools for Stephenson High School:

Elementary:	Pine Ridge Elementary School
Middle:	Stephenson Middle School

Student/teacher ratio: 16.3

Number of students: 1,354

Racial breakdown:

African American:

88.4%

Hispanic:

7.2%

Two or more races:

2.0%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 64.2%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Stephenson High School ranks worse than 67.2% of high schools in Georgia. It also ranks 11^th among 23 ranked high schools in the DeKalb County School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 28.28. (See more...)

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

Student Body

Compare Details Stephenson 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 Stephenson High School is $11,133. 15 high schools in the DeKalb County School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger Rankings:

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

SchoolDigger ranks Stephenson High School 308^th of 458 Georgia public high schools. (See Stephenson High School in the ranking list.)

DeKalb County:

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

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Stephenson High School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	GA State Percentile
2006	39.67	231^st	335	31.0%
2007	42.42	227^th	358	36.6%
2008	37.91	260^th	370	29.7%
2009	54.32	182^nd	372	51.1%
2010	46.66	217^th	384	43.5%
2011	48.57	234^th	402	41.8%
2012	44.04	240^th	396	39.4%
2013	50.28	213^th	425	49.9%
2014	38.51	278^th	425	34.6%
2015	27.51	313^th	435	28.0%
2016	31.12	273^rd	426	35.9%
2017	26.95	295^th	420	29.8%
2018	22.51	334^th	428	22.0%
2019	25.33	319^th	438	27.2%
2021	25.83	300^th	410	26.8%
2022	23.64	310^th	429	27.7%
2023	28.96	289^th	442	34.6%
2024	28.28	308^th	458	32.8%

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

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 2.3)

33%

67%

Reviews:

by a parent
Monday, August 7, 2017

Such a sad thing what these people have Not Done to properly educate our students! I bear witness to the fact that the rankings are indeed correct! The staff's communication skills need work. The counselors dropped the ball numerous times in helping our children towards success. That school should be closed down! 😒 Close Quote

by a teacher
Wednesday, August 6, 2014

Staff morale is very low ..Discipline is out of control ..Students has no respect for principal..Principal only concern seems to be issues dont go to county office ..But truth will come to light
I dont fault this man ..He never asked to be here ..He is clearly out of his league when they appointed him ..
They ousted an outstanding principal before him , for sheer political reasons ..now nobody's benefiting from the this but the egomaniacs at the Dekalb County Office Close Quote

Enrollment information for Stephenson High School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1997	119	1227	19	16	1	n/a	n/a	0	1382
1998	88	1619	17	14	2	n/a	n/a	0	1740
1999	58	1758	12	8	4	n/a	n/a	0	1840
2000	38	1933	14	12	2	n/a	n/a	0	1999
2001	30	1884	11	12	1	n/a	n/a	0	1938
2002	22	2202	6	18	0	n/a	n/a	0	2248
2003	22	2202	6	18	0	n/a	n/a	0	2248
2004	22	2210	4	17	1	n/a	n/a	0	2254
2005	13	2273	5	17	1	n/a	n/a	50	2359
2006	9	2229	5	13	0	n/a	n/a	57	2313
2007	14	1987	3	13	0	n/a	n/a	42	2059
2008	10	1997	5	11	0	n/a	n/a	39	2062
2009	9	1790	6	12	1	n/a	n/a	38	1856
2010	5	1699	8	30	2	2	37	0	1783
2011	8	1585	9	27	5	2	26	0	1662
2012	11	1408	8	29	8	2	25	0	1491
2013	6	1484	6	20	7	1	26	0	1550
2014	6	1491	4	34	3	0	22	0	1560
2015	10	1521	5	33	4	1	25	0	1599
2016	6	1541	4	43	3	1	18	0	1616
2017	9	1531	2	38	2	0	19	0	1601
2018	9	1488	4	56	3	2	14	0	1576
2019	13	1345	3	61	2	2	17	0	1443
2020	7	1293	5	59	2	3	13	0	1382
2021	12	1224	7	70	1	4	10	0	1328
2022	12	1239	9	76	1	2	17	0	1356
2023	14	1197	14	98	2	2	27	0	1354

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 Stephenson High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1997	1382	70.3	19.7	23.5
1998	1740	88.0	19.8	19.2
1999	1840	97.4	18.9	24.8
2000	1999	98.0	20.4	24.7
2001	1938	94.4	20.5	26.9
2002	2248	120.1	18.7	28
2003	2248	120.1	18.7	28
2004	2254	119.7	18.8	31.9
2005	2359	122.6	19.2	39.8
2006	2313	116.8	19.8	44.4
2007	2059	115.4	17.8	47.5
2008	2062	114.4	18.0	51.8
2009	1856	110.7	16.8	56.1
2010	1783	102.7	17.3	61.3
2011	1662	98.0	16.9	63.9
2012	1491	96.0	15.5	65.2
2013	1550	83.0	18.6	62.7
2014	1560	85.5	18.2	66.5
2015	1599	85.0	18.8	67.4
2016	1616	88.0	18.3	65.2
2017	1601	91.7	17.4	60.8
2018	1576	90.0	17.5	63.1
2019	1443	84.0	17.1	67.2
2020	1382	81.7	16.9	69
2021	1328	86.0	15.4	60.4
2022	1356	78.0	17.3	n/a
2023	1354	83.0	16.3	64.2

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 Stephenson High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1997	1382	70.3	19.7	23.5
1998	1740	88.0	19.8	19.2
1999	1840	97.4	18.9	24.8
2000	1999	98.0	20.4	24.7
2001	1938	94.4	20.5	26.9
2002	2248	120.1	18.7	28
2003	2248	120.1	18.7	28
2004	2254	119.7	18.8	31.9
2005	2359	122.6	19.2	39.8
2006	2313	116.8	19.8	44.4
2007	2059	115.4	17.8	47.5
2008	2062	114.4	18.0	51.8
2009	1856	110.7	16.8	56.1
2010	1783	102.7	17.3	61.3
2011	1662	98.0	16.9	63.9
2012	1491	96.0	15.5	65.2
2013	1550	83.0	18.6	62.7
2014	1560	85.5	18.2	66.5
2015	1599	85.0	18.8	67.4
2016	1616	88.0	18.3	65.2
2017	1601	91.7	17.4	60.8
2018	1576	90.0	17.5	63.1
2019	1443	84.0	17.1	67.2
2020	1382	81.7	16.9	69
2021	1328	86.0	15.4	60.4
2022	1356	78.0	17.3	n/a
2023	1354	83.0	16.3	64.2

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 Stephenson High School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2017	$636 (7.1%)	$8,361 (92.9%)	$8,997
2018	$620 (6.6%)	$8,790 (93.4%)	$9,410
2019	$758 (6.8%)	$10,375 (93.2%)	$11,133

Data source: Georgia Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Stephenson 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 319^th of 438 High schools	Ranks 289^th of 442 High schools	7.4%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
End of Course American Literature and Composition (Stephenson High School)	26.6	22.7	3.9%
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 (Stephenson High School)	18.7	15.1	3.6%
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 (Stephenson High School)	18.9	21	2.1%
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 (Stephenson High School)	44.9	35.8	9.1%
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	1443	1354	6.2%
African American	1345	1197	11%
American Indian	2	2
Asian	3	14	366.7%
Hispanic	61	98	60.7%
Pacific Islander	2	2
White	13	14	7.7%
Two or More Races	17	27	58.8%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	67.2%	64.2%	3%

Schools Near Stephenson 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)	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 Mathematics 6th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Stephenson High School	Public	9-12	701 Stephenson Rd	Stone Mountain	30087	DeKalb County	DeKalb County	No	No	No	Yes	(678) 676-4202	1,354	83	16.3	64.2%	14 (1.0%)	1,197 (88.4%)	98 (7.2%)	14 (1.0%)	2 (0.1%)	2 (0.1%)	27 (2.0%)	28.3	308^th of 458 public high schools	32.8%		29	289^th of 442 public high schools	34.6%	19	23.8	19.4	25.1	39.7			$11,133	$758	$10,375
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
Lithonia High School	Public	9-12	2440 Phillips Rd	Lithonia	30058	DeKalb County	DeKalb County	No	No	No	Yes	(678) 676-2902	1,483	83	17.8	100.0%	6 (0.4%)	1,361 (91.8%)	79 (5.3%)	4 (0.3%)	9 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (1.6%)	23.2	336^th of 458 public high schools	26.6%		22.9	325^th of 442 public high schools	26.5%	11	22.0	7.0	22.2	37.2			$11,301	$737	$10,564
Shiloh High School	Public	9-12	4210 Shiloh Rd	Snellville	30039	Gwinnett County	Gwinnett County	No	No	No	Yes	(770) 972-8471	2,203	134	16.4	64.7%	73 (3.3%)	1,476 (67.0%)	512 (23.2%)	78 (3.5%)	2 (0.1%)	1 (0.0%)	61 (2.8%)	26.6	318^th of 458 public high schools	30.6%		27.2	300^th of 442 public high schools	32.1%	18	27.5	32.7	26.7	20.8			$8,743	$644	$8,099
Miller Grove High School	Public	9-12	2645 Dekalb Medical Pkwy	Lithonia	30058	DeKalb County	DeKalb County	No	No	No	Yes	(678) 875-1102	1,188	74	16.0	100.0%	3 (0.3%)	1,105 (93.0%)	50 (4.2%)	3 (0.3%)	6 (0.5%)	1 (0.1%)	20 (1.7%)	20.1	360^th of 458 public high schools	21.4%		22	330^th of 442 public high schools	25.3%	30	27.9	14.6	18.4	24.0			$11,240	$648	$10,592
Stone Mountain High School	Public	9-12	4555 Central Dr	Stone Mountain	30083	DeKalb County	DeKalb County	No	No	No	Yes	(678) 676-6302	1,202	65	18.4	100.0%	25 (2.1%)	887 (73.8%)	150 (12.5%)	113 (9.4%)	2 (0.2%)	2 (0.2%)	23 (1.9%)	14.5	399^th of 458 public high schools	12.9%		18.6	354^th of 442 public high schools	19.9%	45	20.6	19.3	13.2	14.7			$11,312	$718	$10,595
Dekalb Early College Academy	Public	9-12	1701 Mountain Industrial Blvd	Stone Mountain	30083	DeKalb County	DeKalb County	No	No	No	Yes	(678) 676-0221	295	18	16.8	64.4%	5 (1.7%)	216 (73.2%)	39 (13.2%)	30 (10.2%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.7%)	3 (1.0%)	93.6	10^th of 458 public high schools	97.8%		97.4	2^nd of 442 public high schools	99.5%	8	79.5	77.2	81.7	85.7			$12,774	$575	$12,199
Elizabeth Andrews High School	Public	10-12	1701 Mountain Industrial Blvd	Stone Mountain	30083	DeKalb County	DeKalb County	No	No	No	Yes	(678) 676-2602	267	46	5.8	61.0%	5 (1.9%)	188 (70.4%)	59 (22.1%)	10 (3.7%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.5%)	8.6	427^th of 458 public high schools	6.8%		20.8	342^nd of 442 public high schools	22.6%	85	7.4	0.0	10.0	14.5			$19,455	$545	$18,909
Parkview High School	Public	9-12	998 Cole Rd SW	Lilburn	30047	Gwinnett County	Gwinnett County	No	No	No	No	(770) 921-2874	3,262	174	18.7	44.8%	662 (20.3%)	890 (27.3%)	881 (27.0%)	696 (21.3%)	6 (0.2%)	2 (0.1%)	125 (3.8%)	68.3	92^nd of 458 public high schools	79.9%		64.8	100^th of 442 public high schools	77.4%	8	52.2	60.1	54.1	39.6			$8,514	$316	$8,198
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

Frequently Asked Questions about Stephenson High School

What is the racial makeup of Stephenson High School?

Students at Stephenson High School are 88% African American, 7% Hispanic, 2% Two or more races, 1% White, 1% Asian.

What schools feed into Stephenson High School?

Stephenson High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Pine Ridge Elementary School
Middle : Stephenson Middle School

What district is Stephenson High School in?

DeKalb County

How many students attend Stephenson High School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 1,354 students attended Stephenson High School.

Is Stephenson High School a good school?

Stephenson High School ranks 308^th of 458 Georgia high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Rate Stephenson 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.