Panola Way Elementary School

Summary:

Panola Way Elementary School is a public elementary school located in Lithonia, Georgia, serving grades PK-5 with a total enrollment of 653 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.

Panola Way Elementary School consistently performs significantly below the DeKalb County and Georgia state averages in standardized test scores across all grade levels and subject areas. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, only 12.6% of 3rd graders, 12% of 4th graders, and 19.5% of 5th graders were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 31.6%, 30.5%, and 40.8% for DeKalb County, respectively. The school's performance in mathematics is even more concerning, with only 8.4% of 3rd graders, 10% of 4th graders, and 12.5% of 5th graders scoring proficient or better, compared to 32.1%, 34.3%, and 30.5% for the county. Panola Way Elementary School has consistently ranked in the bottom 10% of Georgia elementary schools, with a ranking of 1211 out of 1248 schools in the 2023-2024 school year, and has received a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger for the majority of the years analyzed, indicating it is one of the lowest-performing schools in the state.

When comparing Panola Way Elementary School to other nearby schools in the DeKalb County district, it becomes clear that the school is an outlier in terms of academic performance. For example, Shadow Rock Elementary School, located just 2.78 miles away, outperforms Panola Way in both English Language Arts and Mathematics by a significant margin. Similarly, Leadership Preparatory Academy, a public charter school 2.8 miles away, demonstrates much stronger academic results across all grade levels and subject areas. The high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch at Panola Way Elementary School, 100% in the 2022-2023 school year, suggests that the school may be serving a population with significant socioeconomic challenges, which could be a contributing factor to the school's persistent low performance.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

2170 Panola Way Ct
Lithonia, GA 30058

(678) 676-9302

District: DeKalb County

SchoolDigger Rank:
1211^th of 1,248 Georgia Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $12,062

Students who attend Panola Way Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Miller Grove Middle School
High:	Miller Grove High School

Student/teacher ratio: 19.1

Number of students: 636

Racial breakdown:

African American:

87.1%

Hispanic:

9.1%

Two or more races:

2.4%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 100%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Panola Way Elementary School ranks worse than 97% of elementary schools in Georgia. It also ranks 78^th among 79 ranked elementary schools in the DeKalb County School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 8.74. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: African American (87.1%), Hispanic (9.1%), two or more races (2.4%). (See more...)

Compare Details 100% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Panola Way Elementary School is 19.1, which is the highest among 80 elementary schools in the DeKalb County School District! (See more...)

Compare Panola Way Elementary School employs 33.2 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Panola Way Elementary School is $12,062. 48 elementary schools in the DeKalb County School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Panola Way 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 Panola Way Elementary School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	GA State Percentile
2006	16.52	988^th	1101	10.3%
2007	7.90	1073^rd	1125	4.6%
2008	4.86	1108^th	1134	2.3%
2009	3.59	1116^th	1133	1.5%
2010	3.11	1162^nd	1183	1.8%
2011	2.61	1198^th	1212	1.2%
2012	5.26	1161^st	1201	3.3%
2013	1.16	1220^th	1225	0.4%
2014	3.12	1204^th	1231	2.2%
2015	9.25	1181^st	1240	4.8%
2016	7.53	1209^th	1233	1.9%
2017	8.03	1165^th	1205	3.3%
2018	8.60	1161^st	1209	4.0%
2019	10.01	1145^th	1234	7.2%
2021	12.49	1089^th	1214	10.3%
2022	9.67	1183^rd	1244	4.9%
2023	10.48	1172^nd	1242	5.6%
2024	8.74	1211^th	1248	3.0%

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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Enrollment information for Panola Way 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	991	991
1991	0	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	1100	1100
1992	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	888	888
1993	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	1067	1067
1994	94	995	11	16	3	n/a	n/a	0	1119
1995	31	1167	5	14	1	n/a	n/a	0	1218
1996	31	1167	5	14	1	n/a	n/a	0	1218
1997	30	849	1	11	1	n/a	n/a	0	892
1998	13	791	1	12	0	n/a	n/a	0	817
1999	15	880	2	13	1	n/a	n/a	0	911
2000	13	977	4	22	1	n/a	n/a	0	1017
2001	16	931	5	24	1	n/a	n/a	0	977
2002	11	951	1	9	1	n/a	n/a	0	973
2003	11	951	1	9	1	n/a	n/a	0	973
2004	11	966	0	27	0	n/a	n/a	0	1004
2005	3	894	1	26	0	n/a	n/a	14	938
2006	1	907	1	23	2	n/a	n/a	17	951
2007	1	858	1	17	2	n/a	n/a	12	891
2008	1	839	1	12	1	n/a	n/a	16	870
2009	1	840	3	14	0	n/a	n/a	9	867
2010	2	872	2	9	0	0	0	0	885
2011	1	786	1	19	0	0	0	0	807
2012	1	814	0	20	3	1	4	0	843
2013	0	775	0	25	2	0	15	0	817
2014	1	833	1	24	1	0	14	0	874
2015	1	827	6	18	0	0	11	0	863
2016	3	941	3	31	1	1	14	0	994
2017	3	856	2	42	3	0	27	0	933
2018	3	799	1	49	1	0	19	0	872
2019	4	776	1	46	3	0	20	0	850
2020	3	735	1	45	3	0	9	0	796
2021	1	633	1	31	3	0	8	0	677
2022	2	674	2	42	4	0	26	0	750
2023	1	583	1	44	4	1	19	0	653
2024	2	554	1	58	6	0	15	0	636

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 Panola Way Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	991	49.0	20.2	11.5
1991	1100	59.0	18.6	18.6
1992	888	57.0	15.5	31.8
1993	1067	55.0	19.4	34.2
1994	1119	63.1	17.7	36.9
1995	1218	65.0	18.7	47
1996	1218	65.0	18.7	47
1997	892	50.3	17.7	69.2
1998	817	48.0	17.0	68.5
1999	911	50.9	17.9	67.7
2000	1017	55.7	18.3	68.1
2001	977	57.2	17.1	72.1
2002	973	61.4	15.8	75.1
2003	973	61.4	15.8	75.1
2004	1004	59.7	16.8	80.2
2005	938	64.2	14.6	85.7
2006	951	59.3	16.0	87
2007	891	61.0	14.6	88.7
2008	870	54.5	16.0	90.9
2009	867	55.1	15.7	91.3
2010	885	53.1	16.6	89.6
2011	807	51.3	15.7	89.8
2012	843	52.5	16.0	94.2
2013	817	42.3	19.3	97.7
2014	874	49.5	17.6	95.1
2015	863	53.0	16.2	98.6
2016	994	58.0	17.1	97.4
2017	933	59.5	15.6	97.3
2018	872	58.5	14.9	97.2
2019	850	58.5	14.5	100
2020	796	51.4	15.4	99
2021	677	48.0	14.1	99.1
2022	750	46.4	16.1	n/a
2023	653	37.7	17.3	100
2024	636	33.2	19.1	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 Panola Way Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	991	49.0	20.2	11.5
1991	1100	59.0	18.6	18.6
1992	888	57.0	15.5	31.8
1993	1067	55.0	19.4	34.2
1994	1119	63.1	17.7	36.9
1995	1218	65.0	18.7	47
1996	1218	65.0	18.7	47
1997	892	50.3	17.7	69.2
1998	817	48.0	17.0	68.5
1999	911	50.9	17.9	67.7
2000	1017	55.7	18.3	68.1
2001	977	57.2	17.1	72.1
2002	973	61.4	15.8	75.1
2003	973	61.4	15.8	75.1
2004	1004	59.7	16.8	80.2
2005	938	64.2	14.6	85.7
2006	951	59.3	16.0	87
2007	891	61.0	14.6	88.7
2008	870	54.5	16.0	90.9
2009	867	55.1	15.7	91.3
2010	885	53.1	16.6	89.6
2011	807	51.3	15.7	89.8
2012	843	52.5	16.0	94.2
2013	817	42.3	19.3	97.7
2014	874	49.5	17.6	95.1
2015	863	53.0	16.2	98.6
2016	994	58.0	17.1	97.4
2017	933	59.5	15.6	97.3
2018	872	58.5	14.9	97.2
2019	850	58.5	14.5	100
2020	796	51.4	15.4	99
2021	677	48.0	14.1	99.1
2022	750	46.4	16.1	n/a
2023	653	37.7	17.3	100
2024	636	33.2	19.1	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 Panola Way Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2017	$679 (6.9%)	$9,226 (93.1%)	$9,906
2018	$765 (7.2%)	$9,902 (92.8%)	$10,667
2019	$736 (6.1%)	$11,326 (93.9%)	$12,062

Data source: Georgia Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Panola Way 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 1145^th of 1234 Elementary schools	Ranks 1172^nd of 1242 Elementary schools	1.6%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Panola Way Elementary School)	19.7	15.8	3.9%
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 (Panola Way Elementary School)	27.2	14.9	12.3%
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 (Panola Way Elementary School)	8.8	14.1	5.3%
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 (Panola Way Elementary School)	6.6	15.2	8.6%
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 (Panola Way Elementary School)	23.5	18.3	5.2%
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 (Panola Way Elementary School)	7.2	1.9	5.3%
5th Grade Mathematics (DeKalb County)	30.5	25.3	5.2%
5th Grade Mathematics (Georgia)	41	37.4	3.6%
5th Grade Science (Panola Way Elementary School)	11.6	7.7	3.9%
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	850	653	23.2%
African American	776	583	24.9%
American Indian	3	4	33.3%
Asian	1	1
Hispanic	46	44	4.3%
Pacific Islander	0	1
White	4	1	75%
Two or More Races	20	19	5%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	100%	100%

Schools Near Panola Way 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)		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 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
Panola Way Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2170 Panola Way Ct	Lithonia	30058	DeKalb County	DeKalb County	No	No	No	Yes	(678) 676-9302	636	33	19.1	100.0%	2 (0.3%)	554 (87.1%)	58 (9.1%)	1 (0.2%)	6 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (2.4%)	8.7	1211^th of 1248 public elementary schools	3.0%		10.5	1172^nd of 1242 public elementary schools	5.6%	39	12.6	12.0	19.5				8.4	10.0	12.5				14.2			$12,062	$736	$11,326
Marbut Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	5776 Marbut Rd	Lithonia	30058	DeKalb County	DeKalb County	No	No	No	Yes	(678) 676-8802	427	30	14.2	93.0%	1 (0.2%)	396 (92.7%)	14 (3.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (3.7%)	26.3	908^th of 1248 public elementary schools	27.2%		34.7	771^st of 1242 public elementary schools	37.9%	137	39.1	30.9	33.9				15.9	20.0	21.0				19.4			$11,633	$835	$10,798
Woodridge Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4120 Cedar Ridge Trl	Stone Mountain	30083	DeKalb County	DeKalb County	No	No	No	Yes	(678) 874-0202	416	33	12.6	100.0%	2 (0.5%)	337 (81.0%)	50 (12.0%)	11 (2.6%)	8 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (1.9%)	13.2	1136^th of 1248 public elementary schools	9.0%		26.8	886^th of 1242 public elementary schools	28.7%	250	17.9	20.5	21.8				13.4	25.0	9.1				10.9			$12,609	$688	$11,920
Redan Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1914 Stone Mountain Lithonia	Lithonia	30058	DeKalb County	DeKalb County	No	No	No	Yes	(678) 676-3502	544	32	16.8	100.0%	7 (1.3%)	466 (85.7%)	46 (8.5%)	4 (0.7%)	5 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (2.9%)	13	1138^th of 1248 public elementary schools	8.8%		18.3	1039^th of 1242 public elementary schools	16.3%	99	15.7	13.0	31.6				8.5	15.2	12.7				22.8			$12,597	$745	$11,852
Fairington Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	5505 Philip Bradley Dr	Lithonia	30038	DeKalb County	DeKalb County	No	No	No	Yes	(678) 676-8702	481	32	15.0	100.0%	0 (0.0%)	434 (90.2%)	26 (5.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (4.2%)	12.8	1143^rd of 1248 public elementary schools	8.4%		8.1	1211^th of 1242 public elementary schools	2.5%	68	20.8	15.9	28.8				18.2	17.5	6.3				11.3			$11,358	$578	$10,780
Shadow Rock Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1040 King Way Dr	Lithonia	30058	DeKalb County	DeKalb County	No	No	No	Yes	(678) 676-3902	501	30	16.9	100.0%	4 (0.8%)	419 (83.6%)	51 (10.2%)	9 (1.8%)	4 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (2.8%)	16.2	1083^rd of 1248 public elementary schools	13.2%		17.1	1064^th of 1242 public elementary schools	14.3%	19	20.5	9.4	40.0				21.6	14.6	18.7				14.7			$11,995	$780	$11,214
Leadership Preparatory Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	6400 Woodrow Rd	Lithonia	30038	DeKalb County	DeKalb County	Yes	No	No	Yes	(404) 656-3103	297	17	18.0	80.1%	0 (0.0%)	285 (96.0%)	10 (3.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	43.6	645^th of 1248 public elementary schools	48.3%		58.3	468^th of 1242 public elementary schools	62.3%	177	35.5	31.1	51.7	62.5	50.0	40.7	48.4	6.7	14.8	37.5	30.8	29.6	22.2	25.9	25.9	$3,732	$635	$3,098
Edward L. Bouie- Senior Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	5100 Rock Springs Rd	Lithonia	30038	DeKalb County	DeKalb County	No	No	No	Yes	(678) 676-8202	600	34	17.6	75.2%	0 (0.0%)	562 (93.7%)	21 (3.5%)	1 (0.2%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (2.2%)	61.5	440^th of 1248 public elementary schools	64.7%		58.8	456^th of 1242 public elementary schools	63.3%	16	55.0	49.4	48.9				41.3	50.6	38.6				40.9			$12,276	$673	$11,604
Eldridge L. Miller Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	919 Martin Rd	Stone Mountain	30088	DeKalb County	DeKalb County	No	No	No	Yes	(678) 676-3302	450	33	13.8	100.0%	6 (1.3%)	368 (81.8%)	48 (10.7%)	12 (2.7%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (3.1%)	17.3	1056^th of 1248 public elementary schools	15.4%		17.1	1063^rd of 1242 public elementary schools	14.4%	7	21.6	11.6	25.0				25.0	24.6	19.1				22.1			$13,030	$913	$12,117
Canby Lane Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4150 Green Hawk Trl	Decatur	30035	DeKalb County	DeKalb County	No	No	No	Yes	(678) 874-0602	427	30	14.3	100.0%	1 (0.2%)	361 (84.5%)	40 (9.4%)	12 (2.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (3.0%)	23.9	947^th of 1248 public elementary schools	24.1%		27.2	883^rd of 1242 public elementary schools	28.9%	64	25.7	28.6	28.6				23.5	11.7	16.4				38.2			$13,200	$1,002	$12,197

Frequently Asked Questions about Panola Way Elementary School

How many students attend Panola Way Elementary School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 636 students attended Panola Way Elementary School.

What schools do graduates of Panola Way Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Panola Way Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Miller Grove Middle School
High : Miller Grove High School

Is Panola Way Elementary School a good school?

Panola Way Elementary School ranks in the bottom 3.0% of Georgia elementary schools.

What is the racial makeup of Panola Way Elementary School?

Students at Panola Way Elementary School are 87% African American, 9% Hispanic, 2% Two or more races.

What district is Panola Way Elementary School in?

DeKalb County

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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.