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:
1211th of 1,248 Georgia Elementary Schools


Students who attend Panola Way Elementary School usually attend:

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

Student/teacher ratio:  17.3 Help
Number of students:  653

Racial breakdown:

African American:
89.3%
Hispanic:
6.7%
Two or more races:
2.9%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  100% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Panola Way Elementary School ranks worse than 97% of elementary schools in Georgia. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 8.74. (See more...)
Finance
Schooldigger Rankings:

Panola Way 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 Panola Way Elementary School

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

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

Panola Way 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 Panola Way 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 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

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

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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

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

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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

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

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal 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 1145th of 1234 Elementary schoolsRanks 1172nd 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)19.715.8
 3.9%
   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 (Panola Way Elementary School)27.214.9
 12.3%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (DeKalb County)40.133.8
 6.3%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Georgia)5245.6
 6.4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Panola Way Elementary School)8.814.1
 5.3%
   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 (Panola Way Elementary School)6.615.2
 8.6%
   4th Grade Mathematics (DeKalb County)35.533.9
 1.6%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Georgia)4945.7
 3.3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Panola Way Elementary School)23.518.3
 5.2%
   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 (Panola Way Elementary School)7.21.9
 5.3%
   5th Grade Mathematics (DeKalb County)30.525.3
 5.2%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Georgia)4137.4
 3.6%
5th Grade Science (Panola Way Elementary School)11.67.7
 3.9%
   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 Students850653
 23.2%
African American776583
 24.9%
American Indian34
 33.3%
Asian11
Hispanic4644
 4.3%
Pacific Islander01
White41
 75%
Two or More Races2019
 5%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients100%100%


Schools Near Panola Way Elementary School









Frequently Asked Questions about Panola Way Elementary School

In the 2022-23 school year, 653 students attended Panola Way Elementary School.

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

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

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

Students at Panola Way Elementary School are 89% African American, 7% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races.


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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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