Martin Luther King- Junior High School

Summary:

Martin Luther King- Junior High School is a public high school in Lithonia, Georgia, serving 1,440 students in grades 9-12 as part of the DeKalb County School District.

Despite being part of a district that includes some higher-performing schools, Martin Luther King- Junior High School has consistently ranked in the bottom quartile of Georgia high schools, maintaining a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger. The school's four-year graduation rate, ranging from 74.6% to 77.1% over the past 5 years, is significantly lower than the state average of around 83-84%. Proficiency rates on the Georgia Milestones assessments are also consistently well below state and county averages across all subject areas, with the school's highest proficiency rate being just 21.7% in US History, compared to the state average of 44.7%. Additionally, the school has a high student-teacher ratio, ranging from 15.8 to 19.4 over the past 3 years, and 100% of its students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating extremely high levels of poverty among the student population.

While nearby schools like Arabia Mountain High School and Southwest DeKalb High School perform significantly better than Martin Luther King- Junior High School on key metrics, the school's struggles have persisted despite increased per-student spending, from $8,589 in 2016-17 to $10,539 in 2018-19. Addressing the underlying factors contributing to this school's chronic underperformance will be crucial for improving educational opportunities for its students.


Detail:

Public 9-12

 3991 Snapfinger Rd
       Lithonia, GA  30038


(678) 874-5402

District: DeKalb County

SchoolDigger Rank:
403rd of 458 Georgia High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $10,539 Help


Feeder schools for Martin Luther King- Junior High School:

Elementary:    Browns Mill Elementary School
    Chapel Hill Elementary School
Middle:    Salem Middle School

Student/teacher ratio:  19.4 Help
Number of students:  1,440

Racial breakdown:

African American:
93.1%
Hispanic:
3.7%
Two or more races:
2.0%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  100% Help


 See top rated Georgia high schools

 Compare Martin Luther King- Junior High School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Martin Luther King- Junior High School ranks worse than 88% of high schools in Georgia. It also ranks 19th among 23 ranked high schools in the DeKalb County School District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 13.6. (See more...)
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The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Martin Luther King- Junior High School who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.
Student Body
Help
Compare Details Martin Luther King- Junior High School has the largest high school student body size in the DeKalb County School District.  (See more...)
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at Martin Luther King- Junior High School is $10,539. 20 high schools in the DeKalb County School District spend more per student.
Schooldigger Rankings:

Martin Luther King- Junior High School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.
SchoolDigger ranks Martin Luther King- Junior High School 403rd of 458 Georgia public high schools. (See Martin Luther King- Junior High School in the ranking list.)

DeKalb County:

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


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Your rating for Martin Luther King- Junior High School?

Rank History for Martin Luther King- Junior High School

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Compare
Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools GA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2006 27.81 276th 335 17.6%
2007 30.85 286th 358 20.1%
2008 28.00 302nd 370 18.4%
2009 34.18 283rd 372 23.9%
2010 29.80 310th 384 19.3%
2011 44.46 255th 402 36.6%
2012 35.70 281st 396 29.0%
2013 32.51 317th 425 25.4%
2014 27.69 346th 425 18.6%
2015 16.96 376th 435 13.6%
2016 19.09 348th 426 18.3%
2017 22.21 326th 420 22.4%
2018 21.22 339th 428 20.8%
2019 20.42 345th 438 21.2%
2021 20.45 327th 410 20.2%
2022 14.39 373rd 429 13.1%
2023 15.86 375th 442 15.2%
2024 13.60 403rd 458 12.0%
See the entire list of Georgia High School Rankings!

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

Martin Luther King- Junior High School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    



Data source: Georgia Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 3)
0%

0%

100%

0%

0%

  

Reviews:
by a parent
Sunday, July 31, 2011

Open Quote I hesitantly give MLK three stars. As a parent, I think that the teachers and administrators are there to "do a job" more so than focus on connecting with parents and students. Just a parent's intuition. The school is not that old so the facilities appear to be well maintained. I think some kids may really like the school if they get involved in extracurricular activities. I guesstimate there are 2100 kids enrolled. Perhaps, I simply long for the days of old when you didn't hear all the profanity that can be heard when kids are changing classes or when school is dismissed. And my son has had to deal with some minor cases of bullying, though I suppose that could happen at any school. What bothers me most is the time it takes to connect with teachers. I have had a horrible time reaching my son's teachers. It can take a week just to get a return phone call. I know that's not every teacher, but that has been my experience for the last two years at MLK. I don't blast the whole school because I have to balance it with my own personal experience. I can say that I have overheard the frustrations of several other parents in PTA meetings and the like. I hope others who send their children there will have a better experience. I have applied to transfer my son to a nearby school in order to be in a somewhat smaller setting. School is not to blame for all the problems our students incur. Nor is transferring schools always "the answer" but it may be what's right for my son at this point in his school career. Close Quote



Enrollment information for Martin Luther King- Junior High School

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
2002 9 1564 8 5 0 n/a n/a 0 1586
2003 9 1564 8 5 0 n/a n/a 0 1586
2004 10 1647 7 5 0 n/a n/a 0 1669
2005 4 1955 4 6 0 n/a n/a 23 1992
2006 4 2135 3 12 0 n/a n/a 21 2175
2007 3 2158 3 12 2 n/a n/a 28 2206
2008 3 2103 4 14 1 n/a n/a 30 2155
2009 2 1996 5 6 1 n/a n/a 24 2034
2010 1 1826 0 2 0 0 4 0 1833
2011 0 1614 3 18 3 0 21 0 1659
2012 1 1468 0 18 5 0 18 0 1510
2013 1 1603 2 31 8 1 23 0 1669
2014 2 1512 2 29 6 1 19 0 1571
2015 6 1617 1 24 6 1 13 0 1668
2016 4 1604 0 29 4 2 12 0 1655
2017 7 1556 1 20 1 1 13 0 1599
2018 8 1489 3 23 3 0 18 0 1544
2019 4 1466 2 33 3 1 23 0 1532
2020 13 1360 2 35 1 1 23 0 1435
2021 17 1307 1 46 0 1 19 0 1391
2022 15 1377 2 53 1 0 24 0 1472
2023 12 1340 1 53 5 0 29 0 1440

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 Martin Luther King- Junior High School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2002 1586 80.8 19.6 42.5
2003 1586 80.8 19.6 42.5
2004 1669 85.6 19.5 44.2
2005 1992 97.4 20.5 44.8
2006 2175 119.1 18.3 52.1
2007 2206 122.5 18.0 54.5
2008 2155 116.5 18.5 62.2
2009 2034 115.5 17.6 63
2010 1833 117.5 15.6 64.1
2011 1659 113.5 14.6 66.8
2012 1510 100.0 15.1 71.5
2013 1669 95.0 17.5 69.9
2014 1571 98.5 15.9 73.2
2015 1668 93.0 17.9 72.8
2016 1655 95.0 17.4 69.9
2017 1599 91.0 17.5 65.6
2018 1544 96.0 16.0 73.1
2019 1532 91.0 16.8 75.6
2020 1435 86.0 16.6 76.4
2021 1391 88.0 15.8 66.4
2022 1472 83.0 17.7 n/a
2023 1440 74.1 19.4 100

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 Martin Luther King- Junior High School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2002 1586 80.8 19.6 42.5
2003 1586 80.8 19.6 42.5
2004 1669 85.6 19.5 44.2
2005 1992 97.4 20.5 44.8
2006 2175 119.1 18.3 52.1
2007 2206 122.5 18.0 54.5
2008 2155 116.5 18.5 62.2
2009 2034 115.5 17.6 63
2010 1833 117.5 15.6 64.1
2011 1659 113.5 14.6 66.8
2012 1510 100.0 15.1 71.5
2013 1669 95.0 17.5 69.9
2014 1571 98.5 15.9 73.2
2015 1668 93.0 17.9 72.8
2016 1655 95.0 17.4 69.9
2017 1599 91.0 17.5 65.6
2018 1544 96.0 16.0 73.1
2019 1532 91.0 16.8 75.6
2020 1435 86.0 16.6 76.4
2021 1391 88.0 15.8 66.4
2022 1472 83.0 17.7 n/a
2023 1440 74.1 19.4 100

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 Martin Luther King- Junior High School

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2017 $559 (6.5%) $8,031 (93.5%) $8,589
2018 $561 (5.9%) $8,932 (94.1%) $9,494
2019 $758 (7.2%) $9,781 (92.8%) $10,539

Data source: Georgia Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Martin Luther King- Junior 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 345th of 438 High schoolsRanks 375th of 442 High schools
 6.1%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
End of Course American Literature and Composition (Martin Luther King- Junior High School)17.920.9
 3%
   End of Course American Literature and Composition (DeKalb County)40.630.9
 9.7%
   End of Course American Literature and Composition (Georgia)47.338.9
 8.4%
End of Course Coordinate Algebra (Martin Luther King- Junior High School)5.75.7
   End of Course Coordinate Algebra (DeKalb County)26.621.9
 4.7%
   End of Course Coordinate Algebra (Georgia)33.726.4
 7.3%
End of Course Biology (Martin Luther King- Junior High School)32.318
 14.3%
   End of Course Biology (DeKalb County)38.632.6
 6%
   End of Course Biology (Georgia)4945.5
 3.5%
End of Course United States History (Martin Luther King- Junior High School)30.911
 19.9%
   End of Course United States History (DeKalb County)46.527
 19.5%
   End of Course United States History (Georgia)48.337.1
 11.2%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students15321440
 6%
African American14661340
 8.6%
American Indian35
 66.7%
Asian21
 50%
Hispanic3353
 60.6%
Pacific Islander10
 100%
White412
 200%
Two or More Races2329
 26.1%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients75.6%100%
 24.4%


Schools Near Martin Luther King- Junior High School









Frequently Asked Questions about Martin Luther King- Junior High School

Students at Martin Luther King- Junior High School are 93% African American, 4% Hispanic, 2% Two or more races.

Martin Luther King- Junior High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Browns Mill Elementary School
Elementary : Chapel Hill Elementary School
Middle : Salem Middle School

In the 2022-23 school year, 1,440 students attended Martin Luther King- Junior High School.

Martin Luther King- Junior High School ranks in the bottom 12.0% of Georgia high schools.


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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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