Columbia Middle School

Summary:

Columbia Middle School is a public middle school located in Decatur, Georgia, serving grades 6-8 with a total enrollment of 604 students. The school is part of the DeKalb County School District, which is ranked 138 out of 203 school districts in Georgia and is rated 2 stars out of 5 by SchoolDigger.

Columbia Middle School consistently underperforms compared to the DeKalb County and Georgia state averages on the Milestones Assessments. In the 2023-2024 school year, the percentage of students proficient or better in English Language Arts ranged from 12.9% to 23.7% across grades, significantly lower than the county (31.9% to 37.2%) and state (39.8% to 44.7%) averages. The school's performance in Mathematics is even more concerning, with proficiency rates ranging from only 4.8% to 10.9%, compared to the county (19.8% to 28.9%) and state (34.7% to 43.7%) averages. Columbia Middle School has consistently ranked in the bottom half of Georgia middle schools, with a ranking of 547 out of 588 schools for the 2023-2024 school year, and has received a 0 or 1 out of 5 stars rating from SchoolDigger over the past several years.

When comparing Columbia Middle School to other nearby middle schools in the DeKalb County district, it consistently underperforms. For example, Redan Middle School and Salem Middle School, both located within 6.5 miles of Columbia, have higher proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Mathematics, as well as higher statewide rankings. Additionally, Wadsworth Magnet School for High Achievers, a public magnet school in the DeKalb County district, stands out with exceptional academic performance, with proficiency rates ranging from 92.2% to 100% in English Language Arts and Mathematics, far surpassing the state and district averages.

Detail:

Public 6-8

3001 Columbia Dr
Decatur, GA 30034

(678) 875-0502

District: DeKalb County

SchoolDigger Rank:
547^th of 588 Georgia Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $11,436

Students who attend Columbia Middle School usually attend:

High:

Columbia High School

Feeder schools for Columbia Middle School:

Elementary:	Columbia Elementary School
	Snapfinger Elementary School
	Toney Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio: 12.1

Number of students: 564

Racial breakdown:

African American:

90.6%

Hispanic:

5.3%

Two or more races:

2.7%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 100%

See top rated Georgia middle schools

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Columbia Middle School ranks worse than 93% of middle schools in Georgia. It also ranks last among 21 ranked middle schools in the DeKalb County School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 11.8. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: African American (90.6%), Hispanic (5.3%), two or more races (2.7%). (See more...)

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

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Columbia Middle School is 12.1, which is the lowest among 22 middle schools in the DeKalb County School District! (See more...)

Compare Columbia Middle School employs 46.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Columbia Middle School is $11,436. 13 middle schools in the DeKalb County School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Columbia Middle School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

SchoolDigger ranks Columbia Middle School 547^th of 588 Georgia public middle schools. (See Columbia Middle School in the ranking list.)

DeKalb County:

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

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Rank History for Columbia Middle School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	GA State Percentile
2006	17.68	386^th	420	8.1%
2007	19.11	403^rd	445	9.4%
2008	16.64	422^nd	462	8.7%
2009	21.44	413^th	466	11.4%
2010	17.23	449^th	494	9.1%
2011	22.59	439^th	504	12.9%
2012	16.14	455^th	508	10.4%
2013	6.93	503^rd	527	4.6%
2014	8.57	495^th	521	5.0%
2015	14.30	471^st	537	12.3%
2016	15.34	466^th	545	14.5%
2017	10.87	498^th	539	7.6%
2018	13.72	489^th	543	9.9%
2019	15.41	491^st	559	12.2%
2021	7.81	529^th	542	2.4%
2022	16.57	475^th	567	16.2%
2023	17.02	490^th	577	15.1%
2024	11.80	547^th	588	7.0%

See the entire list of Georgia Middle School Rankings!

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

Data source: Georgia Department of Education

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Reviews:
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Enrollment information for Columbia Middle School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
2002	9	1433	7	5	0	n/a	n/a	0	1454
2003	9	1433	7	5	0	n/a	n/a	0	1454
2004	6	1355	4	8	0	n/a	n/a	0	1373
2005	0	1205	2	5	0	n/a	n/a	7	1219
2006	2	1127	3	5	1	n/a	n/a	10	1148
2007	5	1008	4	2	1	n/a	n/a	8	1028
2008	3	975	3	6	0	n/a	n/a	14	1001
2009	1	943	2	5	0	n/a	n/a	19	970
2010	1	1095	3	4	3	1	0	0	1107
2011	2	1009	1	6	2	0	8	0	1028
2012	5	1131	2	10	1	0	8	0	1157
2013	6	1151	0	9	1	0	6	0	1173
2014	2	993	0	9	1	1	8	0	1014
2015	1	913	0	10	1	2	10	0	937
2016	2	884	2	17	0	0	8	0	913
2017	1	859	3	15	2	1	9	0	890
2018	1	853	7	24	1	1	13	0	900
2019	9	845	7	14	0	2	12	0	889
2020	4	820	4	14	0	0	9	0	851
2021	5	775	2	16	2	0	9	0	809
2022	4	694	2	23	4	0	8	0	735
2023	4	557	1	26	3	0	13	0	604
2024	4	511	3	30	1	0	15	0	564

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 Columbia Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2002	1454	99.0	14.7	78
2003	1454	99.0	14.7	78
2004	1373	91.5	15.0	77.7
2005	1219	81.5	15.0	80.3
2006	1148	81.6	14.1	82.8
2007	1028	73.0	14.1	86.4
2008	1001	64.5	15.5	84
2009	970	67.0	14.5	84.4
2010	1107	70.0	15.8	83.6
2011	1028	69.0	14.8	85
2012	1157	71.0	16.2	87.3
2013	1173	63.5	18.4	92.2
2014	1014	65.0	15.6	98.5
2015	937	63.0	14.8	98.5
2016	913	62.0	14.7	99.5
2017	890	61.5	14.4	100
2018	900	64.5	13.9	100
2019	889	60.5	14.6	100
2020	851	56.5	15.0	99.2
2021	809	56.0	14.4	99.1
2022	735	53.5	13.7	n/a
2023	604	48.0	12.5	100
2024	564	46.5	12.1	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 Columbia Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2002	1454	99.0	14.7	78
2003	1454	99.0	14.7	78
2004	1373	91.5	15.0	77.7
2005	1219	81.5	15.0	80.3
2006	1148	81.6	14.1	82.8
2007	1028	73.0	14.1	86.4
2008	1001	64.5	15.5	84
2009	970	67.0	14.5	84.4
2010	1107	70.0	15.8	83.6
2011	1028	69.0	14.8	85
2012	1157	71.0	16.2	87.3
2013	1173	63.5	18.4	92.2
2014	1014	65.0	15.6	98.5
2015	937	63.0	14.8	98.5
2016	913	62.0	14.7	99.5
2017	890	61.5	14.4	100
2018	900	64.5	13.9	100
2019	889	60.5	14.6	100
2020	851	56.5	15.0	99.2
2021	809	56.0	14.4	99.1
2022	735	53.5	13.7	n/a
2023	604	48.0	12.5	100
2024	564	46.5	12.1	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 Columbia Middle School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2017	$723 (7.2%)	$9,388 (92.8%)	$10,111
2018	$719 (6.6%)	$10,098 (93.4%)	$10,817
2019	$832 (7.3%)	$10,603 (92.7%)	$11,436

Data source: Georgia Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Columbia Middle 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 491^st of 559 Middle schools	Ranks 490^th of 577 Middle schools	2.9%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
6th Grade English Language Arts (Columbia Middle School)	26	15.4	10.6%
6th Grade English Language Arts (DeKalb County)	34.3	31.1	3.2%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Georgia)	46	39.2	6.8%
6th Grade Mathematics (Columbia Middle School)	12.5	3.4	9.1%
6th Grade Mathematics (DeKalb County)	25.4	19.7	5.7%
6th Grade Mathematics (Georgia)	40	32.9	7.1%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Columbia Middle School)	16	15.9	0.1%
7th Grade English Language Arts (DeKalb County)	27.5	29.6	2.1%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Georgia)	39	39.1	0.1%
7th Grade Mathematics (Columbia Middle School)	8.8	5.7	3.1%
7th Grade Mathematics (DeKalb County)	27.9	20.2	7.7%
7th Grade Mathematics (Georgia)	43	34.9	8.1%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Columbia Middle School)	34	26.6	7.4%
8th Grade English Language Arts (DeKalb County)	38.5	35.7	2.8%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Georgia)	47	42.1	4.9%
8th Grade Mathematics (Columbia Middle School)	7.9	11.5	3.6%
8th Grade Mathematics (DeKalb County)	26.5	23.4	3.1%
8th Grade Mathematics (Georgia)	35	36.2	1.2%
8th Grade Science (Columbia Middle School)	12.7	14.8	2.1%
8th Grade Science (DeKalb County)	25.9	20.1	5.8%
8th Grade Science (Georgia)	32	26.4	5.6%
8th Grade Social Studies (Columbia Middle School)	21.6	17.9	3.7%
8th Grade Social Studies (DeKalb County)	26.9	21.9	5%
8th Grade Social Studies (Georgia)	41	35.9	5.1%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	889	604	32.1%
African American	845	557	34.1%
American Indian	0	3
Asian	7	1	85.7%
Hispanic	14	26	85.7%
Pacific Islander	2	0	100%
White	9	4	55.6%
Two or More Races	12	13	8.3%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	100%	100%

Schools Near Columbia Middle 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 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 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
Columbia Middle School	Public	6-8	3001 Columbia Dr	Decatur	30034	DeKalb County	DeKalb County	No	No	No	Yes	(678) 875-0502	564	47	12.1	100.0%	4 (0.7%)	511 (90.6%)	30 (5.3%)	3 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (2.7%)	11.8	547^th of 588 public middle schools	7.0%		17	490^th of 577 public middle schools	15.1%	57				23.7	12.9	22.5			4.8	7.3	10.9		6.9	7.0	$11,436	$832	$10,603
Chapel Hill Middle School	Public	6-8	3535 Dogwood Farm Rd	Decatur	30034	DeKalb County	DeKalb County	No	No	No	Yes	(678) 676-8502	619	45	13.9	93.1%	4 (0.6%)	564 (91.1%)	31 (5.0%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	16 (2.6%)	23	455^th of 588 public middle schools	22.6%		34.4	377^th of 577 public middle schools	34.7%	78	72.2			21.1	20.6	35.8			10.9	10.1	27.4		19.3	14.6	$12,208	$704	$11,504
Cedar Grove Middle School	Public	6-8	2300 Wildcat Rd	Decatur	30034	DeKalb County	DeKalb County	No	No	No	Yes	(678) 874-4202	712	46	15.4	100.0%	3 (0.4%)	652 (91.6%)	42 (5.9%)	3 (0.4%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (1.4%)	13.9	521^st of 588 public middle schools	11.4%		14.2	519^th of 577 public middle schools	10.1%	2				13.5	17.3	22.4			4.4	9.8	18.8		11.3	15.2	$12,879	$722	$12,157
McNair Middle School	Public	6-8	2190 Wallingford Dr	Decatur	30032	DeKalb County	DeKalb County	No	No	No	Yes	(678) 874-5102	788	50	15.7	100.0%	4 (0.5%)	714 (90.6%)	45 (5.7%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	22 (2.8%)	21.1	469^th of 588 public middle schools	20.2%		12.9	534^th of 577 public middle schools	7.5%	65	95.8			25.2	18.7	29.4			8.6	9.0	31.1		14.2	18.0	$12,255	$766	$11,489
Wadsworth Magnet School for High Achievers	Public, Magnet	4-8	3039 Santa Monica Dr	Decatur	30032	DeKalb County	DeKalb County	No	Yes	No	Yes	(678) 874-2402	265	14	19.3	55.8%	15 (5.7%)	214 (80.8%)	16 (6.0%)	11 (4.2%)	1 (0.4%)	3 (1.1%)	5 (1.9%)	99.9	1^st of 588 public middle schools	99.8%					(n/a)	100.0	92.2	98.1	94.2	98.3	100.0	96.1	84.6	94.2	96.7	100.0	100.0	84.4	93.3	$24,223	$803	$23,419
Mary McLeod Bethune Middle School	Public	6-8	5200 Covington Hwy	Decatur	30035	DeKalb County	DeKalb County	No	No	No	Yes	(678) 875-0302	672	47	14.2	100.0%	12 (1.8%)	507 (75.4%)	94 (14.0%)	40 (6.0%)	4 (0.6%)	2 (0.3%)	13 (1.9%)	17.3	498^th of 588 public middle schools	15.3%		16.3	497^th of 577 public middle schools	13.9%	1				19.0	23.9	22.3			6.3	13.4	19.0		16.2	11.5	$12,006	$984	$11,021
Miller Grove Middle School	Public	6-8	2215 Miller Rd	Decatur	30035	DeKalb County	DeKalb County	No	No	No	Yes	(678) 676-8902	668	43	15.7	100.0%	1 (0.1%)	587 (87.9%)	48 (7.2%)	9 (1.3%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (3.1%)	13.5	527^th of 588 public middle schools	10.4%		15.5	504^th of 577 public middle schools	12.7%	23				22.9	15.9	29.2			2.6	4.9	7.8		7.0	15.0	$12,183	$806	$11,378
Salem Middle School	Public	6-8	5333 Salem Rd	Lithonia	30038	DeKalb County	DeKalb County	No	No	No	Yes	(678) 676-9402	927	62	14.9	100.0%	3 (0.3%)	845 (91.2%)	49 (5.3%)	4 (0.4%)	4 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	21 (2.3%)	13.7	524^th of 588 public middle schools	10.9%		13.3	528^th of 577 public middle schools	8.5%	4				13.2	18.6	28.2			5.5	7.0	15.4		10.7	9.6	$11,052	$706	$10,346
Beacon Hill Middle School	Public	6-8	220 W College Ave	Decatur	30030	DeKalb County	City Schools of Decatur	No	No	No	No	(404) 370-4440	1,322	102	12.9	16.6%	841 (63.6%)	240 (18.2%)	60 (4.5%)	60 (4.5%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	120 (9.1%)	97.1	18^th of 588 public middle schools	96.9%		95.4	31^st of 577 public middle schools	94.6%	13	94.2			74.1	74.9	75.9			69.4	77.2	75.7		57.0	66.4	$10,121	$169	$9,952
Redan Middle School	Public	6-8	1775 Young Rd	Lithonia	30058	DeKalb County	DeKalb County	No	No	No	Yes	(678) 874-7902	633	50	12.6	100.0%	6 (0.9%)	530 (83.7%)	57 (9.0%)	19 (3.0%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (3.0%)	24.9	442^nd of 588 public middle schools	24.8%		19.5	471^st of 577 public middle schools	18.4%	29				26.2	27.2	33.6			22.9	19.0	16.9		13.8	14.5	$12,118	$756	$11,362

Frequently Asked Questions about Columbia Middle School

Is Columbia Middle School a good school?

Columbia Middle School ranks in the bottom 7.0% of Georgia middle schools.

What is the racial makeup of Columbia Middle School?

Students at Columbia Middle School are 91% African American, 5% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races.

What district is Columbia Middle School in?

DeKalb County

How many students attend Columbia Middle School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 564 students attended Columbia Middle School.

What high school do graduates of Columbia Middle School attend?

Students who attend Columbia Middle School usually go on to attend Columbia 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.