Summary:
Columbia Middle School is a public middle school located in Decatur, Georgia, serving 604 students in grades 6-8. The school is part of the DeKalb County School District, which is ranked 122 out of 193 districts in Georgia and is rated 2 stars out of 5 by SchoolDigger.
Columbia Middle School faces significant challenges, with a student population that is 92.22% African American and 100% receiving free or reduced-price lunch, indicating high levels of economic disadvantage. Academically, the school consistently underperforms compared to the DeKalb County and Georgia state averages in Milestones Assessment scores across all grade levels and subject areas. For example, in 2023-2024, only 23.7% of 6th graders, 12.9% of 7th graders, and 22.5% of 8th graders were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to the state averages of 41.6%, 39.8%, and 44.7%, respectively. When compared to nearby schools in the same district, such as Redan Middle School and Mary McLeod Bethune Middle School, Columbia Middle School consistently underperforms academically.
Despite spending more per student ($11,436 in 2018-2019) compared to the state average, the academic performance at Columbia Middle School does not seem to reflect this investment. This raises questions about the effective allocation and utilization of resources within the school. However, the nearby Wadsworth Magnet School for High Achievers, which is also part of the DeKalb County School District, demonstrates that high academic achievement is possible within the district, suggesting that with the right resources, support, and strategies, Columbia Middle School could potentially improve its academic outcomes.
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Detail:
Public 6-8
District:
DeKalb County
SchoolDigger Rank:
528th of 578 Georgia Middle Schools
Per Pupil Expenditures: $11,436
Students who attend Columbia Middle School usually attend:
Feeder schools for Columbia Middle School:
Student/teacher ratio: 12.5
Number of students: 604
Racial breakdown:
African American:
92.2%
Hispanic:
4.3%
Two or more races:
2.2%
more
White:
0.7%
American Indian:
0.5%
Asian:
0.2%
Free/discounted lunch recipients: 100%
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