Mary McLeod Bethune Middle School

Summary:

Mary McLeod Bethune Middle School is a public middle school in Decatur, Georgia, serving 718 students in grades 6-8. The school is part of the DeKalb County School District, which is ranked 138 out of 203 school districts in the state and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Despite increased per-student spending over the years, Mary McLeod Bethune Middle School consistently performs below the DeKalb County and Georgia state averages on standardized tests. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, the school's proficiency rates in English Language Arts ranged from 19% to 23.9%, compared to 32.5% to 37.2% for the county and 39.8% to 44.7% for the state. In Mathematics, the school's proficiency rates were even lower, ranging from 6.3% to 19%, compared to 19.8% to 28.9% for the county and 34.7% to 43.7% for the state. The school has also consistently ranked in the bottom half of Georgia middle schools and has received a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger for most of the past decade.

When comparing Mary McLeod Bethune Middle School to nearby schools in the DeKalb County district, it becomes clear that the school is underperforming compared to its peers. For example, The Champion Middle Theme School, located just 5.17 miles away, has significantly higher proficiency rates in both English Language Arts and Mathematics, as well as a higher 3-star rating from SchoolDigger. The high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch at Mary McLeod Bethune Middle School, consistently above 99%, suggests the school may be serving a population with significant socioeconomic challenges, which could be contributing to the school's poor academic performance.

Detail:

Public 6-8

5200 Covington Hwy
Decatur, GA 30035

(678) 875-0302

District: DeKalb County

SchoolDigger Rank:
498^th of 588 Georgia Middle Schools

Students who attend Mary McLeod Bethune Middle School usually attend:

High:

Towers High School

Feeder schools for Mary McLeod Bethune Middle School:

Elementary:	Canby Lane Elementary School
	Peachcrest Elementary School
	Rowland Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio: 15.9

Number of students: 718

Racial breakdown:

African American:

80.5%

Hispanic:

9.6%

Asian:

4.6%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 100%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Mary McLeod Bethune Middle School ranks worse than 84.7% of middle schools in Georgia. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 17.27. (See more...)

Student Body

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Teachers

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Finance

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Schooldigger Rankings:

Mary McLeod Bethune Middle School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

SchoolDigger ranks Mary McLeod Bethune Middle School 498^th of 588 Georgia public middle schools. (See Mary McLeod Bethune Middle School in the ranking list.)

DeKalb County:

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

Average Rating:

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Rank History for Mary McLeod Bethune Middle School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	GA State Percentile
2006	12.15	397^th	420	5.5%
2007	17.70	406^th	445	8.8%
2008	14.69	427^th	462	7.6%
2009	21.48	412^th	466	11.6%
2010	16.19	451^st	494	8.7%
2011	27.75	419^th	504	16.9%
2012	10.71	474^th	508	6.7%
2013	9.69	495^th	527	6.1%
2014	7.57	496^th	521	4.8%
2015	11.79	482^nd	537	10.2%
2016	14.19	479^th	545	12.1%
2017	14.66	479^th	539	11.1%
2018	10.33	509^th	543	6.3%
2019	9.31	526^th	559	5.9%
2021	10.22	504^th	542	7.0%
2022	12.96	508^th	567	10.4%
2023	16.31	497^th	577	13.9%
2024	17.27	498^th	588	15.3%

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

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 4.7)

67%

33%

Reviews:

by a student
Friday, July 21, 2017

This school is not as bad as the reviews say. The faculty and staff are trying their best to make a positive change! They really just need to rid the school of the disrespectful children who don't care about learning. There are negatives about the school, but there is also good. Please consider going here.
Sincerly,
A student Close Quote

Enrollment information for Mary McLeod Bethune Middle School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
2002	12	1415	15	23	2	n/a	n/a	0	1467
2003	12	1415	15	23	2	n/a	n/a	0	1467
2004	7	1391	20	15	1	n/a	n/a	0	1434
2005	4	1350	21	20	0	n/a	n/a	17	1412
2006	6	1251	21	26	2	n/a	n/a	20	1326
2007	4	1122	15	26	2	n/a	n/a	23	1192
2008	4	991	16	29	2	n/a	n/a	32	1074
2009	3	919	16	22	1	n/a	n/a	27	988
2010	3	909	13	19	3	0	8	0	955
2011	3	863	13	12	2	0	10	0	903
2012	3	969	7	24	0	1	10	0	1014
2013	1	869	8	26	2	1	9	0	916
2014	2	875	12	37	4	1	5	0	936
2015	4	839	9	41	2	0	7	0	902
2016	10	769	9	48	1	0	7	0	844
2017	11	787	18	61	0	0	11	0	888
2018	7	762	16	61	0	1	11	0	858
2019	8	759	19	63	2	3	8	0	862
2020	5	708	18	53	5	1	4	0	794
2021	5	652	17	50	7	1	9	0	741
2022	8	631	21	66	3	1	9	0	739
2023	13	578	33	69	7	2	16	0	718

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 Mary McLeod Bethune Middle School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2002	1467	95.0	15.4	77.2
2003	1467	95.0	15.4	77.2
2004	1434	82.8	17.3	79.1
2005	1412	78.9	17.9	81.9
2006	1326	82.2	16.1	85.1
2007	1192	81.0	14.7	83.6
2008	1074	78.5	13.7	88.8
2009	988	68.3	14.5	88
2010	955	65.3	14.6	87.7
2011	903	57.0	15.8	88.4
2012	1014	67.0	15.1	91.8
2013	916	56.0	16.3	92.1
2014	936	52.0	18.0	94.7
2015	902	53.0	17.0	100
2016	844	50.0	16.8	99.6
2017	888	50.0	17.7	100
2018	858	59.0	14.5	100
2019	862	57.0	15.1	100
2020	794	54.0	14.7	99.2
2021	741	51.0	14.5	99.2
2022	739	45.0	16.4	n/a
2023	718	45.0	15.9	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 Mary McLeod Bethune Middle School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2002	1467	95.0	15.4	77.2
2003	1467	95.0	15.4	77.2
2004	1434	82.8	17.3	79.1
2005	1412	78.9	17.9	81.9
2006	1326	82.2	16.1	85.1
2007	1192	81.0	14.7	83.6
2008	1074	78.5	13.7	88.8
2009	988	68.3	14.5	88
2010	955	65.3	14.6	87.7
2011	903	57.0	15.8	88.4
2012	1014	67.0	15.1	91.8
2013	916	56.0	16.3	92.1
2014	936	52.0	18.0	94.7
2015	902	53.0	17.0	100
2016	844	50.0	16.8	99.6
2017	888	50.0	17.7	100
2018	858	59.0	14.5	100
2019	862	57.0	15.1	100
2020	794	54.0	14.7	99.2
2021	741	51.0	14.5	99.2
2022	739	45.0	16.4	n/a
2023	718	45.0	15.9	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 Mary McLeod Bethune Middle School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2017	$771 (8.4%)	$8,462 (91.6%)	$9,233
2018	$811 (7.8%)	$9,538 (92.2%)	$10,349
2019	$984 (8.2%)	$11,021 (91.8%)	$12,006

Data source: Georgia Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Mary McLeod Bethune 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 526^th of 559 Middle schools	Ranks 497^th of 577 Middle schools	8%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
6th Grade English Language Arts (Mary McLeod Bethune Middle School)	16.4	19.1	2.7%
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 (Mary McLeod Bethune Middle School)	8	7.9	0.1%
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 (Mary McLeod Bethune Middle School)	14.3	16.5	2.2%
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 (Mary McLeod Bethune Middle School)	8.1	8.2	0.1%
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 (Mary McLeod Bethune Middle School)	21.4	23	1.6%
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 (Mary McLeod Bethune Middle School)	6.1	9.2	3.1%
8th Grade Mathematics (DeKalb County)	26.5	23.4	3.1%
8th Grade Mathematics (Georgia)	35	36.2	1.2%
8th Grade Science (Mary McLeod Bethune Middle School)	11.5	17.6	6.1%
8th Grade Science (DeKalb County)	25.9	20.1	5.8%
8th Grade Science (Georgia)	32	26.4	5.6%
8th Grade Social Studies (Mary McLeod Bethune Middle School)	9.7	10.4	0.7%
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	862	718	16.7%
African American	759	578	23.8%
American Indian	2	7	250%
Asian	19	33	73.7%
Hispanic	63	69	9.5%
Pacific Islander	3	2	33.3%
White	8	13	62.5%
Two or More Races	8	16	100%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	100%	100%

Schools Near Mary McLeod Bethune 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
Mary McLeod Bethune Middle School	Public	6-8	5200 Covington Hwy	Decatur	30035	DeKalb County	DeKalb County	No	No	No	Yes	(678) 875-0302	718	45	15.9	100.0%	13 (1.8%)	578 (80.5%)	69 (9.6%)	33 (4.6%)	7 (1.0%)	2 (0.3%)	16 (2.2%)	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	722	48	15.2	100.0%	3 (0.4%)	644 (89.2%)	46 (6.4%)	7 (1.0%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	20 (2.8%)	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
Redan Middle School	Public	6-8	1775 Young Rd	Lithonia	30058	DeKalb County	DeKalb County	No	No	No	Yes	(678) 874-7902	668	52	12.8	100.0%	5 (0.7%)	581 (87.0%)	55 (8.2%)	8 (1.2%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (2.4%)	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
Freedom Middle School	Public	6-8	505 S Hairston Rd	Stone Mountain	30088	DeKalb County	DeKalb County	No	No	No	Yes	(678) 874-8702	1,131	74	15.2	100.0%	78 (6.9%)	596 (52.7%)	84 (7.4%)	349 (30.9%)	4 (0.4%)	5 (0.4%)	15 (1.3%)	20.3	475^th of 588 public middle schools	19.2%		20.2	465^th of 577 public middle schools	19.4%	10	81.3			23.1	22.2	29.1			12.4	11.5	18.7		16.0	18.5	$12,398	$817	$11,581
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	196	12	16.7	51.5%	8 (4.1%)	165 (84.2%)	7 (3.6%)	8 (4.1%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (2.0%)	4 (2.0%)	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
Chapel Hill Middle School	Public	6-8	3535 Dogwood Farm Rd	Decatur	30034	DeKalb County	DeKalb County	No	No	No	Yes	(678) 676-8502	692	47	14.8	100.0%	5 (0.7%)	636 (91.9%)	30 (4.3%)	2 (0.3%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	16 (2.3%)	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
Columbia Middle School	Public	6-8	3001 Columbia Dr	Decatur	30034	DeKalb County	DeKalb County	No	No	No	Yes	(678) 875-0502	604	48	12.5	100.0%	4 (0.7%)	557 (92.2%)	26 (4.3%)	1 (0.2%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (2.2%)	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
Salem Middle School	Public	6-8	5333 Salem Rd	Lithonia	30038	DeKalb County	DeKalb County	No	No	No	Yes	(678) 676-9402	988	59	16.8	100.0%	3 (0.3%)	919 (93.0%)	48 (4.9%)	2 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (1.5%)	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
The Champion Middle Theme School	Public	6-8	5265 Mimosa Dr	Stone Mountain	30083	DeKalb County	DeKalb County	No	No	No	Yes	(678) 504-4302	751	48	15.6	100.0%	1 (0.1%)	717 (95.5%)	18 (2.4%)	3 (0.4%)	3 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	8 (1.1%)	56.3	234^th of 588 public middle schools	60.2%		54	238^th of 577 public middle schools	58.8%	4	60.4			50.2	47.9	46.7			36.6	28.5	38.1		22.9	32.9	$11,112	$610	$10,503
Lithonia Middle School	Public	6-8	2451 Randall Ave	Lithonia	30058	DeKalb County	DeKalb County	No	No	No	Yes	(678) 875-0702	1,214	73	16.6	100.0%	7 (0.6%)	1,065 (87.7%)	99 (8.2%)	3 (0.2%)	7 (0.6%)	2 (0.2%)	31 (2.6%)	13.7	523^rd of 588 public middle schools	11.1%		13.5	526^th of 577 public middle schools	8.8%	3				19.4	19.1	21.8			7.1	7.7	15.6		11.2	9.5	$10,968	$800	$10,168

Frequently Asked Questions about Mary McLeod Bethune Middle School

How many students attend Mary McLeod Bethune Middle School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 718 students attended Mary McLeod Bethune Middle School.

What high school do graduates of Mary McLeod Bethune Middle School attend?

Students who attend Mary McLeod Bethune Middle School usually go on to attend Towers High School

What district is Mary McLeod Bethune Middle School in?

DeKalb County

Is Mary McLeod Bethune Middle School a good school?

Mary McLeod Bethune Middle School ranks in the bottom 15.3% of Georgia middle schools.

What is the racial makeup of Mary McLeod Bethune Middle School?

Students at Mary McLeod Bethune Middle School are 81% African American, 10% Hispanic, 5% Asian, 2% Two or more races, 2% White.

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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.