Unidos Dual Language School, Forest Park GA

Original Research by School Decision on Unidos Dual Language School

Unidos Dual Language School serves prekindergarten through fifth grade in Forest Park, a small working-class city in Clayton County south of Atlanta. The school enrolls a student body that is predominantly Hispanic, with a substantial share also identifying as Black. A significant majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic profile of the neighborhoods the school draws from.

The school's defining feature is its dual language curriculum. This instructional model teaches core academic content through both English and Spanish, designed so students develop literacy and content knowledge in both languages. For families seeking bilingual education or Spanish language maintenance for their children, this is the core offering. The school's location on Hendrix Drive places it within Forest Park's residential fabric, part of the Clayton County Public Schools district.

State testing results, available for grades three through five, show proficiency rates well below the state baseline across subjects. In mathematics, third graders posted a modest proficiency rate; fourth-grade math proficiency dropped significantly lower; and fifth-grade math proficiency fell to a low level. In English language arts, third-grade proficiency was quite low, fourth-grade results improved noticeably, and fifth-grade proficiency remained modest. Fifth-grade science proficiency was low. When proficiency rates are averaged across all tested grades and subjects, the school's overall index places it in the top quartile relative to other districts in Clayton County, though that positioning reflects the relatively modest performance levels across the county system rather than strength in absolute terms.

The school enrolls students across all early grades, with enrollment roughly steady across prekindergarten through second grade and a slight taper in grades three through five. No data on special education or English learner population rates was available.

Forest Park itself is experiencing modest population decline since 2020, though the city's economic base is shifting. Large-scale logistics and distribution facilities tied to Atlanta's airport and interstate network are the dominant employers, anchored by Kroger's distribution operations on the former Fort Gillem Army base. Downtown Main Street is undergoing active revitalization with streetscape improvements, new housing, and civic investments in Starr Park. Housing values in the 30297 zip code have softened modestly year-over-year, and median rents remain below the state average, making the area relatively affordable for families seeking entry-level homeownership or rental housing.

Clayton County as a whole is undertaking a substantial capital rebuild. Voters approved a major sales-tax funding package to renovate or replace 36 aging school buildings, a multi-year investment that shapes which physical facilities students will attend. The district is also launching a Science-of-Reading literacy initiative district-wide, beginning in kindergarten and early elementary with universal screening and evidence-based reading instruction. These changes mean that academic conditions and facility quality across the system are in transition. A parent should ask Unidos directly how its dual language model aligns with the district's Science-of-Reading approach, since reading instruction is a core component of bilingual education and the two initiatives need to work together coherently.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 368%

School 68% · District 23% · ▲ 45 pts above district

▲ 28 pts above state median · ▲ 47 pts above county median

Grade 453%

School 53% · District 29% · ▲ 24 pts above district

▲ 8 pts above state median · ▲ 27 pts above county median

Grade 523%

School 23% · District 21% · ▲ 2 pts above district

▼ 15 pts below state median · ▲ 2 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 326%

School 26% · District 17% · ▲ 8 pts above district

▼ 5 pts below state median · ▲ 9 pts above county median

Grade 451%

School 51% · District 23% · ▲ 28 pts above district

▲ 17 pts above state median · ▲ 28 pts above county median

Grade 534%

School 34% · District 25% · ▲ 9 pts above district

▼ 4 pts below state median · ▲ 10 pts above county median

Science

Grade 530%

School 30% · District 23% · ▲ 8 pts above district

▼ 9 pts below state median · ▲ 9 pts above county median

Social studies

Grade 811%

School 11% · District 21% · ▼ 11 pts below district

▼ 20 pts below state median · ▼ 6 pts below county median

This schoolClayton County, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.