Chapel Hill Middle School, Decatur GA

Original Research by School Decision on Chapel Hill Middle School

Chapel Hill Middle School is a regular public middle school serving grades six through eight in Decatur, a small, walkable city east of Atlanta. The school enrolls a substantial share of students, nearly all of whom—the vast majority—qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The student body is predominantly Black, with small populations of Hispanic, multiracial, and other students.

The school's state assessment results reflect persistent academic challenge across all tested subjects and grade levels. In mathematics, proficiency ranges from very low in sixth and seventh grade to slightly higher in eighth grade, though still well below what would indicate grade-level readiness for high school coursework. English language arts proficiency runs similarly low across all three grades. Science and social studies proficiency in eighth grade are also substantially below typical benchmarks. When proficiency rates are averaged across all tested subjects and grades, Chapel Hill sits below the midpoint among districts in DeKalb County, the set against which it is meaningfully compared.

The pattern across grade levels is worth noting: students show some gain from sixth to eighth grade in mathematics, but the gains are modest. The school's English language arts results do not show the same upward trend. State testing data for earlier years was not available, so whether these results represent a recent shift or a sustained condition cannot be determined from the data at hand. A parent may want to look into this further with the school directly, as circumstances and support systems can change.

Decatur itself is a walkable, progressive small city with a strong civic downtown centered on the historic courthouse square, substantial tree canopy, and an active parks system. It is on an infill and growth trajectory, with new mixed-income housing, transit access via MARTA, and anchors like the DeKalb County Library and Legacy Park. The housing market has declined modestly in the past year, though prices remain above state and national benchmarks. Rents are also modest relative to household income, and walkability is high.

At the district level, DeKalb County faces a major ongoing Student Assignment Project—a multiyear redistricting and consolidation effort that may close or consolidate dozens of schools to address surplus capacity. A final recommendation to the Board of Education is expected in December 2026, and the process will reshape attendance boundaries and school assignments across multiple clusters. This is a lasting consideration for any family choosing to move to or within DeKalb. The district is also investing in capital improvements funded by E-SPLOST VI, a sales tax approved in 2021 running through June 2027, which includes a new Cross Keys High School, rebuilt facilities, and conversion of some high schools into specialized academies for performing arts, cyber technology, and career and technical education.

Chapel Hill Middle School is located in a community with clear civic assets and in a district investing in new facilities, but the school's assessment performance is substantially below grade-level standards across the board. For families considering this school, understanding its current academic pathway and what supports are available for students working below proficiency is essential.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 613%

School 13% · District 23% · ▼ 9 pts below district

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

Grade 717%

School 17% · District 26% · ▼ 9 pts below district

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

Grade 831%

School 31% · District 34% · ▼ 4 pts below district

▼ 12 pts below state median · ▼ 5 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 624%

School 24% · District 31% · ▼ 6 pts below district

▼ 11 pts below state median · ▼ 9 pts below county median

Grade 719%

School 19% · District 30% · ▼ 10 pts below district

▼ 16 pts below state median · ▼ 14 pts below county median

Grade 821%

School 21% · District 32% · ▼ 11 pts below district

▼ 14 pts below state median · ▼ 12 pts below county median

Science

Grade 818%

School 18% · District 25% · ▼ 7 pts below district

▼ 8 pts below state median · ▼ 3 pts below county median

Social studies

Grade 89%

School 9% · District 23% · ▼ 14 pts below district

▼ 22 pts below state median · ▼ 12 pts below county median

This schoolDeKalb 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.