Bob Mathis Elementary School, Decatur GA

Original Research by School Decision on Bob Mathis Elementary School

Bob Mathis Elementary School serves children from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade in Decatur, a compact, walkable city just east of Atlanta known for its downtown square and tree-lined neighborhoods. The school's enrollment is small, with roughly equal grades spread across the elementary years, and the student body is predominantly Black, with smaller populations of Hispanic students and other groups. All students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating the school serves a community facing economic constraints.

State testing results from the most recent school year show significant headwinds. In mathematics, proficiency rates range from roughly one-fifth of students in fourth grade to around one-third in fifth grade and two-fifths in third grade. English language arts proficiency is even lower, with less than one-tenth of fourth graders demonstrating proficiency, and around three-tenths and one-quarter in third and fifth grades respectively. Science testing in fifth grade shows proficiency near one-third of students. These are not the outcomes families typically expect from elementary school, and a parent may want to look into this further with the school and district, including what targeted interventions are in place, what support the district is providing, and whether more recent trends or initiatives offer a different trajectory.

Decatur itself is a place of civic investment and connectivity. The downtown is genuinely walkable, built around the historic courthouse square with independent restaurants, bookstores, and public gathering space that hosts markets and festivals. Transit is accessible via MARTA's Blue Line, and parks and recreation centers are distributed through the small four-square-mile city. The overall environment supports a lifestyle where school is nested into neighborhood life rather than isolated from it.

Bob Mathis's academic profile sits above the midpoint among the county's eight districts in terms of measured proficiency. That positioning, however, reflects the fact that DeKalb County as a whole is navigating significant structural change. The district is in the midst of the Student Assignment Project, a redistricting and consolidation effort that could reshape attendance boundaries and possibly close or repurpose schools over the next several years; families considering a move to Decatur should factor this uncertainty into their school and housing decisions. At the same time, the district has approved substantial capital bonds for school rebuilding and new program facilities, including conversion of existing high schools into career and performing-arts academies.

The school's demographics and test results suggest a population facing economic hardship and, by the testing evidence, significant gaps in academic achievement. The low proficiency rates across subjects and grades warrant direct conversation with school leadership about the underlying causes, what differentiated support looksystems look like for struggling learners, and what the outlook for improvement is. A parent considering this school should also understand Decatur's strong civic infrastructure and walkability as assets that shape daily life and community connection, even as the school's current academic standing is a serious consideration.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 346%

School 46% · District 34% · ▲ 12 pts above district

▲ 6 pts above state median · ▲ 18 pts above county median

Grade 421%

School 21% · District 35% · ▼ 13 pts below district

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

Grade 534%

School 34% · District 32% · ▲ 2 pts above district

▼ 4 pts below state median · ▲ 8 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 331%

School 31% · District 30% · ▲ 1 pts above district

even with state median · ▲ 5 pts above county median

Grade 410%

School 10% · District 30% · ▼ 21 pts below district

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

Grade 526%

School 26% · District 35% · ▼ 9 pts below district

▼ 12 pts below state median · ▼ 4 pts below county median

Science

Grade 532%

School 32% · District 33% · ▼ 1 pts below district

▼ 7 pts below state median · ▲ 6 pts above county median

Social studies

Grades 3-857%

School 57% · district not reported

▼ 26 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.