The top reported proficiency rate is 3% in English language arts. The lowest is 0% in Social studies.
Original Research by School Decision on Dekalb Alternative School
DeKalb Alternative School serves students in grades six through twelve in Stone Mountain, a small city on Atlanta's eastern fringe that has recently attracted artists and new restaurants to a revitalized Main Street while the broader postal area has seen substantial housing construction. The school itself occupies a different kind of space in the DeKalb County system: it is an alternative school, a designation that typically indicates it serves students who have not thrived in traditional classroom settings, work at nontraditional paces, or are rebuilding after disruption.
The enrollment is small, under a hundred in the middle grades and climbing into the low hundreds at the high school level. The student body is overwhelmingly economically disadvantaged; all students qualify for free or reduced-price meals. The composition is predominantly Black, with smaller shares of Hispanic students and a very small number of students of other races. These demographics reflect both the nature of alternative placement (students referred for behavioral, academic, or attendance issues tend to come from lower-income households) and Stone Mountain's own economic profile.
State test results for grades three through eight show proficiency rates that are markedly low. On English language arts, a very small fraction of students scored at proficiency; math and science proficiency rates were effectively zero. In eighth-grade social studies, no students met proficiency. These numbers are far below the median for DeKalb County's districts. The data does not explain the specific drivers—whether these reflect delayed skill recovery after time away from school, the particular demographics of the enrolled cohort, curriculum choices, or some combination—and a parent would want to speak directly with the school about what academic supports and progress-tracking systems are in place for students who arrive with significant skill gaps.
DeKalb County as a whole is in the midst of substantial change. A multi-year Student Assignment Project underway will reshape school boundaries and potentially close or consolidate many buildings over the next several years. Additionally, E-SPLOST VI, approved by voters, is funding capital improvements including new and converted schools. Meanwhile, DeKalb's property tax rate, historically among the highest in Georgia, has been rolled back for three straight years, though actual property tax bills have still climbed in line with rising home values. In Stone Mountain specifically, new housing development—build-to-rent communities, townhome subdivisions, and mixed-income senior housing—is active.
A family considering DeKalb Alternative School should understand that it serves a population of students who typically require intensive support and have substantial gaps to close. The proficiency data suggests the school is currently working with students operating well below grade-level standards. The fit here depends on what the student needs: a fresh start in a smaller setting, one-on-one academic attention, behavioral structure, or a chance to work on credit recovery or job skills outside a traditional classroom. The school itself does not provide dropout prevention or career pathway data in the available information, so a parent should ask whether the school offers dual-credit courses, work-based learning, or industry certification to complement its academic recovery mission. The residential housing market in the area remains relatively accessible compared to inner-Atlanta, and MARTA bus service connects the school's location to broader transit, though families without cars will want to verify specific route schedules.
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