Leadership Preparatory Academy, Lithonia GA

Original Research by School Decision on Leadership Preparatory Academy

Leadership Preparatory Academy is a charter school serving kindergarten through eighth grade in Lithonia, a small city in eastern DeKalb County near the I-20 corridor. The school enrolls a small cohort of students, with enrollment distributed across nine grade levels, the largest concentrations in fourth grade and smaller groups in seventh and eighth.

The student body is predominantly Black or African American, reflecting Lithonia's community composition. A substantial majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a population with significant economic need. No data was available on special education enrollment or English learner populations, so parents may want to contact the school directly about those services.

On state assessments administered in the spring of 2025, Leadership Preparatory's proficiency results show uneven performance across grades and subjects. In English language arts, third-grade students performed at a higher level, while fourth-grade results dropped sharply and recovered somewhat in fifth and sixth grades before rising again in seventh and eighth. Mathematics results are notably lower across the grade span, with particularly weak outcomes in grades four and five; performance improves in grades six through eight but remains below half proficiency at even the highest grade tested. Science proficiency at fifth grade is low, improving by eighth grade but still below one in three students meeting state standards. Eighth-grade social studies shows performance at a similar level to eighth-grade science.

Across all tested subjects and grades, the school's overall proficiency index places it in the top quartile among districts in DeKalb County, a position that reflects the composition of the comparison group rather than strong absolute performance. Parents should review the grade-by-grade and subject-by-subject results carefully; the pattern suggests the school may be working to build fundamentals in the elementary grades, with somewhat stronger output in middle school, though achievement gaps persist across the board.

The school operates as a charter within DeKalb County School District, which is currently undertaking a major Student Assignment Project that could reshape school boundaries and close or consolidate dozens of schools over the next several years as part of a broader effort to address capacity and enrollment challenges. That process, expected to conclude with a final recommendation in December 2026, may affect school assignments and choices in the Lithonia area. Additionally, the district recently passed E-SPLOST VI, a sales-tax-funded capital program running through 2027, with plans to create a new Sequoyah middle and high school and convert some schools to specialty academies; families may want to understand how that long-term facility and program shift could affect their choices.

Housing in the 30038 zip code reflects moderate value for the metro Atlanta region, with median home prices below both state and national benchmarks. Rents are similarly modest. The area is growing, with new townhome and apartment construction underway, including affordable housing development on the former Lithonia Plaza site. Transit options include MARTA bus service to Five Points Station and GRTA Xpress commuter buses to downtown Atlanta from the Panola Road Park & Ride.

State testing data on prior years was not available, so the school's trend over time is unknown. Graduation rate data does not apply, as the school serves only through eighth grade. A parent considering Leadership Preparatory should obtain detailed information from the school about its curriculum approach, support services for students not yet meeting grade-level standards, and how the school's performance trajectory aligns with their family's needs heading into high school transition.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 368%

School 68% · District 34% · ▲ 34 pts above district

▲ 28 pts above state median · ▲ 40 pts above county median

Grade 411%

School 11% · District 35% · ▼ 23 pts below district

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

Grade 514%

School 14% · District 32% · ▼ 18 pts below district

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

Grade 629%

School 29% · District 23% · ▲ 6 pts above district

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

Grade 744%

School 44% · District 26% · ▲ 18 pts above district

▲ 10 pts above state median · ▲ 21 pts above county median

Grade 845%

School 45% · District 34% · ▲ 11 pts above district

▲ 3 pts above state median · ▲ 10 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 357%

School 57% · District 30% · ▲ 28 pts above district

▲ 26 pts above state median · ▲ 32 pts above county median

Grade 426%

School 26% · District 30% · ▼ 4 pts below district

▼ 8 pts below state median · even with county median

Grade 543%

School 43% · District 35% · ▲ 8 pts above district

▲ 5 pts above state median · ▲ 13 pts above county median

Grade 643%

School 43% · District 31% · ▲ 12 pts above district

▲ 7 pts above state median · ▲ 10 pts above county median

Grade 752%

School 52% · District 30% · ▲ 23 pts above district

▲ 17 pts above state median · ▲ 19 pts above county median

Grade 855%

School 55% · District 32% · ▲ 23 pts above district

▲ 20 pts above state median · ▲ 23 pts above county median

Science

Grade 519%

School 19% · District 33% · ▼ 14 pts below district

▼ 20 pts below state median · ▼ 7 pts below county median

Grade 830%

School 30% · District 25% · ▲ 5 pts above district

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

Social studies

Grade 830%

School 30% · District 23% · ▲ 7 pts above district

▼ 1 pts below state median · ▲ 9 pts above 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.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grades 3-8Lower-income43%Higher-income56%13 pp gap

Mathematics

Grades 3-8Lower-income23%Higher-income42%19 pp gap