Original Research by School Decision on Centennial High School
Centennial High School serves a large, economically and racially mixed enrollment of high school students in Roswell, a north Atlanta suburb anchored by a historic downtown and increasingly shaped by mixed-use infill development. The school sits on a separate campus in a residential neighborhood, a typical Fulton County Schools site pattern, rather than within the walkable downtown core. Roswell itself has drawn major employers including Kimberly-Clark, GM's IT Innovation Center, North Fulton Hospital, and UPS, alongside professional services and healthcare companies, making it an employment hub as well as a bedroom community for Atlanta.
The school's enrollment spans roughly equal cohorts across grades nine through twelve, with slightly larger ninth and tenth grade classes. Just under half the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that while Roswell has an affluent reputation, Centennial draws students across a range of household incomes. Racially, the school is diverse: Hispanic and white students each represent about one-third of enrollment, black students comprise roughly a quarter, and Asian students and multiracial students together make up another small share. This composition reflects both the city's residential growth patterns and the broader demographic trends in Fulton County Schools.
The school's academic performance data was not available, so a parent weighing Centennial would want to request current testing results, graduation rates, and course offerings directly from the school or district website. Similarly, data on enrollment in advanced programs, special education, and English learner services were not reported in the available records. A parent may want to look into these areas further with the school to understand the scope of program access.
Fulton County Schools, the district serving Centennial, has invested substantially in reading instruction through its "Every Child Reads" initiative, a district-wide shift to Science of Reading practices that replaced a fragmented school-by-school approach with uniform LETRS training for teachers and literacy coaches in every elementary school. This strategy has produced measurable gains on state assessments and positioned Fulton as a leader in literacy outcomes. While this initiative targets K-5, the consistency of instructional approach across the district shapes the foundation students bring to high school.
The district has also navigated enrollment shifts: in early 2025 the board approved closure and consolidation of two elementary schools with attendance-zone redistricting taking effect in the 2025-26 school year, a signal of declining elementary enrollment district-wide despite the affluence of many communities it serves. This reflects both demographic trends and housing market dynamics in the Atlanta metro area.
Property taxes in Roswell are anchored by a stable millage rate that the school board has held steady for multiple years, though rising home values have still produced real increases in school tax bills. The district maintains a local homestead exemption capping tax-bill growth at a modest annual percentage or inflation (whichever is less) and opted out of Georgia's new statewide floating exemption in early 2025 to preserve that protection. For families considering a move to Roswell, median home values are above state benchmarks and climb regularly, while the rental market runs somewhat lower than an equivalent mortgage payment would be, making purchase more affordable relative to renting.
Roswell itself is in a downtown-revitalization phase emphasizing mixed-use infill: the Hill Street mixed-use project near City Hall will add multifamily apartments and townhomes alongside expanded commercial space, while the Southern Post project (built on the old Roswell Plaza site) has opened office, retail, dining, and luxury housing with pedestrian connections to Canton Street. These developments are shifting the city's character from pure bedroom suburb toward a more urban, walkable core, though most of Roswell remains car-oriented and quiet residential neighborhoods. Access to MARTA bus service is limited to two routes running from the North Springs rail station with peak headways, so families without personal vehicles would face transit constraints.
Centennial is accessible to families seeking a large public high school in a diverse, growing suburban community with significant employment presence and rising commercial activity. For specifics on AP and dual-credit offerings, graduation outcomes, and college placement, direct contact with the school's counseling office or website is necessary.
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