City: Atlanta, GA

Category: Education

Telephone: (678) 676-1200

Address: 3770 North Decatur Rd.

Description: DeKalb’s school district has an enrollment of approximately 102,000 students. DeKalb’s 84 elementary schools, 21 high schools, 20 middle schools, and 20 learning centers make it one of the largest school operations in Georgia. Statistics from 2009 show that $8,190 was spent on each student, a figure above the national average. Eighty percent of DeKalb students continue their education past high school. In the DeKalb system, elementary schools for the most part extend through the 7th grade, with high schools serving grades 8 through 12. The county is moving to a middle school system. There is full-day kindergarten in every DeKalb elementary school and 80 prekindergarten programs. Students in DeKalb enjoy a student-teacher ratio that averages 23 to 1 systemwide; of course, this does vary by grade level. More than 60 percent of teachers and administrators hold a master’s degree or a doctorate. DeKalb’s magnet school program for students with special interests and abilities offers bountiful opportunities. There are schools for high achievers, math, science and technology, computer education, the performing arts, writing, and more than a half dozen foreign languages, including Russian, Japanese, and Chinese. A special feature operated by the county school system is Fernbank Science Center. This museum, classroom, and woodland complex is on 65 acres of old-growth forest. It also houses the nation’s third-largest planetarium. The telescope in its observatory is the largest in the world dedicated primarily to public education. Each year, the STT (Scientific Tools and Techniques) Program gives nearly 200 9th- and 10th-grade students the opportunity for independent study in science and math. Special education classes serve approximately 11,000 children with special needs in specific areas, including learning disabilities, hearing, vision, speech, and emotional disorders. Unique in the Southeast, and one of only a handful in the country, is DeKalb’s International Center. Established in 1985, the center acts as liaison between schools and international language students and their families, who represent 160 countries and 72 language groups. DeKalb registers an estimated 3,000 international students each year.