City Schools of Decatur

Last updated

City Schools of Decatur
DecaturCitySDGAlogo.jpg
Address
125 Electric Avenue
Decatur
, Georgia, 30030
United States
Coordinates 33°46′14″N84°18′06″W / 33.770520°N 84.301770°W / 33.770520; -84.301770
District information
GradesPre-kindergarten – 12
SuperintendentDr. Gyimah Whitaker
Accreditation Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
Georgia Accrediting Commission
Schools10
NCES District ID 1301680 [1]
Students and staff
Enrollment5,655 (2022–23) [1]
Faculty448.60 (FTE) [1]
Staff374.90 (FTE) [1]
Student–teacher ratio12.61 [1]
Other information
Telephone(404) 371-3601
Website csdecatur.net

The City Schools of Decatur is a public charter school district in DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. [2] It serves and is based in Decatur, Georgia.

Contents

City Schools of Decatur has an enrollment of approximately 5,700 students and operates 10 schools: one preschool, five K–2 lower elementary schools, two 3–5 upper elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school. [3] They also run a virtual academy. [4]

History

The system opened in 1902 serving grades K-8. The districts first high school was originally established in 1912. [5] In 1913, the Glennwood School was built, serving both high school and elementary students. [6] The Glennwood School ceased hosting high school students in 1915 and became Decaturs only elementary school. [7]

In 1915, Oakhurst Elementary was built. [8] Winnona Park school opened on September 17, 1923. [9] Clairemont Elementary was opened in 1936. [10]

Winnona Park school survived two fires, one in 1959, the other in 1975. [9]

Glennwood Elementary was renovated in 2002. [11] [7]

In 2004, CSD closed down Westchester Elementary School due to low enrollment numbers. The school later reopened in 2014 due to a "surge in enrollment." [12] In 2013, a new wing was added to Oakhurst Elementary to meet this increased enrollment. [8]

From 2004 to 2011, the building which now houses Glennwood Elementary served as the districts fourth and fifth grade academy. The school was reverted back to serving K-3 grade following the opening of the 4/5 Academy in 2011 [11] [13]

On February 14 2013, President Barrack Obama visited the students at the College Heights Early Childhood Learning Center, before making a speech at the nearby Decatur Community Recreation Center. [14]

In 2019, the district opened the Talley Street Upper Elementary School, serving fourth and fifth grade students. [15] [16] The same years, the district permanently changed its elementary schools to now only service K-2. The third grade students were soon moved to the two upper elementary schools, who began serving grades 3-5. [13]

In 2022, CSD changed the name of the middle school from Carl G. Renfroe Middle to Beacon Hill Middle. The name change was intended to represent Decatur's previously thriving African-American Beacon Hill community and to help preserve the history of the area. [17] [18]

In Spring 2025, CSD held its first Special Olympics competition at the Decatur high school sports stadium. The event featured students with developmental disabilities to participate in events such as soccer, yard bowling, and tug-of-war. The event was open to the public and intended to promote disability awareness to the community. [19]

Academics

Students perform above the state and national averages on standardized tests at all grade levels. Each year City Schools of Decatur has ranked in the top ten districts in Georgia for SAT performance. Decatur High School has been named an AP Challenge and AP Merit school in Georgia. [3] The average amount of experience among teachers is 13 years. [4]

In 2025, Talley Street School and Beacon Hill Middle School were presented banners by Georgia State Superintendent Richard Woods in recognition of their latest literacy and math scores, respectively. The recognition was based on the 2023-2024 Georgia Milestones Assessments. [20]

Schools

Current Schools

Preschool

  • College Heights Early Childhood Learning Center

Elementary schools

  • Clairemont Elementary School (K–2)
  • Glennwood Elementary School (K–2)
  • Oakhurst Elementary School (K–2)
  • Westchester Elementary School (K–2)
  • Winnona Park Elementary School (K–2)
  • Fifth Avenue Upper Elementary School (3–5)
  • Talley Street Upper Elementary School (3–5)

Middle school

  • Beacon Hill Middle School (6–8) (Formerly: Carl G. Renfroe Middle School)

High school

Virtual Academy

"Virtual instruction is offered via electronic platforms. We use Georgia Virtual School as our main platform for students grades 6-12 and Pearson Connexus as our primary platform for elementary students. Virtual courses in these platforms are provided by Georgia-certified educators. In addition to the coursework, CSD staff provides daily check-ins, advisement, executive functioning support, academic intervention, social skills intervention. We work closely with students, families, and supporting professionals to address the needs of individual students." [21]

Former Schools

Elementary schools

  • Beacon Elementary School (K-8) (Closed in 1977)

High school

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Search for Public School Districts – District Detail for City Schools of Decatur". National Center for Education Statistics . Institute of Education Sciences . Retrieved October 28, 2024.
  2. ↑ "Charter for City Schools of Decatur" (PDF). Retrieved February 19, 2023.
  3. 1 2 "About City Schools of Decatur". City Schools of Decatur. Retrieved August 25, 2017.
  4. 1 2 "About Us / Overview". www.csdecatur.net. Retrieved December 23, 2024.
  5. ↑ Earle, Joe (2010). Decatur. Images of America. Mount Pleasant: Arcadia Publishing Inc. ISBN   978-0-7385-8624-3.
  6. ↑ "DeKalb History Center: Decatur City Schools – Scrapbooks" (PDF). DeKalb History Center. November 21, 2024. Retrieved October 16, 2025.
  7. 1 2 "History of Glennwood". glennwood.csdecatur.net. Retrieved October 16, 2025.
  8. 1 2 "About". Oakhurst ElementaryAn EL Education School. Retrieved October 16, 2025.
  9. 1 2 "Our School". winnonapark.csdecatur.net. Retrieved October 16, 2025.
  10. ↑ "About". Clairemont Elementary. Retrieved October 16, 2025.
  11. 1 2 Whisenhunt, Dan (April 24, 2014). "Elementary history – Glennwood marks 100 years". Decaturish. Retrieved October 16, 2025.
  12. ↑ Whisenhunt, Dan (October 28, 2013). "Reminder: Westchester Elementary zoning meeting is tonight". Decaturish. Retrieved October 16, 2025.
  13. 1 2 "History". fave.csdecatur.net. Retrieved October 16, 2025.
  14. ↑ "Remarks by the President on Early Childhood Education -- Decatur, GA". whitehouse.gov. February 14, 2013. Retrieved October 16, 2025.
  15. ↑ Banks, Bill. "New Decatur school set to open Thursday". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. ISSN   1539-7459 . Retrieved October 16, 2025.
  16. ↑ Decaturish.com (August 1, 2019). "Talley Street Upper Elementary opens in Decatur". Decaturish. Retrieved October 16, 2025.
  17. ↑ Seiler, Zoe (May 11, 2022). "Decatur School Board renames Renfroe Middle School to Beacon Hill Middle School". Decaturish. Retrieved February 13, 2025.
  18. ↑ Fonville, Christine (May 17, 2022). "City Schools of Decatur board votes on new name for middle school". The Champion Newspaper | 404-373-7779 | Georgia. Retrieved February 13, 2025.
  19. ↑ Bass, Jim (March 20, 2025). "City Schools of Decatur to host inaugural Special Olympics competition on March 26". Decaturish. Retrieved March 28, 2025.
  20. ↑ Bass, Jim (March 26, 2025). "State Superintendent Woods recognizes Talley Street and Beacon Hill as State Leader Schools". Decaturish. Retrieved March 28, 2025.
  21. ↑ "Decatur Virtual Academy / Homepage". www.csdecatur.net. Retrieved December 23, 2024.


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