DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — The state of DeKalb County Schools has been in the spotlight after several students made a video of the conditions at Druid Hills High.
But, it turns out Druid Hills High isn’t the only school in bad shape. The county is overwhelmed with schools in poor condition.
Hundreds of pages of reports document crumbling buildings and worsening conditions after a district-wide assessment in 2020.
By now, you’ve probably seen the video of Druid Hills High Schools showing mold on the walls, backed up sewage, and holes in the ceiling and walls.
It’s hard to believe anything could be worse, but it turns out it’s not even close.
DeKalb County School Board member Anna Hill reacted to the conditions at their meeting on April 18th by saying, “Your school isn’t even among the top 20 for highest need.”
11Alive’s Christie Diez went through all the reports, and it’s true.
Based on their Facility Condition Assessment score, Druid Hills ranks only 68th on the list.
The top three schools with the worst scores:
- Jolly Elementary (47.1)
- Idlewood Elementary (48.8)
- Dunwoody Elementary Annex at Nancy Creek (49.2)
The numbers next to their names are scores out of 100.
Based on the assessment, every school was ranked on a scale of “Good” to “Replacement.” More than half of DeKalb County Schools are classified as “Poor” or “Very Poor” condition. Less than 10% are considered “Good” or “Average.”
It’s leaving many families in the district asking this question: “I’d like to know how has this happened?”
11Alive has reached out to DeKalb County to walk through some of these schools. We’re working to schedule something once school is out for the summer.
Find out where your school ranks here: