McLendon Elementary School

As a compact elementary school in Decatur, Georgia, McLendon Elementary School serves 342 students from grades pre-K through 5, run under DeKalb County. Enrollment runs roughly 43% smaller than the state mean of about 605.

Within DeKalb County, which oversees 131 schools and 92,088 students, McLendon Elementary School is one campus in the system.

For racial and ethnic makeup, McLendon Elementary School records that the largest single group is Black, at 58% of enrollment; the rest consists of 19% Hispanic, 10% Asian, 7% multiracial, 5% White.

In terms of school funding signals, On paper, McLendon Elementary School has 31 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 11.0:1. That figure is tighter than the state norm's 13.3:1 average. About 100% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, often used as a Title I proxy. Set against DeKalb County (around 77%), the school's rate is noticeably above typical.

On a residual basis (actual vs predicted given the student mix), McLendon Elementary School sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 25.7%; this one delivers 24.8%.

Zooming out to the county, the surrounding county (DeKalb County) records that the typical household earns roughly $80,644 per year, roughly 47% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 10% of residents live below the federal poverty line. McLendon Elementary School is one of 154 public schools in DeKalb County (combined enrollment of about 102,960 students).

The closest other public school is Laurel Ridge Elementary School, roughly 1.1 miles away. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts McLendon Elementary School at 6th of 8; the average score across the group is 43.3%.

Geographically, the school is in a bedroom-community area.

Trend over the last 7 years. Over the past 7-year window, the student count fell 19%: 421 students in 2018 compared to 342 in 2025. The Asian share of enrollment declined from 28% to 10% over that span.

On this page, recent activity here tends to focus on pickup logistics, teacher feedback, and after-school programs. Members of the school community can share what they know.