State recognizes two DeKalb County schools for improved graduation rates

Two DeKalb County schools are among five schools in the state that have been recognized by the Georgia Department of Education for exceptional academic improvement or achievement.

Clarkston High School and McNair High School, which had been cited for having low graduation rates, are no longer being classified as Comprehensive Support & Improvement Schools, because their four-year graduation rates rose above 67 percent in 2024. 

The four-year graduation rate for the entire Dekalb County School District rose to 79.1 percent in 2024, up 3.3 percent from 2023. The latest figure is a 20.5 percent increase from 2011.

McNair High School's graduation rate increased 21.7 percent, from 55.2 percent to 76.9 percent between 2023 and 2024, the school district says. Clarkston High School's rate rose 8.1 percent during the same period.

DeKalb County warming centers open for at least one week

DeKalb County will operate several warming centers 24 hours a day for the next week, as temperatures are expected to fall nearly 10 degrees below normal and wintry precipitation is expected on Friday and Saturday.

"We're going to see the first very serious bout of cold weather for this winter," DeKalb County Chief Operating Officer Zach Williams said Tuesday. 

"We've had shelters open as early as early November, but we are anticipating cold weather through the next week. We will be utilizing several 24-hour warming centers," he told a meeting of county commissioners.

The locations are:

- Frontline Response International, 2585 Gresham Rd., Atlanta

- Tobie Grant Recreation Center, 593 Parkdale Dr., Scottdale

- Mason Mill Recreation Center, 1340 McConnell Dr., Decatur

- Exchange Recreation Center, 2771 Columbia Dr., Decatur

"Each of those four will be open on a 24-hour basis until further notice, which will probably be about a week's time, maybe longer," Williams said.

The county will also operate an overnight warming center at the North DeKalb Senior/Community Center, 3393 Malone Dr. in Chamblee.

"It's not a 24-hour, it's overnight only," Williams said.

Fire stations are not being used as overnight warming center locations during this cold spell.

DeKalb County has posted information about the warming centers at https://www.dekalbcountyga.gov/weather.

The county last operated 24-hour centers in January 2024, when overnight lows were in the teens.