Austin Elementary leads Dunwoody schools in U.S. News rankings

Austin Elementary School scored 96.98 out of 100 in the 2027 U.S. News Best Elementary Schools rankings, earning the No. 39 spot among 1,260 ranked Georgia elementary schools.

That makes the Roberts Drive school the top-ranked elementary in the Dunwoody and Brookhaven area. Four other local schools also placed in the top 115 statewide.

At Austin Elementary, 90% of students scored at or above the proficient level in math and 81% in reading, according to U.S. News. Both figures far exceed DeKalb County averages of 33% in math and 36% in reading. The school's math performance rated "well above expectations," and its reading performance rated "somewhat above expectations."

The school serves 803 students in pre-K through fifth grade with 51 full-time teachers, all of whom are certified. Its student-teacher ratio is 16-to-1. Kenneth Linsley serves as principal, according to the school's advisory council page.

Other local schools

Dunwoody Elementary School ranked No. 73 statewide with a score of 94.28. Its students scored 75% proficient in math and 72% in reading.

Vanderlyn Elementary School followed closely at No. 74 with a 94.2 score. Vanderlyn students scored 80% proficient in math and 78% in reading.

Chesnut Elementary School, also in Dunwoody, ranked No. 110 with a 91.34 score. Its students scored 61% proficient in both math and reading. Chesnut enrolls 52% economically disadvantaged students, the highest share among the five local schools.

Montgomery Elementary School in Brookhaven ranked No. 115 with a 90.95 score. Its students scored 72% proficient in math and 71% in reading.

All five local schools outperformed DeKalb County and Georgia state averages in both subjects. Statewide, 41% of students tested proficient in math and 39% in reading.

How the rankings work

U.S. News ranked 46,713 elementary schools nationally. The formula weights four factors equally at 25% each: math proficiency, math performance, reading proficiency and reading performance. Half the formula assessed raw scores. The other half factored in socioeconomic demographics.

The rankings rely on assessment results from the 2023-24 school year. Student-teacher ratios served only as tiebreakers.

Steve Barnett, director of the National Institute for Early Education Research and a professor at Rutgers University, said the data can help families make informed choices. "It's difficult for parents to figure out how good the schools their kids are in are, if they're thinking about choosing a neighborhood to live in based on schools," Barnett said in the U.S. News methodology report. "Often, they don't have anything but reputation, which doesn't tell you about what the school contributes."