829 Whelchel Dr #0
Decatur, GA 30033

As a parent of two children who are/have attended Fernbank for a combined eight years, I can confidently say that it is the best public elementary school in the area.The teachers and staff are incredibly dedicated to their students. They are passionate about teaching and creating a positive and nurturing learning environment. My children have loved all of their teachers, and they have thrived academically and emotionally under their care. In addition to its academic excellence Fernbank is also a very welcoming and inclusive community. The school celebrates diversity and makes all students feel valued and respected. Like any school, as a parent you can be as involved as you want to be! Post-COVID there are lots of ways to be involved, from being a class book reader to going on field trips. The administration and staff are approachable and get to know each child. They also know how to get things done! The test scores have gone up over the last three years, a rarity in Georgia! Go Fernbank!

I recently graduated from DHHS. I saw a lot of teachers leave and new ones come through who were just okay. A lot of things go unseen at this school. There are kids doing drugs in the restroom making it hard for those of us who actually had to use it, causing long lines and other bathrooms to close making the lines even longer. This resulted in tardiness. In my time the class change time was switched from 10min to 5 min. I don’t know what they were trying to do but considering the hallways were small and lots of students. It was hard to be on time. I cannot recall a single thing about what I learned there. I found the teachers to be uncaring in regards of mental health. I do recall a few teachers who went above and beyond for all students. But they were not the majority. There were always fights. Sometimes multiple per day. A car once caught on fire in the parking lot. Speaking of parking, they need to expand where kids can park. I had to pay $12 a day to be able to drive to school. I had after school activities and my parents couldn’t pick me up so I had no choice than to drive. I payed almost $600 in parking tickets and towing fees because I parked at the school. On campus parking was reserved for dual enrollment students and teachers kids. Overall. This school isn’t great, please if you want your child to succeed but they need a little help from teachers to do so, this is not the place.

We had high hopes for DHMS based on other people’s experiences we had heard, but the focus at the school is all wrong. The teachers spend more time dress coding girls than teaching. And none of the teachers are on the same page as to what is acceptable. My child has been removed from class many times due to leggings that one teacher thought were unacceptable yet later told by another teacher that they are acceptable. There is little to no respect given to the students by most teachers. Middle school is tough and an awkward time and we must remember the students are children. They deserve to be treated with respect. There are teachers that really should be fired, but due to their tenure, I’m sure they are untouchable. Screaming at children and making them feel less than is unacceptable in my opinion! Bullying is full force. Teachers do not treat all children equally. Counselors were very little help to me when I reached out. Shocking how many fights my child sees in the halls. The vibe feels more like a juvenile detention center rather than a nurturing educational facility. I think the school could make a big difference if only their teachers weren’t treating students like criminals.