How safe is the school, really — beyond what the marketing says?
Based on news coverage, three events stand out. On 3 April 2025 the school’s weapon-detection system flagged a student’s backpack at entry, a handgun was found and the student was arrested; no injuries were reported. On 15 December 2022 the school was evacuated to Piedmont Park after a bomb threat, and a K-9 search found no devices. On 25 August 2022 a social-media threat of gun violence against students was investigated by Atlanta police, the FBI and Atlanta Public Schools police, and classes continued with extra police on site. We found no current suspension, expulsion or climate-survey figures, so we cannot say how safe students feel today.
| Date | Event | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| 3 April 2025 | Weapon-detection system flagged a backpack at entry | Handgun found; student arrested; no injuries reported |
| 15 December 2022 | Bomb threat | Evacuation to Piedmont Park; K-9 search found no devices |
| 25 August 2022 | Social-media threat of gun violence | Police, FBI and school police investigated; classes continued; no arrest reported |
These are the incidents the news reports name, not a count of everything that has happened; none of them involved a reported injury.
How do students perform on state assessments in reading and math?
According to SchoolDigger, 50% of the school’s students met standards across the 2025–26 Georgia Milestones tests, against 38% in Atlanta Public Schools and 45% statewide, with end-of-course results of 59.5% in Biology, 43.9% in Algebra I and 35.9% in U.S. History. SchoolDigger ranks the school 120th of 457 Georgia public high schools for 2026, down from 75th of 451 in 2025, and its average standard score fell from 72.5 to 58.2. Federal data show 66% proficient in reading (2021–22) and 65% in math (2022–23), and AllK12 gives 53.7% in math for 2024–25 against 44.6% statewide. We could not read the state’s own school report card.
| Measure | Midtown | District / Georgia |
|---|---|---|
| Meeting standards, all tests, 2025–26 | 50% | 38% / 45% |
| Biology end-of-course, 2025–26 | 59.5% | 12 points above Georgia |
| Algebra I end-of-course, 2025–26 | 43.9% | 4 points below Georgia |
| U.S. History end-of-course, 2025–26 | 35.9% | 3 points below Georgia |
| Reading proficiency, 2021–22 | 66% | 32% / 39.6% |
| Math proficiency, 2022–23 | 65% | 25% (2021–22) / 38.7% |
Niche, summarising state data, reports 66% proficient in reading and 60% in math. The measures differ by source and year, and proficiency rates compare schools within Georgia only; the fall in the 2026 average standard score is SchoolDigger’s figure and we found no explanation for it.
What’s the real class size and student–teacher ratio?
Federal data as Plain Schools republishes it list 103.3 full-time teachers for 1,696 students in 2024–25, a ratio of 16.4 students to each teacher against a Georgia high-school median of 15.8, and SchoolDigger gives the same 16.4 while Niche rounds it to 16. These are school-wide ratios, not the number of students in a classroom, and the school publishes no class sizes. The latest counselor figure we found is 4.0 full-time counselors, one for every 386 students, in 2021–22.
| School year | Students | Students to each teacher |
|---|---|---|
| 2022–23 | 1,602 | 15.6 (102.9 teachers) |
| 2023–24 | 1,658 | 15.6 (106.3 teachers) |
| 2024–25 | 1,696 | 16.4 (103.3 teachers) |
The ratio has risen about a student per teacher in two years as enrolment grew by 94 students and the teacher count held near 103. Neither source reports teacher credentials or turnover.
What’s the graduation rate, and how college-ready are graduates?
Federal data as Plain Schools republishes it give a four-year graduation rate of 91% for the class of 2023 (412 students), against 84.4% for Georgia and 87% for the district, while SchoolDigger gives 95.3% for its latest year. Atlanta Public Schools reported a district rate of 91.2% on 28 September 2026 without naming Midtown. On readiness, Niche reports an average SAT of 1240 and ACT of 29 from student-submitted scores, with 54% of students taking an Advanced Placement course and 75% of those passing at least one exam. We found no published figures for where graduates enrol.
| Measure | Midtown | Comparison |
|---|---|---|
| Graduation rate, class of 2023 | 91% | Georgia 84.4%, district 87% |
| Graduation rate, SchoolDigger | 95.3% | — |
| SAT average, student-reported (Niche) | 1240 | — |
| ACT average, student-reported (Niche) | 29 | — |
| AP students passing at least one exam (Niche) | 75% | 54% take an AP course |
The SAT and ACT figures come from self-reports by 785 and 379 Niche respondents, so they describe the students who chose to report, not the whole class. The school’s Advanced Placement page lists 21 courses, where Niche and federal data cite an older count of 28.
Which future-critical STEM fields is this school genuinely strong in—and which ones are major gaps?
Based on our review, the one strong field is robotics, at 4.0 out of 5. Computer science follows at 3.0, cybersecurity, Earth and geospatial, aerospace and advanced manufacturing are at 2.0, AI and data, clean energy and biotechnology are at 1.0, and battery storage is absent at 0.0.
| Field | Grade | What we found |
|---|---|---|
| Robotics | 4.0/5 | FIRST Team 1648, competing since 2005, at the FIRST Championship in 2025 and 2026 |
| Computer science | 3.0/5 | AP Computer Science Principles and A |
| Cybersecurity | 2.0/5 | A Cybersecurity Club; a pathway whose current status is unconfirmed |
| Earth & geospatial | 2.0/5 | Environmental Science, AP Environmental Science, two environmental clubs |
| Aerospace | 2.0/5 | A drone team at the AMA UAS4STEM finals in 2023 and 2024 |
| Advanced manufacturing | 2.0/5 | Engineering and drafting pathways in a 2021–22 catalog |
| AI & data | 1.0/5 | AP Statistics; no AI or data-science course |
| Clean energy | 1.0/5 | Environmental-science courses and clubs only |
| Biotechnology | 1.0/5 | Biology, anatomy and forensic science; no biotechnology course |
| Batteries | 0.0/5 | Nothing found |
How strong is it in robotics, engineering and hands-on problem solving?
Robotics is the school’s strongest field, at 4.0 out of 5, through G3 Robotics, FIRST Team 1648, an after-school team that has competed since 2005. FIRST’s records show it ranking 9th of 94 teams in the 2025 district standings and 12th of 91 in 2026, winning a district event at North Charleston in 2026 and reaching the FIRST Championship in both years. Engineering coursework is harder to confirm: the pathways we found are in a 2021–22 catalog, and the team’s own site describes G3 as a metro-Atlanta group, so not every member is necessarily a Midtown student.
| Season | Highlights | District points (rank) |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Quality Award at Carrollton; 23rd of 50 at the district championship | 94 (42nd of 133) |
| 2025 | Creativity Award and Finalist places at Dalton and Statesboro; 8th of 50 at the district championship; FIRST Championship, Johnson Division | 223 (9th of 94) |
| 2026 | District Event Winner and Autonomous Award at North Charleston; Innovation in Control Award at Gwinnett; Quality Award at the district championship; FIRST Championship, Archimedes Division | 182 (12th of 91) |
The engineering pathway in the 2021–22 catalog runs Foundations of Engineering & Technology, Engineering Concepts and Engineering Applications, beside a drafting and design pathway. We could not confirm that they run now, and found no robotics course of the school’s own.
Do students get access to advanced coursework, specialist electives and serious competitions?
Yes for Advanced Placement and for competition, less certainly for specialist electives. The school’s Advanced Placement page lists 21 courses, including Calculus AB and BC, Statistics, Biology, Chemistry, Physics 1, Environmental Science and two computer-science courses, with the AP Capstone pair of AP Seminar and AP Research; its dual-enrollment page names seven partner colleges, Georgia Tech among them. On competition, the robotics team reached the FIRST Championship in 2025 and 2026, and the drone team was at the Academy of Model Aeronautics finals in 2023 and 2024. The engineering, drafting, cyberspace-security and fintech pathways we found are in a 2021–22 catalog, so we cannot confirm they run now.
| Level | What we found |
|---|---|
| Advanced Placement | 21 courses, among them Calculus AB and BC, Statistics, Biology, Chemistry, Physics 1, Computer Science Principles and A |
| AP Capstone | AP Seminar and AP Research |
| Dual enrollment | Kennesaw State, Atlanta Metropolitan State, Georgia State, Atlanta Technical College, Georgia Tech, Oglethorpe and Clayton State |
| Competitions | FIRST Robotics; AMA UAS4STEM drone finals; no science, cybersecurity or computing competition result found |
The dual-enrollment page lists no individual courses, so how many students take college classes is not known.
How much of what the school claims can actually be independently verified?
Little beyond robotics. FIRST’s event and award records independently confirm the robotics team for every season from 2023 to 2026, and the Academy of Model Aeronautics confirms the drone team in 2023 and 2024. The other eight fields we reviewed rest on the school’s own course and club pages and a 2021–22 catalog, with no independent competition or award record from 2023 to 2026. Of four statements we tested, two overstate what we found and two understate it.
| Basis | Fields |
|---|---|
| FIRST records, 2023–2026 | Robotics |
| AMA competition results, 2023–2024 | Aerospace |
| The school’s own pages and a 2021–22 catalog only | The other eight fields |
The two statements that overstate what we found are the STE(A)M Signature Program, for which we found no course sequence, and the drone team described as international and award-winning, where a student-newspaper brief claims a national third place but gives no date and the Academy’s lists do not show it. The two that understate are the robotics team, whose FIRST record the school does not mention, and a sentence about Advanced Placement and dual enrollment that names no course or college.
Will your child be ready for jobs that don’t exist yet?
Here’s what the evidence actually shows for Midtown High School — not what the brochure claims.
45/100 — Weak overall. Midtown High School’s robotics is advanced: G3 Robotics, FIRST Robotics Competition Team 1648, has competed since 2005, was a District Event Winner at North Charleston in 2026, and reached the FIRST Championship in 2025 and 2026.
But: battery storage is absent, and AI, clean energy and biotechnology are lacking.
Best positioned forRobotics
Underdeveloped inBatteries, AI & Data, Clean Energy
Future-critical exposure2/15 domains
Very strong
- None
Strong
- Robotics
Limited
- Computer Science
Little / no pathway
- AI & Data
- Cybersecurity
- Clean Energy
- Biotechnology
- Earth & Geospatial
- Aerospace
- Advanced Manufacturing
- Batteries
Best fit for
Less ideal for
Where the marketing exceeds the evidence
No STEM course sequence tied to the signature program was identified.
Where the school is stronger than its marketing suggests
Where the marketing exceeds the evidence
No award record matching “international award-winning” was identified.
Where the school is stronger than its marketing suggests
Curriculum
- AP Statistics, AP Calculus AB and BC, and the two AP computer-science courses, listed on the school’s Advanced Placement page
Evidence seen
- A Fintech pathway in the 2021–22 catalog includes Coding for FinTech; the catalog predates the school’s 2021 rename, so whether it still runs is not confirmed
What's missing
- No artificial-intelligence, machine-learning or data-science course, club or competition identified
- No data-science or discrete-mathematics course in the course lists we could read
Evidence seen
- A Cybersecurity Club is listed on the school’s clubs page, with no description (school-reported)
- The 2021–22 catalog lists a Cyberspace Security pathway: Introduction to Hardware Technology: Cyberspace Security, Networking Fundamentals, and Networking Systems & Support; the catalog predates the 2021 rename, so its current status is not confirmed
What's missing
- No cybersecurity competition result, CyberPatriot team or industry certification identified
- No current course list for the pathway found
Evidence seen
- G3 Robotics, FIRST Robotics Competition Team 1648, rookie year 2005, is listed on the school’s clubs page as a student-led team (school-reported)
- FIRST event records for 2023 to 2026: District FIRST Impact Award at Dalton (2023); Quality Award at Carrollton (2024); Creativity Award at Dalton and at the District Championship, Finalist places at Dalton and Statesboro, and the FIRST Championship’s Johnson Division (2025); District Event Winner and Autonomous Award at North Charleston, Innovation in Control Award and a Finalist place at Gwinnett, Quality Award at the District Championship, and the Archimedes Division (2026)
- Ninth of 94 teams in the 2025 district standings and twelfth of 91 in 2026
Curriculum
- No robotics course of its own identified; the team meets after school
What's missing
- The team’s own site describes G3 as a metro-Atlanta group, so not every member is necessarily a Midtown student
- No robotics teacher or industry credential identified
Curriculum
- Environmental Science in the 2021–22 catalog and AP Environmental Science (grade 12) on the Advanced Placement page
Evidence seen
- An Earth & Sustainability Club, a Plantlanta club that works with Trees Atlanta, and a Cleanup Club (school-reported)
What's missing
- No energy, solar or climate-technology course, laboratory or competition identified
- The environmental work found is awareness and conservation, not energy technology
Curriculum
- Biology, Chemistry, Human Anatomy & Physiology and Forensic Science in the 2021–22 catalog, and AP Biology and AP Chemistry on the Advanced Placement page
What's missing
- No biotechnology, genetics-laboratory or synthetic-biology course identified
- No HOSA chapter, Science Olympiad team or biotechnology competition found
Curriculum
- AP Computer Science Principles (grades 10–12) and AP Computer Science A (grades 11–12), listed on the school’s Advanced Placement page; each counts toward the fourth science credit
Evidence seen
- A Computer Science Honor Club is listed on the clubs page, with no description (school-reported)
- The 2021–22 catalog lists a Fintech pathway: Introduction to Financial Technology, Financial Technologies and Services, and Coding for FinTech; its current status is not confirmed
What's missing
- No computer-science competition result or industry certification identified
- No AP computer-science exam results published for the school
Curriculum
- Environmental Science and AP Environmental Science, as listed under Clean Energy
Evidence seen
- The Earth & Sustainability Club and the Plantlanta club, which works with Trees Atlanta (school-reported)
What's missing
- No geographic-information-systems, geology or Earth-science course identified
- No field-study, mapping or Earth-science competition record found
Evidence seen
- The clubs page lists a Drones Club, which it describes as the Midtown Mavericks (school-reported)
- The Academy of Model Aeronautics lists a Midtown Mavericks team in the UAS4STEM Advanced Division in 2023 and among the 2024 finalists; a drone-racing event is on the school calendar for 14 September 2026
What's missing
- Not in the 2025 finals results or the 2026 preliminary results we found; a student-newspaper brief claiming a national third place is undated
- No aerospace, aviation or drone-piloting course, or FAA Part 107 preparation, identified
Evidence seen
- The 2021–22 catalog lists an Engineering pathway (Foundations of Engineering & Technology, Engineering Concepts, Engineering Applications) and an Engineering and Drafting/Design pathway; the catalog predates the 2021 rename, so current status is not confirmed
- The 2021 renovation added four industry-certified career, technical and agricultural education spaces, according to Wikipedia
What's missing
- No manufacturing, machining, 3D-printing or computer-controlled fabrication course, club or certification identified
- No placement or credential record published
What's missing
- No battery, energy-storage or electric-vehicle course, laboratory, club or competition found in the school’s pages, the course catalog or competition records searched
Creativity cannot be graded the way a course can. It can only be evidenced through what students made.
| Criterion | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Art + technology | ||||
| Design | ||||
| Architecture | ||||
| Engineering design | ||||
| Media / digital production | ||||
| Maker learning | ||||
| Interdisciplinary projects |
One strand runs for three years or more. 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026 are the densest years, at 2 of 7 criteria each.
The record — 1 artefact
A competition robot designed and built each season for FIRST’s district events, with the work recognised in FIRST’s award records: the Quality Award in 2024, the Creativity Award in 2025 for the robot Wellerman, and the Innovation in Control and Autonomous Awards in 2026 for the robot Antikythera. The team’s own site describes G3 as a metro-Atlanta group, so not every builder is necessarily a Midtown student.
FIRST event and award records, 2023–2026
Nothing found for
No student work was found evidencing these. For a school this well documented, an unrecorded programme is unlikely to be a large one.
What a family should ask about directly
- Batteries are absent, and AI, clean energy and biotechnology reach exposure level only: statistics and calculus, environmental-science courses, and life-science courses with no technology strand. A student set on any of them should ask which course or club would take the work further.
- Robotics and drones are after-school teams rather than courses. G3 Robotics describes itself as a metro-Atlanta group, so ask how many members come from Midtown, how new students join, what it costs, and what a student who cannot stay until 7:00 p.m. can do.
- The engineering, drafting, cyberspace-security and fintech pathways we found come from a 2021–22 catalog that predates the school’s 2021 rename. Ask which pathways run this year, who teaches them, and which industry certifications they lead to.
| Domain | Evidence class | Key sources |
|---|---|---|
| AI & Data | Verified | School Advanced Placement page; 2021–22 course catalog (Fintech pathway); no artificial-intelligence or data-science course found |
| Cybersecurity | School-reported | School clubs page (Cybersecurity Club); 2021–22 course catalog (Cyberspace Security pathway); no competition or credential found |
| Robotics | Officially recorded · School-reported | FIRST event and award records for Team 1648, 2023–2026; school clubs page; the team’s own site |
| Clean Energy | Verified · School-reported | School Advanced Placement page; 2021–22 course catalog; school clubs page; no energy course found |
| Biotechnology | Verified | School Advanced Placement page; 2021–22 course catalog; no biotechnology course found |
| Computer Science | Verified · School-reported | School Advanced Placement page (AP Computer Science Principles and A); school clubs page; 2021–22 course catalog |
| Earth & Geospatial | Verified · School-reported | School Advanced Placement page; school clubs page; no geographic-information-systems course found |
| Aerospace | Observed / archived · School-reported | Academy of Model Aeronautics UAS4STEM results, 2023–2025; school clubs page; student-newspaper brief (undated) |
| Advanced Manufacturing | School-reported | 2021–22 course catalog (engineering and drafting pathways); Wikipedia on the 2021 renovation; no manufacturing course found |
| Batteries & Energy Storage | Verified | School pages, 2021–22 course catalog and competition records searched; nothing found |
Academics
A four-year college preparatory and career technology high school in midtown Atlanta.
Our rigorous curriculum includes Honors, Advanced Placement, and Dual Enrollment options. We run eight classes, with four meeting each day on an A/B schedule, and our students need 24 units to graduate, including four in science and four in math. Ask below about any course.
Advanced Placement
We offer 21 Advanced Placement courses, with exams in May.
- AP Capstone: AP Seminar and AP Research
- AP Calculus AB and BC, and AP Statistics
- AP Biology, AP Chemistry, AP Physics 1 and AP Environmental Science
- AP Computer Science Principles and AP Computer Science A, each of which counts as a fourth science credit
Dual enrollment
Our juniors and seniors, and a very few sophomores, can take college courses with tuition covered through Georgia funding.
- Kennesaw State University, Georgia State University and Georgia Tech
- Atlanta Metropolitan State College, Atlanta Technical College and Clayton State University
- Oglethorpe University
Our Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts & Mathematics Signature Program
We are committed to preparing students for college and 21st century careers by providing high quality educational experiences.
- G3 Robotics, a student-led team (FIRST Team 1648)
- The Midtown Mavericks drone team, our Drones Club
- A Cybersecurity Club and a Computer Science Honor Club
- An Earth & Sustainability Club
Arts, media and support
We offer band, orchestra, chorus, theatre and visual arts, and our students produce a weekly newscast, Knight View, and a student newspaper, The Southerner.
- Army JROTC, leadership education and training levels 1–4
- The Talented and Gifted (TAG) program
- Atlanta Virtual Academy courses
- Our College and Career Center
Advanced Placement courses on our Advanced Placement page
Ask about academics
Calendar
Our 2026–27 school year.
Key dates from the Atlanta Public Schools 2026–27 calendar. Our school day follows the district high school schedule, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Ask below if you need us to confirm a date before you book travel.
October
November
December
April
May
Ask about the calendar
Our Story
Home of the Knights.
We began in 1872 as Boys High School, and we have stood on our present campus on Charles Allen Drive since 1924. For most of our history we were Henry W. Grady High School; since 1 June 2021 we have been Midtown High School.
Milestones
We opened as Boys High School.
We moved to our present campus on Charles Allen Drive.
We merged with Tech High and became Henry W. Grady High School.
We became a communication magnet school.
In December our school board voted to rename us Midtown High School, effective 1 June 2021.
Our $34.9 million renovation opened in the fall, adding two science labs and four career, technical and agricultural education spaces.
Our class of 2026 graduated with Brennan Fritts as valedictorian and Eric Snell as salutatorian.
Leadership
Betsy Bockman
Our principal, who leads a team of six assistant principals: Jennifer Cappelli, Melissa Davis, Pierre Davis, Rodney Howard, Carrie MacBrien and Willie Vincent.
Ask about our story
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