Paul Duke STEM High School

What this school is

• Three STEM program areas — Engineering & Robotics; Communication, Art & Design; and Digital & Innovative Technology — each with pathways that can end in industry certification exams (see the school’s pathway page).
• AP courses, including AP Capstone, and a Senior Experience and Exhibition (internship or consultancy project in the final year).
• Friday digital learning: Students in good academic standing may complete Friday lessons remotely. Students can also attend campus for tutoring, academic support, and enrichment activities. Friday coursework follows a rotating Gold/Blue schedule. Families should confirm when in-person attendance is required.
• Clubs such as robotics and fine arts are offered; the school site states it does not have traditional competitive sports.

Test scores and state ratings are not reproduced here — check GaDOE CCRPI and GOSA directly. Admit rates and rankings: Not publicly available in this guide.

How families get in

• Type: GCPS theme school within the Norcross cluster — no special qualifications, requirements or applications (school site).
• Students who live in the Norcross attendance zone choose Paul Duke STEM or Norcross High. Switching schools later requires a permissive transfer (per the school’s cluster registration page).
• Rising ninth graders at Pinckneyville and Summerour middle schools (Norcross cluster) learn about both high schools during eighth grade and submit their choice of Norcross or Paul Duke along with their elective requests; they do not need a new- student registration appointment (per the school’s Pinckneyville and Summerour page).
• Students outside the cluster may attend only if granted a GCPS permissive transfer; GCPS approves transfers yearly, based on space.
• Admit rate: Not applicable / Not publicly available.

Never treat social media dates as official.

Who it tends to fit

Students

Race/ethnicity mix (GaDOE FTE enrollment count; approximate percentages, not a ranking):

• Hispanic ≈ 51% · Black ≈ 21% · White ≈ 15% · Asian ≈ 10% · Two or more ≈ 4% · other groups hidden (very small)
• Total enrollment about 1,500 students (GCPS directory, rounded)
• Student mix score: 66.5 out of 100 (Gwinnett County overall: 72.9) — the chance that two randomly chosen students are from different racial/ethnic groups; 0 = all one group, higher = more mixed. This guide’s own calculation, 100 × (1 − Σ group share²), from GaDOE enrollment counts — not an official GCPS or state rating, and it does not reflect income or education.

Source: Georgia Department of Education, FTE Enrollment by Race/Ethnicity and Gender. Percentages are rounded and may not total 100. For official Georgia accountability, use GaDOE CCRPI and the GOSA School Grades Report.

Location and daily life

Peachtree Industrial Boulevard in Peachtree Corners’ Technology Park area. Morning buses carry both Paul Duke and Norcross riders and stop at Paul Duke first; in the afternoon, Paul Duke riders are bused to Norcross High and board their home-route bus there (per the school’s transportation page). Student parking requires an approved application and pass.

Compare before you commit

• Norcross High SchoolThe other high school choice in the Norcross cluster (IB Diploma)
• Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science, and TechnologyCounty-wide STEM choice school; criteria + lottery
• McClure Health Science High SchoolThe Meadowcreek cluster’s theme school (health science)
• Peachtree Ridge High SchoolComprehensive school with the SPIRE STEM program

Questions to ask on a tour

1. 1.How do students start the GHSA participation process with their zoned school?
2. 2.When is on-campus Friday attendance required, and what does a Friday look like for a 9th grader on campus?
3. 3.What support exists for students who fall behind or need more challenge?
4. 4.How do new students find clubs, teams and a friend group in the first weeks?
5. 5.Which AP, dual-enrollment or certification options are open to each grade?

What to do next

1. 1.Read the live Registration in the Norcross cluster page for this cycle’s steps.
2. 2.Tour both high schools in the cluster before making the choice.
3. 3.Check GaDOE CCRPI and the GOSA School Grades Report for official school data.
4. 4.Confirm transportation and athletics plans with the school.