Elbert County Middle School reports enrollment of 240 African American students for 2024-25

Elbert County Middle School reported 240 African American students enrolled for the 2024-25 school year, an increase of 3% compared with the prior year, according to the Georgia Department of Education.

Enrollment data indicated Elbert County Middle School had a total of 649 students in 2024-25. African American students represented 37% of the enrollment, which was the second-largest demographic group at the school.

Elbert County Middle School is part of the Elbert County School District, which operates from its central office in Elberton.

Among the four schools in the Elbert County School District, Elbert County High School had the highest enrollment of African American students in 2024-25, with 343 students.

The National Center for Education Statistics reported the racial and ethnic composition of Georgia’s public school students as roughly 36.4% Black, 35.9% white, 18.1% Hispanic, 4% Asian, 4.6% multiracial, 0.2% American Indian or Alaska Native, and 0.1% Pacific Islander.

Chronic absenteeism has remained a significant challenge for Georgia schools following the pandemic, with 20.7% of students absent for at least 10% of school days in 2024, the Georgia Department of Education reported. In response, GaDOE initiated a statewide effort that launched a real-time attendance dashboard, began a public awareness campaign, and provided targeted support to districts with high need to improve attendance rates.

In 2025, Georgia lawmakers approved changes to school attendance laws, prohibiting expulsion based solely on absenteeism. The legislation also introduced new reporting rules and coordinated with programs offering alternative diploma options.

By 2026, Georgia’s average student-to-teacher ratio was about 14:1, lower than the national average of 15:1.