Whitehead Road Elementary counted 246 Hispanic students in 2024-25, representing 43% of student body

Whitehead Road Elementary School had 246 Hispanic students enrolled during the 2024-25 school year, a 5.7% decrease from the prior year, the Georgia Department of Education reported.

Total enrollment at Whitehead Road Elementary stood at 574 students in 2024-25, with Hispanic students making up 43% of the school, making them the largest demographic group there.

The school operates within Clarke County School District, whose central office is in Athens.

Of the 21 schools in the Clarke County School District, Cedar Shoals High School had the highest number of Hispanic students in 2024-25, enrolling 518.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, Georgia public schools enrolled students who were about 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 continued to challenge Georgia schools since the pandemic, with 20.7% of students missing at least 10% of school days in 2024, according to the Georgia Department of Education. GaDOE has addressed the issue by introducing a statewide program featuring a live attendance dashboard, a public campaign, and specific assistance for high-need districts to improve daily student attendance.

In 2025, state legislators approved updates to school attendance laws barring expulsions solely for absenteeism. The changes also introduce new reporting standards and seek to align policies with diploma programs offering alternative graduation pathways.

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