Banks County Middle School reports 12 African American students enrolled for 2024-25

In the 2024-25 school year, Banks County Middle School had 12 African American students enrolled, a 7.7% decrease compared with the prior year, reports from the Georgia Department of Education show.

Banks County Middle School had a total enrollment of 642 students in 2024-25. African American students made up 2% of the student population, making them the school’s second-smallest group.

The school is part of Banks County School District, which is administered from a central office in Homer.

Of the four schools in Banks County School District, Banks County High School reported the largest number of African American students in 2024-25, enrolling 16 students.

Figures from the National Center for Education Statistics showed the makeup of public school students in Georgia as 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 continues to be a significant challenge in Georgia after the pandemic, with 20.7% of students missing at least 10% of school days in 2024, according to the Georgia Department of Education. To address this, the department introduced a statewide initiative featuring a real-time attendance dashboard, a public awareness campaign, and targeted support for districts with the greatest needs to increase daily attendance.

In 2025, new legislation in Georgia revised school attendance laws, making expulsion solely for absenteeism prohibited. The law also includes updated reporting requirements and aligns with diploma programs that offer alternative completion paths for students.

Data for 2026 indicated Georgia’s average student-to-teacher ratio was about 14:1, which is better than the national average of 15:1.