Habersham Ninth Grade Academy enrolls 10 African American students for 2024-25

In the 2024-25 school year, Habersham Ninth Grade Academy enrolled 10 African American students, which is a 54.5% decline compared with the prior year, reports from the Georgia Department of Education showed.

Total enrollment at Habersham Ninth Grade Academy reached 520 students in 2024-25. African American students represented 2% of the student population, making up the smallest demographic group at the school.

The school is part of Habersham County School District, whose central office is based in Clarkesville.

Within the 14 schools operating in the Habersham County School District, Habersham Central High School reported the largest number of African American students in the 2024-25 school year, with 42 enrolled.

The National Center for Education Statistics reports the demographic breakdown of Georgia’s public school students is 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 as a serious concern for Georgia schools following the pandemic, with 20.7% of students missing at least 10% of school days in 2024, according to the Georgia Department of Education. In response, GaDOE has rolled out statewide efforts, including a real-time attendance dashboard, a public information campaign, and focused support for districts with the highest need to help improve daily attendance rates.

In 2025, state legislators updated attendance laws to prevent expulsions based solely on absenteeism. The new law adds required reporting and supports programs offering alternate diploma paths to help students graduate.

By 2026, Georgia’s average student-to-teacher ratio stood at about 14:1, better than the national figure of 15:1.