African American students account for 23% of Monroe County Middle School’s Banks Stephens Campus in 2024-25

The 2024-25 student enrollment at Monroe County Middle School- Banks Stephens Campus included 243 African American students, marking a 4% decrease compared to the prior year, according to the Georgia Department of Education.

Monroe County Middle School- Banks Stephens Campus reported a total enrollment of 1,059 students for 2024-25. African American students made up 23% of enrollment, ranking them as the second-largest demographic group at the school.

This campus forms part of Monroe County School District, headquartered in Forsyth.

Mary Persons High School had the largest population of African American students in Monroe County School District in the 2024-25 school year with 312 students.

The Georgia Department of Education’s Fiscal Year 2026-1 report showed public school enrollment exceeding 1.7 million students statewide. Elementary schools had 787,206 students (45.9%), middle schools enrolled 388,733 (22.7%), and high schools had 539,092 (31.4%).

Chronic absenteeism remains a significant concern in Georgia following the pandemic, with 20.7% of students missing 10% or more school days in 2024. To combat this, the state education department introduced new measures such as a real-time attendance dashboard, a public campaign, and specialized assistance for districts with high need.

In 2025, legislation was approved revising Georgia’s attendance policies, barring expulsion exclusively for absenteeism. The law introduced extra reporting requirements and supported alternative graduation paths for students.

By 2026, Georgia schools reported an average student-to-teacher ratio of about 14:1, a figure better than the national 15:1 average.