Gray Elementary School counts 9 Hispanic students for 2024-25

Gray Elementary School reported enrolling nine Hispanic students for the 2024-25 period, the same figure as the prior year, data from the Georgia Department of Education show.

Records indicated that overall, Gray Elementary School had 454 students in 2024-25. Of those, Hispanic students comprised 2% of the population, making them the second-smallest group in the school.

The school operates within Jones County School District, whose main administrative office is in Gray.

Of the seven schools throughout Jones County School District, Jones County High School had the highest number of Hispanic enrollees for 2024-25, with 47 students.

Georgia public school enrollment exceeded 1.7 million students, according to the Georgia Department of Education’s Fiscal Year 2026-1 report. Elementary schools tallied the largest share with 787,206 students (45.9%), followed by middle schools at 388,733 (22.7%), and high schools with 539,092 (31.4%).

Chronic absenteeism persists in Georgia schools after the pandemic, with 20.7% of students missing 10% or more of days in 2024, the Georgia Department of Education reported. In an effort to improve attendance, the department implemented a new initiative that includes a real-time dashboard, an awareness campaign and additional support for districts most at risk.

In 2025, Georgia updated its school attendance laws to prohibit expulsion solely for absenteeism. The statutes now require new reporting procedures and support pathways for students to earn diplomas through alternative means.

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