Monroe County Middle School- Banks Stephens reports 720 white students enrolled for 2024-25

Monroe County Middle School- Banks Stephens Campus counted 720 white students enrolled for the 2024-25 school year, reflecting a 3.4% rise from the prior year, reports the Georgia Department of Education.

The school’s total enrollment stood at 1,059 students for 2024-25. White students accounted for 68% of the campus population, the largest racial group in the student body.

This campus is part of Monroe County School District, which has its central office in Forsyth.

Mary Persons High School had the highest number of white students enrolled among Monroe County School District’s five schools in 2024-25, with 873 students.

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

Chronic absenteeism continues to challenge Georgia schools in the post-pandemic environment, with 20.7% of students missing at least 10% of school days in 2024, according to the Georgia Department of Education. The state education department launched new statewide efforts—including a real-time dashboard, a public awareness initiative, and targeted district support—to improve daily attendance.

In 2025, legislation in Georgia amended school attendance laws to prohibit expulsion exclusively for absenteeism. The law also introduced additional reporting rules and supported programs to help students earn diplomas through alternative means.

By 2026, Georgia maintained an average student-to-teacher ratio of around 14:1, which was lower than the national average of 15:1.