Lake City Elementary counted 140 African American students for 2024-25

There were 140 African American students enrolled at Lake City Elementary School for the 2024-25 school year, reflecting a 2.8% decrease compared to the prior year, reports the Georgia Department of Education.

According to school data, Lake City Elementary School’s enrollment totaled 467 students in 2024-25. African American students comprised 30% of the population, ranking as the second-largest demographic in the school.

The school falls within the Clayton County School District, whose main office is based in Jonesboro.

Lovejoy High School had the largest number of African American students among all 65 schools in the Clayton County School District for 2024-25, with 1,614 enrolled.

Statewide, enrollment in Georgia’s public schools exceeded 1.7 million, according to the Georgia Department of Education’s Fiscal Year 2026-1 report. The elementary grade levels enrolled the highest number at 787,206 students (45.9%), while middle schools enrolled 388,733 (22.7%), and high schools registered 539,092 (31.4%).

Following the pandemic, chronic absenteeism continues to pose a challenge in Georgia schools. In 2024, 20.7% of all students missed at least 10% of the academic year, according to the Georgia Department of Education. To address this, GaDOE introduced a range of initiatives including a real-time attendance dashboard, public awareness campaigns and support for districts most affected, all with the aim of improving daily attendance rates.

Georgia legislators in 2025 approved a bill amending school attendance codes to prohibit expulsions based solely on absenteeism. The new law introduces expanded reporting and aligns with initiatives allowing students to complete diplomas through alternative options.

By 2026, Georgia reported an average student-teacher ratio of about 14:1, which is more favorable than the national average of 15:1.