Roberta T. Smith Elementary sees 187 Hispanic students enrolled for 2024-25

Roberta T. Smith Elementary School registered 187 Hispanic students for the 2024-25 school year, which is 3.1% lower than the prior year, according to data from the Georgia Department of Education.

Yearly figures showed the school’s overall enrollment reached 696 students in 2024-25. Hispanic students comprised 27% of the population, ranking as the second-largest student group at the school.

The Clayton County School District, administered from its main office in Jonesboro, includes Roberta T. Smith Elementary.

Out of 65 schools in the district, Forest Park High School had the highest Hispanic student enrollment in the 2024-25 school year, totaling 882 students.

Georgia’s public schools served more than 1.7 million students, as stated in the Georgia Department of Education’s Fiscal Year 2026-1 report. Enrollment levels were largest in elementary grades at 787,206 (45.9%), followed by middle (388,733; 22.7%) and high schools (539,092; 31.4%).

Chronic absenteeism continues to impact Georgia schools after the pandemic, with 20.7% of students missing at least 10% of school days in 2024, according to the Department of Education. A statewide initiative by GaDOE now provides a real-time attendance dashboard, raises awareness, and offers targeted district assistance to increase daily attendance rates.

A 2025 law passed by Georgia lawmakers revised attendance statutes to prohibit expulsion solely for absenteeism. The changes also established new reporting protocols and coordianted with programs supporting alternate diploma completion pathways.

By 2026, Georgia’s student-to-teacher ratio averaged about 14:1, improving upon the nationwide average of 15:1.