African American students account for 33% of Ruskin Elementary enrollment in 2024-25

In the 2024-25 school year, Ruskin Elementary School had 120 African American students enrolled, which reflected a 3.2% decrease compared to the prior year, according to the Georgia Department of Education.

The student population at Ruskin Elementary School reached 364 students for the 2024-25 school year. African American students comprised 33% of the total, making them the school’s second-largest demographic group.

The school operates within Ware County School District, whose central office is in Waycross.

Within the nine schools comprising Ware County School District, Ware County High School had the highest number of African American students enrolled in 2024-25, totaling 623 students.

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

Chronic absenteeism continues to pose significant challenges in Georgia’s schools after the pandemic, as 20.7% of students missed at least 10% of school days in 2024, per the Georgia Department of Education. In an effort to address the problem, GaDOE started a statewide initiative featuring a real-time attendance dashboard, a public awareness campaign, and targeted support for districts with the highest needs to improve daily attendance.

In 2025, state legislators passed a bill updating attendance laws, prohibiting expulsion solely for absenteeism. The law also calls for new reporting standards and works with programs offering alternative diploma-earning pathways for students.

As of 2026, Georgia reported an average student-to-teacher ratio of about 14:1, compared with the national average of 15:1.

Note: Due to potential gaps in the available data, reported percentages may not total exactly 100%.