Ben Hill County: 2.5% less students were enrolled in 2023-24 school year

There were 2,698 students enrolled in Ben Hill County schools in the 2023-24 school year, 2.5% less than the previous year, according to reports from the Georgia Department of Education.

Boys made up 50.9% of the county’s student body, while the other 49.1% were girls.

Data also showed that African American students made up 43% of the student body, the largest percentage in Ben Hill County schools, followed by white students with 40.8%, 12.3% Hispanic students, 3.6% multiracial students and 0.3% Asian students.

Fitzgerald High School stood out with the highest enrollment among Ben Hill County’s five schools in the 2023-24 school year, welcoming 820 students.

According to the Georgia Department of Education’s Fiscal Year 2025-3 report, over 1.7 million students were enrolled in Georgia’s public schools. The state boasted a diverse and closely distributed student body across grade levels, with approximately 806,891 students (46.5%) in elementary school, 393,308 (22.7%) in middle school, and 536,379 (30.9%) in high school.

Chronic absenteeism remains a major issue in Georgia schools post-pandemic, with 20.7% of students missing 10% or more of school days in 2024, according to the Georgia Department of Education. In response, GaDOE launched a statewide initiative including a real-time attendance dashboard, a public awareness campaign, and targeted support for high-need districts to boost daily attendance.

In 2025, Georgia lawmakers passed a bill updating school attendance laws to ban expulsion solely for absenteeism. The law also adds new reporting requirements and aligns with programs that help students earn diplomas through alternative paths.

As of 2025, Georgia has an average student-to-teacher ratio of approximately 14:1, which is better than the national average of 15:1. The state’s best ratios are found in preschool, with an average of 13:1, and in elementary and middle school grades, both at 14:1, while high schools have a higher average ratio of 16:1.