Multiracial enrollment at Ruskin Elementary drops to 21 for 2024-25

Ruskin Elementary School counted 21 multiracial students enrolled for 2024-25, a 40% decline compared to the previous year, according to figures from the Georgia Department of Education.

The data indicated that Ruskin Elementary School’s overall enrollment reached 364 students in the 2024-25 term. Multiracial students represented 6% of the population, making them the smallest demographic in the school.

The school operates within the Ware County School District, whose main offices are located in Waycross.

Within Ware County School District’s nine schools, Ware County High School posted the largest number of multiracial students enrolled in 2024-25, totaling 109.

Data from the National Center for Education Statistics showed Georgia’s public schools had a student racial and ethnic breakdown of around 36.4% Black, 35.9% white, 18.1% Hispanic, 4% Asian, 4.6% multiracial, 0.2% American Indian or Alaska Native, and 0.1% Pacific Islander.

Chronic absenteeism remains a significant concern for Georgia schools after the pandemic, with 20.7% of students missing at least 10% of enrolled school days in 2024, according to the Georgia Department of Education. To address this, GaDOE rolled out a statewide initiative featuring a live attendance dashboard, a public awareness effort, and focused aid for high-need districts to improve daily attendance rates.

During 2025, Georgia updated school attendance regulations to prohibit expulsion strictly for absences. The new law also established additional reporting rules and works alongside pathways allowing students to earn diplomas through alternative means.

As of 2026, Georgia’s student-to-teacher ratio averaged about 14:1, an improvement over the national mean of 15:1.

Note: Reported percentages may not equal exactly 100% due to possible data gaps.