Hispanic enrollment reaches 20% at Spencer High School for 2024-25

In the 2024-25 school year, Spencer High School counted 197 Hispanic students, an unchanged figure compared with the previous year, the Georgia Department of Education reported.

The school’s total enrollment was 986 students in the same year. Hispanic students represented 20% of all students, making them the school’s second-largest demographic group.

Spencer High School is a part of the Muscogee County School District, which is headquartered in Columbus.

Within Muscogee County School District’s 51 schools, Jordan Vocational High School had the largest Hispanic student population during the 2024-25 school year, with 233 students enrolled.

The National Center for Education Statistics reported the racial and ethnic breakdown of Georgia’s public school population as follows: 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 continues to affect Georgia schools after the pandemic, with 20.7% of students missing 10% or more school days in 2024, according to the Georgia Department of Education. The agency’s response involved launching a statewide initiative featuring a real-time attendance dashboard, a public information campaign, and additional resources for districts facing higher need to improve attendance rates.

The General Assembly in Georgia passed legislation in 2025 updating school attendance policies, including a prohibition on expulsion based solely on absenteeism. The changes also require new reporting and align with efforts allowing students to earn diplomas through alternative routes.

By 2026, Georgia’s average student-to-teacher ratio was roughly 14:1, better than the nationwide average of 15:1.