Park Elementary sees 114 African American students enrolled for 2024-25

There were 114 African American students enrolled at Park Elementary School for the 2024-25 term, which is a decrease of 4.2% from the prior year, according to the Georgia Department of Education.

The data indicated that out of a total student body of 519, African American students represented 22% of the population, making up the school’s second-largest group.

The school operates within the Harris County School District, headquartered in Hamilton.

Across the district’s seven schools, Harris County High School had the greatest number of African American students during the 2024-25 year, enrolling 290.

The National Center for Education Statistics reports that public school student demographics in Georgia included 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 is still a significant concern in Georgia schools since the pandemic, with 20.7% of students absent for 10% or more school days in 2024. Efforts from the Georgia Department of Education to address this include a real-time attendance dashboard, a public campaign, and added support for the districts with the greatest needs.

Georgia lawmakers updated attendance rules in 2025, prohibiting expulsion for absenteeism alone and introducing additional reporting requirements. The new rules also support alternative diploma pathways for students. You can read more about the law changes here.

By 2026, Georgia’s student-to-teacher ratio was about 14:1, slightly better than the national ratio of 15:1.