Roland W. Russom Elementary has 201 African American students for 2024-25, unchanged from previous year

For the 2024-25 period, Roland W. Russom Elementary School enrolled 201 African American students, with the number remaining steady compared to the prior year, according to the Georgia Department of Education.

The school’s overall enrollment reached 958 students in 2024-25. African American students represented 21% of the school population, making them the second-largest demographic group in attendance.

Roland W. Russom Elementary School is part of Paulding County School District, which is headquartered in Dallas.

Out of 33 schools in the Paulding County School District, Hiram High School reported the largest number of African American students in 2024-25, enrolling 780 students.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the racial and ethnic makeup of Georgia’s public school students included approximately 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 challenge Georgia schools after the pandemic, with 20.7% of students absent for 10% or more of school days in 2024, based on reports from the Georgia Department of Education. GaDOE has responded with a statewide initiative, rolling out a real-time attendance dashboard, a public awareness campaign and specialized support for high-need school districts to increase regular attendance.

In 2025, Georgia lawmakers revised attendance statutes to prohibit expulsion solely due to absenteeism. The legislation also introduced new reporting obligations and matches students with alternative ways to complete diploma requirements.

Data from 2026 shows that Georgia’s average student-teacher ratio stood at 14:1, a rate slightly better than the national average of 15:1.