Sara M. Ragsdale Elementary enrolled 86 African American students in 2024-25

There were 86 African American students enrolled at Sara M. Ragsdale Elementary School for the 2024-25 school year, matching the figure from the prior year, data from the Georgia Department of Education shows.

The school’s total enrollment reached 619 students in 2024-25. With 14% of students identifying as African American, this group ranked as the second largest among Sara M. Ragsdale’s student population.

Sara M. Ragsdale Elementary is part of Paulding County School District, with district offices headquartered in Dallas.

Of the 33 schools in the Paulding County School District, Hiram High School reported the highest number of African American students enrolled in 2024-25, totaling 780 students.

The National Center for Education Statistics reports that public school students in Georgia are about 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 present challenges in Georgia’s schools since the pandemic, with 20.7% of students absent for 10% or more school days in 2024, according to the Georgia Department of Education. The GaDOE responded with a statewide initiative that features a real-time attendance dashboard, a public awareness campaign, and targeted assistance for districts most affected by chronic absenteeism.

Legislation enacted by Georgia lawmakers in 2025 updated attendance laws to prohibit expulsion solely due to absenteeism. The revisions introduce new reporting guidelines and support programs for students seeking alternative diploma pathways.

In 2026, Georgia had an average student-teacher ratio of about 14:1, which is lower than the national average of 15:1.