6 African American students enrolled at Fairmount Elementary for 2024-25

Six African American students enrolled at Fairmount Elementary School for the 2024-25 school year, representing a 100% increase from the prior year, according to the Georgia Department of Education.

Of the 334 total students at Fairmount Elementary in 2024-25, African American students accounted for 2% of the student body, making them one of the school’s smallest demographic groups.

Fairmount Elementary is part of Gordon County School District, headquartered in Calhoun.

Within the 10 schools in Gordon County School District, Sonoraville High School reported the largest enrollment of African American students for 2024-25, with 21 students.

The National Center for Education Statistics reports that public school enrollment in Georgia was 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 has continued to impact Georgia schools following the pandemic, with 20.7% of students missing 10% or more of school days in 2024, according to the Georgia Department of Education. To address this, the state education department began a new initiative featuring a real-time attendance dashboard, public awareness outreach, and targeted assistance for districts with the greatest needs.

In 2025, Georgia passed updated attendance laws prohibiting expulsion for absenteeism alone. The measure includes additional reporting mandates and aligns with alternative diploma programs.

As of 2026, Georgia’s average student-to-teacher ratio was about 14:1, compared with the national average of 15:1.

Information for this article was sourced from the Georgia Department of Education. Source data is available here.