Northside Elementary School enrolls 54 African American students for 2024-25

In the 2024-25 school year, Northside Elementary School enrolled 54 African American students, a decrease of 11.5% from the prior year, reports from the Georgia Department of Education show.

Total enrollment at Northside Elementary School reached 492 students in 2024-25. African American students represented 11% of the school’s population, counting as the second-smallest group.

Northside Elementary School is part of Polk County School District, which is headquartered in Cedartown.

Out of 11 schools in the Polk County School District, Rockmart High School had the largest enrollment of African American students for 2024-25, with 198 students.

The National Center for Education Statistics shows that public schools in Georgia comprised 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 students.

Chronic absenteeism has continued to challenge Georgia schools after the pandemic, with 20.7% of students missing 10% or more school days in 2024, the Georgia Department of Education reported. The GaDOE responded with a statewide effort such as a real-time attendance dashboard, a public awareness campaign, and focused help for high-need districts to increase daily attendance rates.

In 2025, state lawmakers updated school attendance policies, prohibiting expulsion solely for absenteeism. The revision brought new reporting rules and supports programs helping students earn diplomas through alternative options.

By 2026, Georgia’s average student-to-teacher ratio stood at approximately 14:1, lower than the national average of 15:1.

Data in this article was sourced from the Georgia Department of Education. The original source information is available here.