According to the Georgia Department of Education, Ethel W. Kight Elementary School enrolled 332 African American students in the 2024-25 school year, which was 3.8% fewer compared to the prior year.
The school’s total enrollment reached 604 students for 2024-25. African American students accounted for 55% of the student body, the largest demographic group at the school.
Located within Troup County School District, Ethel W. Kight Elementary has district offices based in LaGrange.
Among Troup County School District’s 18 schools, LaGrange High School had the most African American students enrolled in 2024-25, with a total of 583.
The National Center for Education Statistics reports that Georgia’s public school population in recent data consisted of 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 students.
Chronic absenteeism has remained a critical issue in Georgia since the pandemic, with 20.7% of students missing at least 10% of school days in 2024. The Georgia Department of Education responded by implementing a real-time attendance dashboard, a public outreach campaign, and targeted support for districts with higher needs to increase daily attendance.
In 2025, a new Georgia law changed student attendance rules by prohibiting expulsion for absenteeism alone. The policy also introduced new reporting criteria and supports alternative diploma completion programs.
As of 2026, Georgia averaged a student-to-teacher ratio of about 14:1, slightly better than the national average of 15:1.
| School Year | Total Enrollment | Total African American students | % of African American students |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010-11 | 411 | 152 | 37% |
| 2011-12 | 465 | 209 | 45% |
| 2012-13 | 477 | 205 | 43% |
| 2013-14 | 608 | 328 | 54% |
| 2014-15 | 642 | 398 | 62% |
| 2015-16 | 634 | 437 | 69% |
| 2016-17 | 592 | 426 | 72% |
| 2017-18 | 565 | 401 | 71% |
| 2018-19 | 562 | 393 | 70% |
| 2019-20 | 577 | 386 | 67% |
| 2020-21 | 529 | 354 | 67% |
| 2021-22 | 512 | 337 | 66% |
| 2022-23 | 546 | 343 | 63% |
| 2023-24 | 585 | 345 | 59% |
| 2024-25 | 604 | 332 | 55% |
Information in this article was obtained from the Georgia Department of Education. The source data can be found here.
