White student enrollment at Martha Rawls Smith Elementary declines to 187 in 2024-25

Enrollment of white students at Martha Rawls Smith Elementary School reached 187 for the 2024-25 school year, reflecting an 18% drop from the prior year, according to the Georgia Department of Education.

The total student population at Martha Rawls Smith Elementary School stood at 507 for the 2024-25 school year. Of those, white students comprised 37% of the enrollment, ranking them among the largest demographic groups at the school.

This campus is part of the Wayne County School District, headquartered in Jesup.

For the 2024-25 school year, Wayne County High School reported the district’s highest white student enrollment, totaling 913 students.

The National Center for Education Statistics reports that Georgia’s public schools had a student body that was 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, defined as missing at least 10% of school days, continued to be a significant challenge at Georgia schools after the pandemic, with 20.7% of students categorized as chronically absent in 2024, as reported by the Georgia Department of Education. The department implemented new statewide strategies such as a real-time attendance dashboard, a public awareness effort, and directed aid for high-need areas to address attendance issues.

Lawmakers in Georgia approved legislation in 2025 to update student attendance laws, prohibiting expulsion based solely on absenteeism. The new rules require added reporting and support alternative diploma pathways for students.

As of 2026, the average student-to-teacher ratio in Georgia was about 14:1, lower than the national average of 15:1, according to state data.