Luella Elementary sees 493 African American students enrolled for 2024-25

In the 2024-25 school year, Luella Elementary School had 493 African American students enrolled, representing a 1.4% increase from the prior year, according to the Georgia Department of Education.

Overall, Luella Elementary School’s total student population was 641 in the 2024-25 school year. African American students made up 77% of this total, remaining the school’s largest demographic group.

Luella Elementary School is part of Henry County School District, which has its main office in McDonough.

Out of the 50 schools in the Henry County School District, Dutchtown High School enrolled the greatest number of African American students for 2024-25, totaling 1,379.

Georgia’s public schools served more than 1.7 million students, based on the Georgia Department of Education’s Fiscal Year 2026-1 data. The highest enrollment was seen in elementary grades at 787,206 students (45.9%), followed by high school at 539,092 (31.4%), and middle school at 388,733 (22.7%).

Chronic absenteeism has continued to challenge Georgia schools following the pandemic, with 20.7% of students absent 10% or more school days in 2024, reports the Georgia Department of Education. In response, GaDOE introduced a statewide response that features a real-time attendance dashboard, increased public awareness efforts, and focused assistance for high-need districts to improve attendance rates.

During 2025, the Georgia legislature enacted new school attendance laws prohibiting expulsion solely due to absenteeism. The changes also require further reporting and align with programs offering alternate diploma pathways.

By 2026, the statewide student-to-teacher ratio averaged about 14:1 in Georgia, which is lower than the national average of 15:1.