SW Georgia News

Among the many ethnicities represented in Decatur County schools, African American was the most prevalent among Decatur County students in the 2022-23 school year, according to the Georgia Department of Education.

Of the 4,166 students attending Decatur County schools, 49.1% were African American. White students were the second most common ethnicity, making up 35.9% of Decatur County student body.

In the previous school year, African American students were also the most common group in Decatur County, representing 48.1% of the student body.

In the 2022-23 school year, the total number of students enrolled in public schools in the county dropped 7.4% when compared to the previous year.

While enrollment in Georgia inches closer to pre-pandemic levels, chronic absenteeism remains a serious challenge. In 2023, a significant portion of students (23%) missed 10% or more of their classes. Although this is slightly better than the peak of 25% in 2022, it's still nearly double the pre-pandemic rate of 13% recorded in 2019.

School name	Most prevalent ethnic group	% of Total Student Population	Total Enrollment
West Bainbridge Primary School	African American	53%	408
Spring Creek Charter Academy	White	65%	403
New Beginning Learning Center	African American	52%	220
Bainbridge High School	African American	47%	1,205
Hutto Elementary School	African American	51%	785
Bainbridge Middle School	African American	55%	600
Jones-Wheat Primary School	African American	59%	545