Putnam County Elementary enrolls 96 Hispanic students for 2024-25

In the 2024-25 school year, Putnam County Elementary School enrolled 96 Hispanic students, marking a 13.5% decline from the prior year, according to the Georgia Department of Education.

The school’s total enrollment reached 603 students for 2024-25. Hispanic students comprised 16% of the student population and represented the third-largest group at the school.

Putnam County Elementary School is part of the Putnam County School District, whose central office is in Eatonton.

Of the district’s four schools, Putnam County High School had the most Hispanic students in the 2024-25 school year, enrolling 160 students.

The National Center for Education Statistics reports that Georgia public schools’ student body was 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.

Chronic absenteeism continues to challenge Georgia schools after the pandemic, with 20.7% of students missing at least 10% of school days in 2024, according to the Georgia Department of Education. To address this, the agency introduced a statewide initiative featuring a real-time attendance dashboard, a public awareness campaign, and targeted support for the districts most in need.

In 2025, Georgia legislators updated school attendance laws to prohibit expelling students solely for absenteeism. The legislation also introduced new reporting requirements and is in line with alternative diploma completion programs.

As of 2026, Georgia’s average student-to-teacher ratio was about 14:1, which is better than the national average of 15:1.