African American students represent 76% of Hephzibah Middle School enrollment in 2024-25

In the 2024-25 school year, Hephzibah Middle School enrolled 562 African American students, marking a 48.7% increase compared to the prior year, according to the Georgia Department of Education.

Total enrollment for Hephzibah Middle School stood at 740 students during 2024-25. African American students comprised 76% of the student population, making them the largest demographic group at the school.

The school is part of the Richmond County School District, which is managed from its main office in Augusta.

Of the 47 schools within Richmond County School District, Westside High School reported the largest African American student enrollment in 2024-25, with 830 students.

Georgia’s public schools served more than 1.7 million students, as outlined in the Georgia Department of Education’s Fiscal Year 2026-1 report. The majority enrolled in elementary grades (787,206 students, or 45.9%), while middle schools reported 388,733 students (22.7%) and high schools recorded 539,092 students (31.4%).

Chronic absenteeism has persisted as a major challenge in Georgia’s schools following the pandemic, with 20.7% of students missing at least 10% of school days in 2024, the Georgia Department of Education reported. The GaDOE introduced several efforts including a real-time attendance dashboard, public outreach campaign, and specialized assistance for districts with high needs aimed at increasing attendance.

In 2025, Georgia legislators amended school attendance laws to prohibit expulsion exclusively for absenteeism. The changes also include new requirements for reporting and support alternative diploma attainment options for students.

Data for 2026 show that Georgia maintained an average student-to-teacher ratio of roughly 14:1, which is lower than the national average of 15:1.