Hephzibah Middle School reports 7 Asian students among 2024-25 enrollment

Seven Asian students were enrolled at Hephzibah Middle School for the 2024-25 academic year, based on data from the Georgia Department of Education.

With a total enrollment of 740 for 2024-25, the school’s Asian student population represented 1%, the smallest demographic group at the school, according to the data.

The school is a member of Richmond County School District, which operates from its central office in Augusta.

Davidson Magnet School led Richmond County’s 47 schools for Asian student enrollment in 2024-25, recording 37 students in that group.

Georgia’s public schools had more than 1.7 million students enrolled, the Georgia Department of Education Fiscal Year 2026-1 report indicates. Enrollment figures were highest in elementary grades at 787,206 students (45.9%), followed by middle schools with 388,733 students (22.7%) and high schools with 539,092 students (31.4%).

Chronic absenteeism remains a persistent challenge across Georgia schools following the pandemic, with 20.7% of students missing at least 10% of school days in 2024. To address this, the GaDOE initiated a statewide effort that includes a real-time attendance dashboard, a public awareness campaign, and focused support for districts with high need to improve daily attendance.

Legislation passed in 2025 updated the state’s attendance laws, prohibiting expulsion based solely on absenteeism. The changes also add reporting requirements and align with programs assisting students in earning diplomas through alternative means.

By 2026, Georgia reached an average student-to-teacher ratio of about 14:1, surpassing the national average of 15:1.