African American students accounted for 27% of Sterling Elementary’s population in 2024-25

Reports from the Georgia Department of Education show that Sterling Elementary School enrolled 192 African American students in the 2024-25 school year, which marked a 23.9% increase compared with the prior year.

Total enrollment at Sterling Elementary School reached 714 students for 2024-25. Of those, African American students represented 27% of the total student population, making them the school’s second-largest demographic group.

The school operates within the Glynn County School District, whose main office is in Brunswick.

Out of 16 schools in the Glynn County School District, Brunswick High School saw the largest number of enrolled African American students, recording 771 in the 2024-25 school year.

The National Center for Education Statistics reports the statewide distribution of public school students in Georgia as 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 is a persistent concern for Georgia schools following the pandemic, with state data indicating that 20.7% of students were absent for at least 10% of school days in 2024. To address this, the Georgia Department of Education introduced new initiatives statewide, featuring a real-time attendance dashboard, an awareness campaign, and support targeted to districts with higher absentee rates.

In 2025, Georgia adopted new legislation adjusting school attendance rules by prohibiting expulsions solely due to absenteeism. Additional components require further attendance reporting and connect with diploma programs that offer alternative completion pathways.

As of 2026, Georgia’s average student-to-teacher ratio stood at approximately 14:1, which is lower than the U.S. average of 15:1.