Freedom Middle School had 618 African American students enrolled for 2024-25

Freedom Middle School had a total of 618 African American students enrolled in the 2024-25 school year, showing a decline of 2.2% from the prior year, per reports from the Georgia Department of Education.

Records indicate Freedom Middle School’s overall enrollment reached 1,263 students for 2024-25. Of these, African American students represented 49% of the campus, which was the school’s predominant demographic group.

The school is situated within the DeKalb County School District, whose administrative offices are based in Decatur.

Of the 129 sites in DeKalb County School District, Lithonia High School reported the highest enrollment for African American students for 2024-25, with 1,288 recorded.

The National Center for Education Statistics noted that Georgia public school students were approximately 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.

After the pandemic, rates of chronic absenteeism remain high in Georgia, with 20.7% of all public school students missing at least 10% of school days in 2024, per the Georgia Department of Education. To address the issue, GaDOE introduced a new initiative that utilizes a real-time attendance dashboard, awareness efforts and targeted help in high-need districts.

In 2025, Georgia legislators approved updates to attendance laws banning expulsion based only on absenteeism. Additional requirements for data reporting were introduced as well, aligning policy with new diploma options for alternative pathways.

By 2026, Georgia schools recorded an average student-to-teacher ratio of about 14:1, which compares favorably to the national average of 15:1.