In the 2024-25 school year, Gladden Middle School enrolled 302 white students—a 5.9% decrease compared to the prior year, reports the Georgia Department of Education.
Total student enrollment reached 465 at Gladden Middle School for 2024-25. White students represented 65% of the population, the largest demographic within the school.
Gladden Middle School is part of Murray County Schools, which is headquartered in Chatsworth.
Among all 11 schools operated by Murray County Schools, Murray County High School had the highest number of white students for 2024-25, enrolling 662.
The National Center for Education Statistics reported that in Georgia public schools, about 36.4% of students were Black, 35.9% were white, 18.1% Hispanic, 4% Asian, 4.6% multiracial, 0.2% American Indian or Alaska Native, and 0.1% Pacific Islander.
Georgia continues to face high rates of chronic absenteeism, with 20.7% of students missing at least 10% of school days in 2024, according to the Georgia Department of Education. The state has responded with a wide effort involving a real-time attendance dashboard, a campaign to raise public awareness, and focused support for districts with the highest need to improve daily attendance.
Lawmakers in Georgia passed legislation in 2025 revising attendance laws to prohibit expulsion based solely on absenteeism. The law mandates additional reporting and aligns with initiatives for alternative diploma pathways to support students.
By 2026, Georgia maintained an average student-to-teacher ratio of approximately 14:1, a better rate than the national rate of 15:1.
| School Year | Total Enrollment | Total white students | % of white students |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010-11 | 560 | 448 | 80% |
| 2011-12 | 574 | 470 | 82% |
| 2012-13 | 561 | 431 | 77% |
| 2013-14 | 578 | 445 | 77% |
| 2014-15 | 551 | 407 | 74% |
| 2015-16 | 579 | 416 | 72% |
| 2016-17 | 578 | 433 | 75% |
| 2017-18 | 586 | 427 | 73% |
| 2018-19 | 612 | 440 | 72% |
| 2019-20 | 659 | 461 | 70% |
| 2020-21 | 628 | 445 | 71% |
| 2021-22 | 560 | 397 | 71% |
| 2022-23 | 542 | 373 | 69% |
| 2023-24 | 480 | 321 | 67% |
| 2024-25 | 465 | 302 | 65% |
Information for this story comes from the Georgia Department of Education. Related source data is available here.
