In the 2024-25 school year, Barber Middle School reported 299 African American students enrolled, representing a 6.9% decrease from the prior year, according to the Georgia Department of Education.
Total enrollment at Barber Middle School reached 789 students for the 2024-25 school year. African American students comprised 38% of the student body, making up the school’s largest demographic group.
Barber Middle School is part of the Cobb County School District, which has its central office based in Marietta.
Within the Cobb County School District’s 110 schools, McEachern High School had the highest number of African American students enrolled in 2024-25, totaling 1,389.
The Georgia Department of Education’s Fiscal Year 2026-1 report notes that more than 1.7 million students attended Georgia public schools. Enrollment figures were highest in elementary grades with 787,206 students (45.9%), followed by middle school at 388,733 students (22.7%), and high school with 539,092 students (31.4%).
Following the pandemic, Georgia schools continue to contend with chronic absenteeism, with 20.7% of students absent at least 10% of the time in 2024. The Georgia Department of Education responded by launching a statewide effort, which features a real-time attendance dashboard, an outreach campaign, and targeted assistance for districts with elevated absenteeism, aiming to improve daily attendance rates.
In 2025, Georgia legislators updated attendance laws to prohibit expulsion based only on absenteeism. The measure also introduces new reporting rules and aligns with alternative diploma programs for students.
As of 2026, Georgia maintained an average student-teacher ratio of about 14:1, which is lower than the national ratio of 15:1.
| School Year | Total Enrollment | Total African American students | % of African American students |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010-11 | 956 | 353 | 37% |
| 2011-12 | 967 | 367 | 38% |
| 2012-13 | 971 | 339 | 35% |
| 2013-14 | 979 | 381 | 39% |
| 2014-15 | 938 | 375 | 40% |
| 2015-16 | 942 | 386 | 41% |
| 2016-17 | 903 | 370 | 41% |
| 2017-18 | 906 | 353 | 39% |
| 2018-19 | 921 | 359 | 39% |
| 2019-20 | 895 | 349 | 39% |
| 2020-21 | 902 | 351 | 39% |
| 2021-22 | 857 | 342 | 40% |
| 2022-23 | 860 | 344 | 40% |
| 2023-24 | 824 | 321 | 39% |
| 2024-25 | 789 | 299 | 38% |
