As August ushers in a new school year, nearly are headed back to Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ’s . How are the state’s schools doing when it comes to preparing kids for work and life? Here are a few key education measures that Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ parents and communities should know about as students return to the classroom. 

Skills in Reading

Results from the latest show that students are still struggling with reading proficiency. A proficient reader can analyze challenging material and think critically about it.

Just 40% of eighth graders reached a level of reading proficiency in 2025. Third graders are even further behind—only 35% were proficient in reading last year. 

Achieving reading proficiency by third grade is a crucial milestone for Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ’s students. Not only is it necessary for , but it’s also an indicator of future stability and economic opportunity. That’s because literacy, like math proficiency, is closely linked to high school completion and participation in the workforce.

Demographic data from the Milestones Assessment also shows that Black and Hispanic third graders are struggling the most when it comes to literacy.

State lawmakers are paying attention to these challenges, and through promising legislation (see the section on new laws below), they’re paving the way for more children to thrive in their academic development and build flourishing futures.

Enrollment Trends

Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ public schools have enrolled 1,702,086 students in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade, according to the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Department of Education’s spring 2026 . That number marks a drop of 34,644 students from the spring of 2025. 

The decline in Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ follows a nationwide trend. The National Center for Education Statistics recently showed that , or almost 1.5 million students, from 2019-2024. Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ’s decrease in enrollment was slightly smaller during that time at 1.4%.

Part of the reason for this drop might be the in the last several years. But Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ has also taken steps to expand education opportunities, and more families are embracing new schooling options to find the best education fit for their kids. , and over applied to Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ’s newest school choice program, the Promise Scholarship, between March and December of 2025.

Chronic Absenteeism Rates

Like many states, Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ is battling a crisis of chronic absenteeism. The students involved are missing 10% or more of school days—a situation that and .

Chronic absenteeism rates tend to be among students from low-income families, students of color, and students with disabilities.  

Fortunately, . It dropped to 17.7% during the 2025-2026 school year. That’s down from a peak of 23.9% in 2021-2022. The rate has especially improved for grades K-5 and now stands at 13.5%. Lowering this rate even more will be key to making improvements in reading proficiency in the early grades. 

Public School Spending

On average, Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ spends on K-12 education per student. Pre-kindergarten and K-12 education funds account for , making it Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ’s biggest line item. In 2026, the budget included for Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ’s public schools, approximately a $900 million increase from 2025.

Despite these amounts, state funding is only a portion of overall revenue for public schools. Local taxes are the biggest source of education dollars, and a small percentage comes from federal funding.

New Reading and Math Education Laws

Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ lawmakers passed important education-related bills during the most recent legislative session. 

The will help more children read at grade level or above by putting literacy coaches—educators with expertise in teaching reading—in all elementary schools. Students will also be required to go to kindergarten before starting first grade, and their reading skills will be tested early in their academic development. 

In addition to addressing literacy, Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ legislators passed the , which calls for an increase in the amount of time children spend on math during the elementary school day, an advanced (compressed and accelerated) math track for qualifying middle and high school students, and new requirements for teacher certifications. 

It’s important to note that qualified students will be automatically enrolled in the advanced classes to make sure all children have equitable access to them. This will help close racial, ethnic, gender, and socioeconomic achievement gaps among young Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵns. 

Improvements to the Classroom Environment

Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ lawmakers also recently passed a that will require high schools to ban personal electronic devices like phones and tablets during the school day. A is going into effect for students in elementary and middle school this year. These changes should reduce distractions and help students stay engaged in the classroom.

And in 2025, Governor Brian Kemp signed the into law. Starting with the 2026-2027 school year, every Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ school district will have an anonymous reporting system available. Schools will also provide evidence-based training on both suicide awareness and prevention and youth violence prevention to all students in grades 6-12. Changes like these will help create a safer environment where students can focus on learning and growing.

When it comes to artificial intelligence (AI), Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ schools are shifting from asking whether students should use it to teaching them how to use it safely and responsibly. The that help students engage with AI in ethical ways, think critically about the information it provides, and build the skills they’ll need to thrive in an AI-driven workforce.

Next Steps for Education in Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ

Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ’s education measures are more than just data. Behind the numbers are real children who will be the next generation of mothers, fathers, business owners, employees, and voters in our state. A top-notch education will give them bright, opportunity-filled futures. 

Additional solutions to boost math and reading proficiency and address chronic absenteeism will not only help kids. They’ll also strengthen Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ’s public schools and enable them to support students whose best—and sometimes only—education option is the local public school.

At the same time, Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ leaders are continuing their work to remove financial and social barriers to quality education and to empower students and families to access the school of their choice. Prioritizing a range of options will open more doors for Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ’s kids and give them new opportunities to flourish as they grow.

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The post What to Know Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Education in Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ as Students Go Back to School appeared first on For Opportunity.