Athens Reporter

There were 2,291 kindergarten students enrolled in Jackson County schools in the 2022-23 school year, 6.5% more than the previous year, according to reports from the Georgia Department of Education.

Jefferson Elementary School welcomed the largest number of kindergarten students among county schools, registering 515 students during the 2022-23 school year.

Within Jackson County schools, the highest student count was found in eighth grade, with the smallest class sizes seen in 12th grade.

Statewide, Jackson County ranked 26th in enrollment numbers, with a total of 30,557 students enrolled in the 2022-23 school year. It was ranked 28th the year before.

While enrollment in Georgia inches closer to pre-pandemic levels, chronic absenteeism remains a serious challenge. In 2023, a significant portion of students (23%) missed 10% or more of their classes. Although this is slightly better than the peak of 25% in 2022, it's still nearly double the pre-pandemic rate of 13% recorded in 2019.

School name	# of Kindergarten Students Enrolled	% of Student Body	Total Enrollment
Jefferson Elementary School	515	31.9%	1,612
West Jackson Elementary School	391	17.3%	2,262
Gum Springs Elementary School	363	17.2%	2,107
Commerce Primary School	265	31.2%	849
South Jackson Elementary School	215	17.3%	1,244
North Jackson Elementary School	203	16.4%	1,236
East Jackson Elementary School	191	17.4%	1,098
Maysville Elementary School	148	18.7%	790
Commerce Elementary School	0	0%	561
Commerce Middle School	0	0%	1,057
Jefferson Academy	0	0%	1,866