Athens Reporter

There were 2,631 eighth grade students enrolled in Jackson County schools in the 2022-23 school year, 7.6% more than the previous year, according to reports from the Georgia Department of Education.

West Jackson Middle School welcomed the largest number of eighth grade students among county schools, registering 1,043 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 8th Grade Students Enrolled	% of Student Body	Total Enrollment
West Jackson Middle School	1,043	34.4%	3,028
Jefferson Middle School	748	37%	2,019
East Jackson Comprehensive High School	573	21.5%	2,667
Commerce Middle School	267	25.3%	1,057
East Jackson Middle School	0	0%	1,095