Athens Reporter

There were 654 Hispanic students enrolled in Oconee County school in the 2022-23 school year, 2.8% more than the previous year, according to reports from the Georgia Department of Education.

Data showed that Oconee County welcomed 8,422 students during the 2022-23 school year. Among them, Hispanic students comprised 7.8% of the student body to be the second most represented ethnicity in the county.

Among the 11 schools in Oconee County, North Oconee High School recorded the highest enrollment of Hispanic students in the 2022-23 school year, with a total of 130 students.

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 Hispanic Students	Total Hispanic Students	Total enrollment
Oconee County Primary School	13%	63	486
Oconee County Elementary School	10%	48	480
North Oconee High School	9%	130	1,455
High Shoals Elementary School	9%	49	552
Malcom Bridge Middle School	8%	85	1,066
Oconee County Middle School	8%	75	942
Oconee County High School	7%	85	1,226
Dove Creek Elementary School	6%	38	648
Colham Ferry Elementary School	6%	35	585
Malcom Bridge Elementary School	6%	23	399
Rocky Branch Elementary School	4%	23	583