Athens Reporter

There were 6,627 white students enrolled in Oconee County school in the 2022-23 school year, 1% 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, white students comprised 78.7% of the student body to be the most represented ethnicity in the county.

Among the 11 schools in Oconee County, North Oconee High School recorded the highest enrollment of white students in the 2022-23 school year, with a total of 1,105 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 White Students	Total White Students	Total enrollment
Colham Ferry Elementary School	87%	508	585
High Shoals Elementary School	84%	463	552
Oconee County High School	82%	1,005	1,226
Rocky Branch Elementary School	82%	478	583
Dove Creek Elementary School	81%	524	648
Oconee County Middle School	79%	744	942
North Oconee High School	76%	1,105	1,455
Malcom Bridge Middle School	76%	810	1,066
Oconee County Primary School	76%	369	486
Oconee County Elementary School	73%	350	480
Malcom Bridge Elementary School	68%	271	399