SW Georgia News

There were 725 first grade students enrolled in Grady County schools in the 2022-23 school year, 22.3% more than the previous year, according to reports from the Georgia Department of Education.

Eastside Elementary School welcomed the largest number of first grade students among county schools, registering 198 students during the 2022-23 school year.

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

Statewide, Grady County ranked 63rd in enrollment numbers, with a total of 8,370 students enrolled in the 2022-23 school year. It was also ranked 63rd 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 1st Grade Students Enrolled	% of Student Body	Total Enrollment
Eastside Elementary School	198	18.7%	1,061
Southside Elementary School	180	18.8%	958
Shiver Elementary School	130	14.3%	907
Northside Elementary School	125	18%	693
Whigham Elementary School	92	10.9%	842