EC Georgia News

There were 157 first grade students enrolled in Wilkes County schools in the 2022-23 school year, 22.3% less than the previous year, according to reports from the Georgia Department of Education.

Washington-Wilkes Primary School was the only school in the county to welcome first grade students during the 2022-23 school year.

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

Statewide, Wilkes County ranked 127th in enrollment numbers, with a total of 2,383 students enrolled in the 2022-23 school year. It was ranked 124th 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
Washington-Wilkes Primary School	157	22.6%	694
Washington-Wilkes Elementary School	0	0%	395