SE Georgia News

There were 724 kindergarten students enrolled in Wayne County schools in the 2022-23 school year, 10.1% less than the previous year, according to reports from the Georgia Department of Education.

Martha Rawls Smith Elementary School welcomed the largest number of kindergarten students among county schools, registering 193 students during the 2022-23 school year.

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

Statewide, Wayne County ranked 59th in enrollment numbers, with a total of 9,789 students enrolled in the 2022-23 school year. It was also ranked 59th 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 Kindergarten Students Enrolled	% of Student Body	Total Enrollment
Martha Rawls Smith Elementary School	193	18.2%	1,061
Jesup Elementary School	190	15.2%	1,246
Bacon Elementary School	152	14.2%	1,069
Odum Elementary School	119	16.5%	720
Screven Elementary School	70	18.4%	381