SE Georgia News

There were 849 first grade students enrolled in Wayne County schools in the 2022-23 school year, 15.5% more than the previous year, according to reports from the Georgia Department of Education.

Jesup Elementary School welcomed the largest number of first grade students among county schools, registering 248 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 1st Grade Students Enrolled	% of Student Body	Total Enrollment
Jesup Elementary School	248	19.9%	1,246
Martha Rawls Smith Elementary School	216	20.4%	1,061
Bacon Elementary School	171	16%	1,069
Odum Elementary School	151	21%	720
Screven Elementary School	63	16.5%	381