SE Georgia News

There were 302 kindergarten students enrolled in Candler County schools in the 2022-23 school year, 18.9% more than the previous year, according to reports from the Georgia Department of Education.

Metter Elementary School was the only school in the county during the 2022-23 school year.

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

Statewide, Candler County ranked 107th in enrollment numbers, with a total of 4,126 students enrolled in the 2022-23 school year. It was ranked 108th 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
Metter Elementary School	302	16.5%	1,830