Rome Reporter

There were 1,482 fifth grade students enrolled in Gordon County schools in the 2022-23 school year, 7.6% more than the previous year, according to reports from the Georgia Department of Education.

Calhoun Elementary School welcomed the largest number of fifth grade students among county schools, registering 565 students during the 2022-23 school year.

Within Gordon County schools, the highest student count was found in ninth grade, with the smallest class sizes seen in third grade.

Statewide, Gordon County ranked 42nd in enrollment numbers, with a total of 17,707 students enrolled in the 2022-23 school year. It was ranked 37th 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 5th Grade Students Enrolled	% of Student Body	Total Enrollment
Calhoun Elementary School	565	31.8%	1,774
Sonoraville Elementary School	200	18.2%	1,099
Tolbert Elementary School	167	17.4%	961
Red Bud Elementary School	152	16.1%	942
Belwood Elementary School	152	17.3%	880
Fairmount Elementary School	130	18.4%	706
Swain Elementary School	116	16.5%	701