Rome Reporter

There were 1,158 kindergarten students enrolled in Polk County schools in the 2022-23 school year, 0.8% less than the previous year, according to reports from the Georgia Department of Education.

Eastside Elementary School welcomed the largest number of kindergarten students among county schools, registering 252 students during the 2022-23 school year.

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

Statewide, Polk County ranked 47th in enrollment numbers, with a total of 15,037 students enrolled in the 2022-23 school year. It was also ranked 47th 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
Eastside Elementary School	252	18.3%	1,379
Van Wert Elementary School	231	18.5%	1,251
Westside Elementary School	213	19.6%	1,087
Cherokee Elementary School	158	14.1%	1,117
Northside Elementary School	154	16.1%	957
Youngs Grove Elementary School	150	16.4%	914