Rome Reporter

There were 1,112 second grade students enrolled in Polk County schools in the 2022-23 school year, 3.5% less than the previous year, according to reports from the Georgia Department of Education.

Van Wert Elementary School and Cherokee Elementary School welcomed the largest number of second grade students among county schools, registering 204 students each 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 2nd Grade Students Enrolled	% of Student Body	Total Enrollment
Van Wert Elementary School	204	16.3%	1,251
Cherokee Elementary School	204	18.3%	1,117
Eastside Elementary School	197	14.3%	1,379
Westside Elementary School	197	18.1%	1,087
Northside Elementary School	174	18.2%	957
Youngs Grove Elementary School	136	14.9%	914