Rome Reporter

There were 1,423 ninth grade students enrolled in Polk County schools in the 2022-23 school year, 0.4% more than the previous year, according to reports from the Georgia Department of Education.

Cedartown High School welcomed the largest number of ninth grade students among county schools, registering 870 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 9th Grade Students Enrolled	% of Student Body	Total Enrollment
Cedartown High School	870	29.9%	2,905
Rockmart High School	523	27.5%	1,900
Harpst Academy	30	73.2%	41