Rome Reporter

There were 604 eighth grade students enrolled in Chattooga County schools in the 2022-23 school year, 6.1% less than the previous year, according to reports from the Georgia Department of Education.

Summerville Middle School welcomed the largest number of eighth grade students among county schools, registering 270 students during the 2022-23 school year.

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

Statewide, Chattooga County ranked 82nd in enrollment numbers, with a total of 6,613 students enrolled in the 2022-23 school year. It was ranked 75th 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 8th Grade Students Enrolled	% of Student Body	Total Enrollment
Summerville Middle School	270	34.8%	776
Trion Middle School	192	34.7%	553
Menlo Elementary School	76	12.3%	620
Lyerly Elementary School	66	10.5%	631