Central Georgia News

There were 1,340 first grade students enrolled in Laurens County schools in the 2022-23 school year, 6% more than the previous year, according to reports from the Georgia Department of Education.

East Laurens Primary School welcomed the largest number of first grade students among county schools, registering 328 students during the 2022-23 school year.

Within Laurens County schools, the highest student count was found in ninth grade, with the smallest class sizes seen in 11th grade.

Statewide, Laurens County ranked 45th in enrollment numbers, with a total of 16,498 students enrolled in the 2022-23 school year. It was also ranked 45th 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 1st Grade Students Enrolled	% of Student Body	Total Enrollment
East Laurens Primary School	328	31.8%	1,033
Northwest Laurens Elementary School	285	17%	1,675
Southwest Laurens Elementary School	276	15.2%	1,814
Susie Dasher	253	26.9%	940
Hillcrest Elementary School	198	21.5%	919
Dublin Middle School	0	0%	1,228
East Laurens Elementary School	0	0%	988