Central Georgia News

There were 1,294 seventh grade students enrolled in Laurens County schools in the 2022-23 school year, 3.8% less than the previous year, according to reports from the Georgia Department of Education.

West Laurens Middle School welcomed the largest number of seventh grade students among county schools, registering 641 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 7th Grade Students Enrolled	% of Student Body	Total Enrollment
West Laurens Middle School	641	34.8%	1,841
East Laurens Middle School	356	32.3%	1,103
Dublin Middle School	297	24.2%	1,228
Moore Street Facility	0	0%	84