South Georgia Times

There were 399 first grade students enrolled in Ben Hill County schools in the 2022-23 school year, 14.7% less than the previous year, according to reports from the Georgia Department of Education.

Ben Hill County Primary School was the only school in the county to welcome first grade students during the 2022-23 school year.

Within Ben Hill County schools, the highest student count was found in eighth grade, with the smallest class sizes seen in third grade.

Statewide, Ben Hill County ranked 96th in enrollment numbers, with a total of 5,564 students enrolled in the 2022-23 school year. It was also ranked 96th 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
Ben Hill County Primary School	399	30%	1,330
Ben Hill Elementary School	0	0%	1,080