South Georgia Times

There were 434 11th grade students enrolled in Ben Hill County schools in the 2022-23 school year, 19.9% more than the previous year, according to reports from the Georgia Department of Education.

Fitzgerald High School welcomed the largest number of 11th grade students among county schools, registering 408 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 11th Grade Students Enrolled	% of Student Body	Total Enrollment
Fitzgerald High School	408	24%	1,699
Hurricane Transition Academy	26	33.3%	78