South Georgia Times

There were 110 first grade students enrolled in Wheeler County schools in the 2022-23 school year, 6.8% more than the previous year, according to reports from the Georgia Department of Education.

Wheeler County Elementary School was the only school in the county during the 2022-23 school year.

Within Wheeler County schools, the highest student count was found in kindergarten, with the smallest class sizes seen in second grade.

Statewide, Wheeler County ranked 146th in enrollment numbers, with a total of 1,628 students enrolled in the 2022-23 school year. It was ranked 147th 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
Wheeler County Elementary School	110	15.7%	702