NW Atlanta News

There were 554 seventh grade students enrolled in Pickens County schools in the 2022-23 school year, 14% less than the previous year, according to reports from the Georgia Department of Education.

Pickens County Junior High School was the only school in the county to welcome seventh grade students during the 2022-23 school year.

Within Pickens County schools, the highest student count was found in ninth grade, with the smallest class sizes seen in 12th grade.

Statewide, Pickens County ranked 66th in enrollment numbers, with a total of 7,977 students enrolled in the 2022-23 school year. It was also ranked 66th 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
Pickens County Junior High School	554	45.3%	1,223
Jasper Middle School	0	0%	1,246