NW Georgia News

There were 3,281 ninth grade students enrolled in Whitfield County schools in the 2022-23 school year, 1.5% more than the previous year, according to reports from the Georgia Department of Education.

Dalton Junior High School welcomed the largest number of ninth grade students among county schools, registering 1,243 students during the 2022-23 school year.

Within Whitfield County schools, the highest student count was found in ninth grade, with the smallest class sizes seen in fourth grade.

Statewide, Whitfield County ranked 21st in enrollment numbers, with a total of 38,313 students enrolled in the 2022-23 school year. It was also ranked 21st 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 9th Grade Students Enrolled	% of Student Body	Total Enrollment
Dalton Junior High School	1,243	53.7%	2,313
Southeast Whitfield County High School	864	29.5%	2,927
Northwest Whitfield County High School	631	26.6%	2,373
Coahulla Creek High School	543	28%	1,938
Dalton High School	0	0%	2,720
Phoenix High School	0	0%	340
The Dalton Academy	0	0%	813