NW Georgia News

There were 1,261 12th grade students enrolled in Walker County schools in the 2022-23 school year, 3.5% less than the previous year, according to reports from the Georgia Department of Education.

Ridgeland High School welcomed the largest number of 12th grade students among county schools, registering 574 students during the 2022-23 school year.

Within Walker County schools, the highest student count was found in ninth grade, with the smallest class sizes seen in 11th grade.

Statewide, Walker County ranked 39th in enrollment numbers, with a total of 18,643 students enrolled in the 2022-23 school year. It was ranked 40th 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 12th Grade Students Enrolled	% of Student Body	Total Enrollment
Ridgeland High School	574	23%	2,494
LaFayette High School	467	20.4%	2,290
Gordon Lee High School	220	27.1%	812