Macon Times

There were 780 eighth grade students enrolled in Jones County schools in the 2022-23 school year, 8% less than the previous year, according to reports from the Georgia Department of Education.

Gray Station Middle School welcomed the largest number of eighth grade students among county schools, registering 426 students during the 2022-23 school year.

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

Statewide, Jones County ranked 60th in enrollment numbers, with a total of 9,733 students enrolled in the 2022-23 school year. It was ranked 58th 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 8th Grade Students Enrolled	% of Student Body	Total Enrollment
Gray Station Middle School	426	32.9%	1,294
Clifton Ridge Middle School	354	32.1%	1,104