Putnam County schools welcomed 425 third grade students in 2023-24 school year

There were 425 third grade students enrolled in Putnam County schools in the 2023-24 school year, 4.7% less than the previous year, according to reports from the Ohio Department of Education & Workforce.

Kalida Elementary School welcomed most of the third grade students in the county, registering 55 students.

Within Putnam County schools, the highest student count was found in ninth grade, with the smallest class sizes seen in pre-kindergarten.

Statewide, Putnam County ranked 61st in enrollment numbers, with a total of 5,637 students enrolled in the 2023-24 school year. It was also ranked 61st the year before.

In 2022, Ohio saw an average student-to-teacher ratio of approximately 1:15, which is an improvement for the state and is lower than the national average of 1:16.

Despite the apparent improvement, this positive trend is overshadowed by a general decline in public school enrollments, which was accelerated by the pandemic. This decline, aligned with the steady number of teachers in the state over the last 10 years, has led to low student-to-teacher ratios.