West Central Reporter

West Prairie Community Unit School District 103 welcomed 580 students in the 2021-22 school year, according to the Illinois State Board of Education report.

This is a 2.4% decrease from the previous school year.

West Prairie South Elementary School had the largest enrollment in the district with 180 students.

West Prairie Community Unit School District 103 roughly covers schools within McDonough County and has a main office in Colchester.

In 2022, Illinois had 1,925,415 students enrolled in a total of 3,977 schools. There were 130,467 teachers in the public schools, or roughly one teacher for every 15 students, compared to the national average of 1:16.

K-12 enrollment has been declining in Illinois for many years, reflecting demographic changes. Combined public and private K-12 enrollment dropped three percent between the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 school year (60,900 students), far more than the typical 0.5 percent to 1.5 percent annual enrollment declines in Illinois over the last 5 years.