West Central Reporter

There were 135 Black students enrolled in Cass County County schools in the 2022-23 school year, according to the Illinois State Board of Education report.

Data showed that Black students made up 7% of the 1,928 students during the 2022-23 school year. They were the third most represented ethnicity in the county schools.

Among the seven schools in Cass County County, Beardstown Junior/Senior High School recorded the highest enrollment of Black students in 2022-23 school year, with a total of 73 students.

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 3% between the 2019-20 and 2020–21 school years (60,900 students), far more than the typical 0.5% to 1.5% annual enrollment declines in Illinois over the last 5 years.

School name	% of Black students enrolment	Total enrollment
Beardstown Junior/Senior High School	9	813
Gard Elementary School	13.2	470
Virginia Elementary School	0	177
Virginia Junior and Senior High School	0	132
A-C Central High School	0	107
A-C Central Elementary School	0	147
A-C Central Middle School	0	82