West Central Reporter

The only school district in Brown County had a rise in enrollment numbers in the 2023-24 school year, according to the Illinois State Board of Education.

There were 683 students in the halls of Brown County Community Unit School District 1 schools, 1.3% higher than the year before.

The enrollment numbers in Brown County bucked the state’s trend, which shows an overall decrease in enrollment across the state.

Of all the students welcomed in the 2023-24 school year, 51.8% of them were boys, and 48.2% were girls.

Data also showed that the majority of students identified themselves as white, making up 94.6% of the Brown County Community Unit School District 1's total enrollment.

Brown County Community Unit School District 1 has a main office in Mount Sterling and is the only school district within Brown County.

Illinois has approved a new budget for 2025 that increases funds for K-12 education to $8.6 billion, $350 million above 2024.

Lawmakers also approved a new bill that creates a statewide child tax credit, which allows families to receive $300 per child under 17 years. This comes after a similar aid was granted from the federal government, as part of the American Rescue Plan.

School	Total Enrollment in 2023-24	Total Enrollment in 2022-23	Total % Change
Brown County Elementary School	286	260	10%
Brown County High School	214	209	2.4%
Brown County Middle School	183	205	-10.7%