West Central Reporter

There were 267 Black students enrolled in Morgan County schools in the 2023-24 school year, 5.3% less than the previous year, according to the Illinois State Board of Education.

Data showed that Black students made up 6.6% of the 4,071 students during the 2023-24 school year. They were the third most represented ethnicity in the county schools.

Among the 18 schools in Morgan County, Jacksonville High School recorded the highest enrollment of Black students in the 2023-24 school year, with a total of 83 students.

As of the 2023-24 school year, Illinois public schools enrolled approximately 1.85 million students across nearly 4,000 schools. There was roughly one teacher for every 15 students, slightly better than the national average of 1:16.

K-12 enrollment has been declining in Illinois for many years, reflecting the state's demographic changes. Between the 2019–20 and 2022–23 school years, Illinois public school enrollment declined from approximately 1.98 million to 1.85 million students, a decrease of about 127,000 students or 6.4%. This decline is significantly higher than the typical annual decreases of 0.5% to 1.5% observed in the preceding years, reflecting broader demographic shifts within the state.

School name	% of Black students enrolment	Total enrollment
Jacksonville High School	9.8%	846
Jacksonville Middle School	9.3%	632
Lincoln Elementary School	19.7%	249
Washington Elementary School	12.5%	271
Eisenhower Elementary School	6.2%	306
South Jacksonville Elementary School	4.5%	289
North Jacksonville School	6.4%	157
Waverly Elementary School	0%	207
Waverly Junior and Senior High School	0%	128
Franklin East Grade School	0%	72
Franklin Junior/Senior High School	0%	138
Franklin Elementary School	0%	62
Triopia Grade School	0%	203
Triopia Junior-Senior High School	0%	183
Meredosia-Chambersburg Elementary School	0%	113
Meredosia-Chambersburg High School	0%	45
Meredosia-Chambersburg Junior High School	0%	53
Murrayville-Woodson Elementary School	0%	117