West Central Reporter

There were 34 Hispanic students enrolled in Pike County schools in the 2023-24 school year, 15% less than the previous year, according to the Illinois State Board of Education.

Data showed that Hispanic students made up 1.4% of the 2,403 students during the 2023-24 school year. They were the least represented ethnicity in the county schools.

Among the 11 schools in Pike County, Pittsfield South Elementary School recorded the highest enrollment of Hispanic students in the 2023-24 school year, with a total of 19 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 Hispanic students enrolment	Total enrollment
Pittsfield South Elementary School	5.5%	348
Pikeland Community School	3.1%	488
Western Barry Elementary School	0%	238
Western High School	0%	135
Western Junior High School	0%	153
Pittsfield High School	0%	343
Pleasant Hill Elementary School	0%	262
Pleasant Hill High School	0%	103
Griggsville-Perry High School	0%	103
Griggsville-Perry Middle School	0%	88
Griggsville-Perry Primary School	0%	142