West Central Reporter

There were 25 Black students enrolled in Schuyler County schools in the 2023-24 school year, the same as the previous year, according to the Illinois State Board of Education.

Data showed that Black students made up 2.7% of the 926 students during the 2023-24 school year. They were the second most represented ethnicity in the county schools.

Among the four schools in Schuyler County, Washington Elementary School recorded the highest enrollment of Black students in the 2023-24 school year, with a total of 13 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
Washington Elementary School	6.5%	201
Rushville-Industry High School	4.1%	292
Schuyler Industry Middle School	0%	253
Webster Elementary School	0%	180