West Central Reporter

There were 49 Hispanic students enrolled in Hancock County schools in the 2023-24 school year, 36.1% more than the previous year, according to the Illinois State Board of Education.

Data showed that Hispanic students made up 1.8% of the 2,697 students during the 2023-24 school year. They were the second most represented ethnicity in the county schools.

Among the 12 schools in Hancock County, Carthage Primary School recorded the highest enrollment of Hispanic students in the 2023-24 school year, with a total of 23 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
Carthage Primary School	8.8%	260
Illini West High School	4.8%	330
Carthage Middle School	5.7%	176
La Harpe Elementary School	0%	187
Southeastern Elementary School	0%	261
Southeastern Junior/Senior High School	0%	179
Hamilton Elementary School	0%	400
Hamilton High School	0%	173
Dallas City Elementary School	0%	166
Warsaw Elementary School	0%	207
Warsaw Senior High School	0%	168
Nauvoo Elementary School	0%	190