West Central Reporter

There were 49 Hispanic students enrolled in Hancock County school districts in the 2023-24 school year, 11.4% 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 in the county. They were the second most represented ethnicity.

Among the eight districts in Hancock County, Carthage Elementary School District 317 recorded the highest enrollment of Hispanic students in the 2023-24 school year, with a total of 33 students.

The main offices of all districts mentioned in the story are located in cities associated with Hancock County.

Illinois allocated $8.6 billion to K-12 education in its 2025 budget—a $350 million increase over FY 2024, meeting the minimum required under the state’s school funding formula.

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.

District	Hispanic Student Enrollment Percentage	Total enrollment
Carthage Elementary School District 317	7.6%	436
Illini West High School District 307	4.8%	330