East Central Reporter

The majority of students in Richland County schools were white in the 2021-22 school year, according to the Illinois State Board of Education.

Of the 2,194 students attending Richland County schools, 91% were white. multiracial students were the second largest ethnicity, making up 3.7% of Richland County students.

In the previous school year, white students were the most common group in Richland County, representing 90.9% of the student body.

Richland County Elementary School had the most diverse student body in Richland County, including African American, Hispanic, multiracial, and white.

In the 2021-22 school year, the total number of students enrolled in public schools in the county dropped 1.7% when compared to the previous year.

In the 2021-22 school year, Illinois had roughly 1.9 million students enrolled across approximately schools. There were more than 130,000 teachers in the public schools, or roughly one teacher for every 15 students, compared to the national average of 1:16.

K-12 enrollment has been declining in Illinois for many years, reflecting demographic changes. Combined public and private K-12 enrollment dropped 3% between the 2019-20 and 2020-21 school years (60,900 students), far more than the typical 0.5% to 1.5% annual enrollment declines in Illinois over the last 5 years.

School name	Most prevalent ethnicity	Percent of Total Student Body	Total Enrolment
Richland County Elementary School	White	92.1%	1,040
Richland County High School	White	89.2%	697
Richland County Middle School	White	91%	457