East Central Reporter

There were 76 Hispanic students enrolled in Richland County County schools in the 2021-22 school year, 8.4% more than the previous year, according to the Illinois State Board of Education report.

Data showed that Hispanic students made up 3.5% of the 2,194 students during the 2021-22 school year. They were the second least represented ethnicity in the county schools.

Among the three schools in Richland County County, Richland County High School recorded the highest enrollment of Hispanic students in 2021-22 school year, with a total of 36 students.

In 2022, Illinois had 1,925,415 students enrolled in a total of 3,977 schools. There were 130,467 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	% of Hispanic students enrolment	Total enrollment
Richland County High School	5.2	697
Richland County Elementary School	2.3	1,040
Richland County Middle School	3.5	457