East Central Reporter

There were 2,049 white students enrolled in Clay County school districts in the 2021-22 school year, 1% more than the previous year, according to the Illinois State Board of Education report.

Data showed that white students made up 94.8% of the 2,162 students in Clay County during the 2021-22 school year. They were the most represented ethnicity.

Among the three districts in Clay County, Flora Community Unit School District 35 recorded the highest enrollment of white students in the 2021-22 school year, with a total of 1,210 students.

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

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.

District	% of white students enrolment	Total enrollment
Flora Community Unit School District 35	93.6%	1,293
North Clay Community Unit School District 25	95.8%	572
Clay City Community Unit School District 10	98%	297