East Central Reporter

There were 4,813 white students enrolled in Coles County school districts in the 2021-22 school year, 1.9% more than the previous year, according to the Illinois State Board of Education report.

Data showed that white students made up 82.4% of the 5,841 students in Coles County during the 2021-22 school year. They were the most represented ethnicity.

Among the three districts in Coles County, Mattoon Community Unit School District 2 recorded the highest enrollment of white students in the 2021-22 school year, with a total of 2,503 students.

The main offices of all districts mentioned in the story are located in cities associated with Coles 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
Mattoon Community Unit School District 2	81.8%	3,059
Charleston Community Unit School District 1	81.5%	2,525
Oakland Community Unit School District 5	98.1%	257