East Central Reporter

There were 44 multiracial students enrolled in Shelby County school districts in the 2021-22 school year, according to the Illinois State Board of Education report.

Data showed that multiracial students made up 1.5% of the 2,944 students in Shelby County during the 2021-22 school year. They were the second most represented ethnicity.

Among the five districts in Shelby County, Central A & M Community Unit School District 21 recorded the highest enrollment of multiracial students in the 2021-22 school year, with a total of 18 students.

The main offices of all districts mentioned in the story are located in cities associated with Shelby 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 multiracial students enrolment	Total enrollment
Central A & M Community Unit School District 21	2.6%	694
Shelbyville Community Unit School District 4	1.3%	1,212
Windsor Community Unit School District 1	2.9%	339
Cowden-Herrick Community Unit School District 3A	0%	298
Stewardson-Strasburg Community Unit School District 5A	0%	401