East Central Reporter

There were 297 Black students enrolled in Coles County County schools in the 2022-23 school year, according to the Illinois State Board of Education report.

Data showed that Black students made up 5.3% of the 5,579 students during the 2022-23 school year. They were the second least represented ethnicity in the county schools.

Among the 12 schools in Coles County County, Carl Sandburg Elementary School recorded the highest enrollment of Black students in 2022-23 school year, with a total of 51 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 Black students enrolment	Total enrollment
Carl Sandburg Elementary School	9.3	547
Arland D. Williams Junior Elementary School	7.3	672
Charleston High School	5.8	713
Mattoon High School	3.5	960
Mattoon Middle School	4.5	640
Jefferson Elementary School	4.8	539
Charleston Middle School	6.5	383
Riddle Elementary School	4.1	606
Mark Twain Elementary School	9	189
Lake Crest Elementary School	0	181
Oakland High School	0	67
Ashmore Elementary School	0	82