East Central Reporter

There were 4,532 white students enrolled in Coles County County schools in the 2022-23 school year, 3% more than the previous year, according to the Illinois State Board of Education report.

Data showed that white students made up 81.2% of the 5,579 students during the 2022-23 school year. They were the most represented ethnicity in the county schools.

Among the 12 schools in Coles County County, Mattoon High School recorded the highest enrollment of white students in 2022-23 school year, with a total of 812 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 White students enrolment	Total enrollment
Mattoon High School	84.6	960
Charleston High School	81.8	713
Mattoon Middle School	81.6	640
Arland D. Williams Junior Elementary School	77.1	672
Riddle Elementary School	79.2	606
Jefferson Elementary School	81.4	539
Carl Sandburg Elementary School	76.4	547
Charleston Middle School	80.2	383
Lake Crest Elementary School	98.3	181
Mark Twain Elementary School	73.5	189
Ashmore Elementary School	86.6	82
Oakland High School	97	67