East Central Reporter

The majority of students in Richland County schools were white in the 2022-23 school year, according to the Illinois State Board of Education.

Of the 2,254 students attending Richland County schools, 91.1% were white. multiracial students were the second largest ethnicity, making up 3.9% of Richland County students.

In the previous school year, white students were also the most common group in Richland County, representing 91% of the student body.

Richland County Elementary School had the most diverse student body in Richland County, including African American, Hispanic, multiracial, and white.

In the 2022-23 school year, the total number of students enrolled in public schools in the county increased by 2.7% compared to the previous year.

In the 2021-22 school year, Illinois had roughly 1.9 million students enrolled across approximately schools. There were more than 130,000 teachers in the public schools, or roughly one teacher for every 15 students, compared to the national average of 1:16.

Illinois has increased its state funding for public schools by $350 million, bringing the total to $8.6 billion for the upcoming year. This is in line with a 2017 law aiming to provide adequate funding to all schools by 2027.

However, experts suggest that this goal may be delayed unless education funding jumps to at least $550 million. According to a Center for Tax and Budget Accountability report, there’s currently a funding gap of about $2.3 billion.

School name	Most prevalent ethnicity	Percent of Total Student Body	Total Enrollment
Richland County Elementary School	White	92.1%	1,090
Richland County High School	White	88.7%	698
Richland County Middle School	White	92.3%	466