East Central Reporter

There were 4,686 white students enrolled in Coles County school districts in the 2022-23 school year, 2.6% more than the previous year, according to the Illinois State Board of Education.

Data showed that white students made up 81.2% of the 5,774 students in the county. They were the most represented ethnicity at the time.

Among the three districts in Coles County, Mattoon Community Unit School District 2 recorded the highest enrollment of white students in the 2022-23 school year, with a total of 2,486 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	white Student Enrollment Percentage	Total enrollment
Mattoon Community Unit School District 2	80.9%	3,073
Charleston Community Unit School District 1	79.8%	2,453
Oakland Community Unit School District 5	98%	248