East Central Reporter

There were 2,646 white students enrolled in Douglas County school districts in the 2022-23 school year, 2.5% more than the previous year, according to the Illinois State Board of Education.

Data showed that white students made up 81.8% of the 3,235 students in the county. They were the most represented ethnicity at the time.

Among the four districts in Douglas County, Arthur Community Unit School District 305 recorded the highest enrollment of white students in the 2022-23 school year, with a total of 882 students.

The main offices of all districts mentioned in the story are located in cities associated with Douglas 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
Arthur Community Unit School District 305	89.8%	982
Tuscola Community Unit School District 301	90.1%	930
Villa Grove Community Unit School District 302	90%	639
Arcola Consolidated Unit School District 306	51.3%	684