East Central Reporter

The only school district in Jasper County suffered a drop in enrollment numbers in the 2023-24 school year, according to the Illinois State Board of Education.

There were 1,171 students in the halls of Jasper County Community Unit School District 1 schools, 0.1% lower than the year before.

The enrollment numbers in Jasper County

Of all the students welcomed in the 2023-24 school year, 52.2% of them were boys, and 47.8% were girls.

Data also showed that the majority of students identified themselves as white, making up 95.3% of the Jasper County Community Unit School District 1's total enrollment.

Jasper County Community Unit School District 1 has a main office in Newton and is the only school district within Jasper County.

Illinois has approved a new budget for 2025 that increases funds for K-12 education to $8.6 billion, $350 million above 2024.

Lawmakers also approved a new bill that creates a statewide child tax credit, which allows families to receive $300 per child under 17 years. This comes after a similar aid was granted from the federal government, as part of the American Rescue Plan.

School	Total Enrollment in 2023-24	Total Enrollment in 2022-23	Total % Change
Newton Elementary School	478	485	-1.4%
Newton Community High School	378	378	0%
Jasper County Junior High	200	186	7.5%
Ste. Marie Elementary School	115	123	-6.5%