East Central Reporter

There were 10 Black students enrolled in Lawrence County schools in the 2023-24 school year, 37.5% less than the previous year, according to the Illinois State Board of Education.

Data showed that Black students made up 0.5% of the 1,918 students during the 2023-24 school year. They were the least represented ethnicity in the county schools.

Among the six schools in Lawrence County, Parkside Elementary School recorded the highest enrollment of Black students in the 2023-24 school year, with a total of 10 students.

As of the 2023-24 school year, Illinois public schools enrolled approximately 1.85 million students across nearly 4,000 schools. There was roughly one teacher for every 15 students, slightly better than the national average of 1:16.

K-12 enrollment has been declining in Illinois for many years, reflecting the state's demographic changes. Between the 2019–20 and 2022–23 school years, Illinois public school enrollment declined from approximately 1.98 million to 1.85 million students, a decrease of about 127,000 students or 6.4%. This decline is significantly higher than the typical annual decreases of 0.5% to 1.5% observed in the preceding years, reflecting broader demographic shifts within the state.

School name	% of Black students enrolment	Total enrollment
Parkside Elementary School	2%	510
Lawrenceville High School	0%	284
Bridgeport Grade School	0%	304
Sumner Attendance Center	0%	211
Parkview Junior High School	0%	217
Red Hill Junior/Senior High School	0%	392