East Central Reporter

There were 1,826 white students enrolled in Richland County schools in the 2023-24 school year, 11.1% less than the previous year, according to the Illinois State Board of Education.

Data showed that white students made up 91% of the 2,006 students during the 2023-24 school year. They were the most represented ethnicity in the county schools.

Among the three schools in Richland County, Richland County Elementary School recorded the highest enrollment of white students in the 2023-24 school year, with a total of 830 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 White students enrolment	Total enrollment
Richland County Elementary School	90.8%	914
Richland County High School	90%	657
Richland County Middle School	93.1%	435