East Central Reporter

There were 291 Black students enrolled in Coles County schools in the 2023-24 school year, 2% less than the previous year, according to the Illinois State Board of Education.

Data showed that Black students made up 5.3% of the 5,517 students during the 2023-24 school year. They were the second least represented ethnicity in the county schools.

Among the 12 schools in Coles County, Arland D. Williams Junior Elementary School recorded the highest enrollment of Black students in the 2023-24 school year, with a total of 57 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
Arland D. Williams Junior Elementary School	8.1%	706
Carl Sandburg Elementary School	9.2%	534
Charleston High School	5.3%	735
Mattoon High School	4.3%	907
Jefferson Elementary School	6%	553
Mattoon Middle School	4.6%	615
Charleston Middle School	5.2%	383
Riddle Elementary School	2.5%	563
Mark Twain Elementary School	5.9%	204
Lake Crest Elementary School	0%	180
Oakland High School	0%	65
Ashmore Elementary School	0%	72