East Central Reporter

There were 313 Hispanic students enrolled in Coles County schools in the 2023-24 school year, 4% more than the previous year, according to the Illinois State Board of Education.

Data showed that Hispanic students made up 5.7% of the 5,517 students during the 2023-24 school year. They were the third most represented ethnicity in the county schools.

Among the 12 schools in Coles County, Mattoon High School recorded the highest enrollment of Hispanic students in the 2023-24 school year, with a total of 48 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 Hispanic students enrolment	Total enrollment
Mattoon High School	5.3%	907
Arland D. Williams Junior Elementary School	6.5%	706
Mattoon Middle School	6.8%	615
Carl Sandburg Elementary School	7.3%	534
Riddle Elementary School	6.6%	563
Charleston High School	4.8%	735
Jefferson Elementary School	5.8%	553
Charleston Middle School	5.2%	383
Mark Twain Elementary School	6.9%	204
Lake Crest Elementary School	0%	180
Oakland High School	0%	65
Ashmore Elementary School	0%	72