East Central Reporter

There were 4,450 white students enrolled in Coles County schools in the 2023-24 school year, 1.8% less than the previous year, according to the Illinois State Board of Education.

Data showed that white students made up 80.7% of the 5,517 students during the 2023-24 school year. They were the most represented ethnicity in the county schools.

Among the 12 schools in Coles County, Mattoon High School recorded the highest enrollment of white students in the 2023-24 school year, with a total of 760 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
Mattoon High School	83.8%	907
Charleston High School	81.5%	735
Arland D. Williams Junior Elementary School	75.8%	706
Mattoon Middle School	80.3%	615
Riddle Elementary School	80.6%	563
Jefferson Elementary School	80.7%	553
Carl Sandburg Elementary School	74.5%	534
Charleston Middle School	80.9%	383
Lake Crest Elementary School	97.2%	180
Mark Twain Elementary School	75.5%	204
Oakland High School	96.9%	65
Ashmore Elementary School	86.1%	72