East Central Reporter

There were 446 Hispanic students enrolled in Douglas County schools in the 2023-24 school year, 3.7% more than the previous year, according to the Illinois State Board of Education.

Data showed that Hispanic students made up 16.3% of the 2,731 students during the 2023-24 school year. They were the second most represented ethnicity in the county schools.

Among the 10 schools in Douglas County, Arcola Elementary School recorded the highest enrollment of Hispanic students in the 2023-24 school year, with a total of 190 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
Arcola Elementary School	46.7%	407
Arcola High School	47.7%	281
Arthur Grade School	15.6%	256
Villa Grove Elementary School	7.1%	325
North Ward Elementary School	5.9%	324
Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond High School	6.8%	280
East Prairie Middle School	4%	272
Tuscola High School	3.5%	287
Villa Grove High School	0%	198
Villa Grove Junior High School	0%	101