East Central Reporter

There were 22 multiracial students enrolled in Douglas County schools in the 2023-24 school year, 24.1% less than the previous year, according to the Illinois State Board of Education.

Data showed that multiracial students made up 0.8% of the 2,731 students during the 2023-24 school year. They were the least represented ethnicity in the county schools.

Among the 10 schools in Douglas County, Villa Grove Elementary School recorded the highest enrollment of multiracial students in the 2023-24 school year, with a total of 12 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 Multiracial students enrolment	Total enrollment
Villa Grove Elementary School	3.7%	325
Arcola Elementary School	2.5%	407
Villa Grove High School	0%	198
Villa Grove Junior High School	0%	101
North Ward Elementary School	0%	324
East Prairie Middle School	0%	272
Tuscola High School	0%	287
Arcola High School	0%	281
Arthur Grade School	0%	256
Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond High School	0%	280