East Central Reporter

There were 2,154 white students enrolled in Douglas County schools in the 2023-24 school year, 5.5% less than the previous year, according to the Illinois State Board of Education.

Data showed that white students made up 78.9% of the 2,731 students during the 2023-24 school year. They were the most represented ethnicity in the county schools.

Among the 10 schools in Douglas County, North Ward Elementary School recorded the highest enrollment of white students in the 2023-24 school year, with a total of 291 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
North Ward Elementary School	89.8%	324
Villa Grove Elementary School	88.6%	325
Tuscola High School	90.9%	287
Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond High School	90.4%	280
East Prairie Middle School	91.5%	272
Arthur Grade School	80.9%	256
Arcola Elementary School	47.4%	407
Villa Grove High School	93.4%	198
Arcola High School	49.1%	281
Villa Grove Junior High School	88.1%	101