East Central Reporter

There were 34 Black students enrolled in Effingham County schools in the 2023-24 school year, 30.8% more than the previous year, according to the Illinois State Board of Education.

Data showed that Black students made up 0.7% of the 4,824 students during the 2023-24 school year. They were the second least represented ethnicity in the county schools.

Among the 14 schools in Effingham County, Central Grade School recorded the highest enrollment of Black students in the 2023-24 school year, with a total of 18 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 Black students enrolment	Total enrollment
Central Grade School	3.6%	497
Effingham High School	2.3%	686
South Side Grade School	0%	275
Dieterich Elementary School	0%	342
Dieterich Junior/Senior High School	0%	259
Beecher City Grade School	0%	199
Beecher City Junior/Senior High School	0%	163
Early Learning Center	0%	141
Effingham Junior High School	0%	473
Teutopolis Grade School	0%	601
Teutopolis High School	0%	337
Teutopolis Junior High School	0%	174
Altamont Grade School	0%	469
Altamont High School	0%	208