East Central Reporter

There were 4,437 white students enrolled in Effingham County schools in the 2023-24 school year, 0.1% less than the previous year, according to the Illinois State Board of Education.

Data showed that white students made up 92% of the 4,824 students during the 2023-24 school year. They were the most represented ethnicity in the county schools.

Among the 14 schools in Effingham County, Effingham High School recorded the highest enrollment of white students in the 2023-24 school year, with a total of 599 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
Effingham High School	87.3%	686
Teutopolis Grade School	97.2%	601
Altamont Grade School	94.5%	469
Central Grade School	86.9%	497
Effingham Junior High School	84.8%	473
Dieterich Elementary School	98.2%	342
Teutopolis High School	97.6%	337
Dieterich Junior/Senior High School	96.1%	259
South Side Grade School	85.8%	275
Altamont High School	92.3%	208
Beecher City Grade School	96%	199
Teutopolis Junior High School	98.3%	174
Beecher City Junior/Senior High School	92%	163
Early Learning Center	87.9%	141