East Central Reporter

There were 38 Asian students enrolled in Coles County school districts in the 2023-24 school year, 9.5% more than the previous year, according to the Illinois State Board of Education.

Data showed that Asian students made up 0.7% of the 5,729 students in the county. They were the least represented ethnicity.

Among the three districts in Coles County, Charleston Community Unit School District 1 recorded the highest enrollment of Asian students in the 2023-24 school year, with a total of 24 students.

The main offices of all districts mentioned in the story are located in cities associated with Coles County.

Illinois allocated $8.6 billion to K-12 education in its 2025 budget—a $350 million increase over FY 2024, meeting the minimum required under the state’s school funding formula.

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.

District	Asian Student Enrollment Percentage	Total enrollment
Charleston Community Unit School District 1	1%	2,481
Mattoon Community Unit School District 2	0.5%	3,003