East Central Reporter

There were 326 Hispanic students enrolled in Coles County school districts in the 2023-24 school year, 2.5% more than the previous year, according to the Illinois State Board of Education.

Data showed that Hispanic students made up 5.7% of the 5,729 students in the county. They were the third most represented ethnicity.

Among the three districts in Coles County, Mattoon Community Unit School District 2 recorded the highest enrollment of Hispanic students in the 2023-24 school year, with a total of 181 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	Hispanic Student Enrollment Percentage	Total enrollment
Mattoon Community Unit School District 2	6%	3,003
Charleston Community Unit School District 1	5.8%	2,481