East Central Reporter

There were 21 Black students enrolled in Richland County school districts in the 2023-24 school year, 8.7% more than the previous year, according to the Illinois State Board of Education.

Data showed that Black students made up 1% of the 2,166 students in the county. They were the second least represented ethnicity.

East Richland Community Unit School District 1 was the only district in the county which enrolled Black students, welcoming 21 students in the 2023-24 school year.

The main offices of all districts mentioned in the story are located in cities associated with Richland 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	Black Student Enrollment Percentage	Total enrollment
East Richland Community Unit School District 1	1%	2,166