East Central Reporter

There were 27 Black students enrolled in Shelby County school districts in the 2023-24 school year, according to the Illinois State Board of Education.

Data showed that Black students made up 0.9% of the 3,046 students in the county. They were the second least represented ethnicity.

Among the five districts in Shelby County, Shelbyville Community Unit School District 4 recorded the highest enrollment of Black students in the 2023-24 school year, with a total of 16 students.

The main offices of all districts mentioned in the story are located in cities associated with Shelby 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
Shelbyville Community Unit School District 4	1.3%	1,242
Central A & M Community Unit School District 21	1.5%	732