Jason Helfer Chief Education Officer - Instruction | Twitter
Jason Helfer Chief Education Officer - Instruction | Twitter
Of the 5,517 students attending Coles County schools, 80.7% were white. multiracial students were the second largest ethnicity, making up 7.2% of Coles County students.
In the previous school year, white students were also the most common group in Coles County, representing 81.2% of the student body.
Charleston High School had the most diverse student body in Coles County, including Asian, African American, Hispanic, multiracial, and white.
The Illinois State Board of Education’s budget for fiscal year 2026 will increase from nearly $10.8 billion to about $11.2 billion. This includes a $307 million boost for K–12 schools, marking the smallest annual increase since 2020.
The agency has paused about $50 million in funding previously allocated through the Evidence-Based Funding formula for the Property Tax Relief Grant while reviewing its impact on local tax relief. Officials say the pause could affect the timing and amount of property tax relief available to taxpayers.
| School name | Most prevalent ethnicity | Percent of Total Student Body | Total Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arland D. Williams Junior Elementary School | White | 75.8% | 706 |
| Ashmore Elementary School | White | 86.1% | 72 |
| Carl Sandburg Elementary School | White | 74.5% | 534 |
| Charleston High School | White | 81.5% | 735 |
| Charleston Middle School | White | 80.9% | 383 |
| Jefferson Elementary School | White | 80.7% | 553 |
| Lake Crest Elementary School | White | 97.2% | 180 |
| Mark Twain Elementary School | White | 75.5% | 204 |
| Mattoon High School | White | 83.8% | 907 |
| Mattoon Middle School | White | 80.3% | 615 |
| Oakland High School | White | 96.9% | 65 |
| Riddle Elementary School | White | 80.6% | 563 |
Information in this story was obtained from the Illinois State Board of Education. The source data can be found here.
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