East Central Reporter

White students were the largest ethnic group in Shelby County in the 2023-24 school year, according to the Illinois State Board of Education.

Of the 2,635 students attending Shelby County schools, 94.5% were white. multiracial students were the second largest ethnicity, making up 0.5% of Shelby County students.

In the previous school year, white students were also the most common group in Shelby County, representing 95.1% of the student body.

Main Street Elementary School had the most diverse student body in Shelby County, including 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
Cowden-Herrick Grade School	White	97.5%	159
Cowden-Herrick Junior/Senior High School	White	100%	163
Gregory Intermediate School	White	95.9%	196
Main Street Elementary School	White	92.8%	373
Moulton Elementary School	White	93.7%	444
Okaw Valley Middle School	White	96%	125
Shelbyville High School	White	93.5%	336
Shelbyville Kindergarten Center	White	91%	89
Stewardson-Strasburg Elementary School	White	95.2%	273
Stewardson-Strasburg High School	White	97.9%	142
Windsor Elementary School	White	91.1%	202
Windsor Junior and Senior High School	White	92.5%	133

Information in this story was obtained from the Illinois State Board of Education. The source data can be found here.