South Central Reporter

The majority of students in Marion County schools were white in the 2022-23 school year, according to the Illinois State Board of Education.

Of the 5,739 students attending Marion County schools, 84.8% were white. multiracial students were the second largest ethnicity, making up 6.2% of Marion County students.

In the previous school year, white students were also the most common group in Marion County, representing 85% of the student body.

Centralia High School, Centralia Junior High School, and Jordan Elementary School had the most diverse student body in Marion County, including African American, Hispanic, multiracial, and white.

In the 2022-23 school year, the total number of students enrolled in public schools in the county increased by 0.8% compared to the previous year.

In the 2021-22 school year, Illinois had roughly 1.9 million students enrolled across approximately schools. There were more than 130,000 teachers in the public schools, or roughly one teacher for every 15 students, compared to the national average of 1:16.

Illinois has increased its state funding for public schools by $350 million, bringing the total to $8.6 billion for the upcoming year. This is in line with a 2017 law aiming to provide adequate funding to all schools by 2027.

However, experts suggest that this goal may be delayed unless education funding jumps to at least $550 million. According to a Center for Tax and Budget Accountability report, there’s currently a funding gap of about $2.3 billion.

School name	Most prevalent ethnicity	Percent of Total Student Body	Total Enrollment
Central City Elementary School	White	85.8%	338
Centralia High School	White	72.3%	831
Centralia Junior High School	White	61.8%	591
Franklin Park Middle School	White	91.1%	526
Hawthorn Elementary School	White	88.9%	395
Iuka Community Consolidated School	White	93.2%	236
Jordan Elementary School	White	57.7%	220
Kell Grade School	White	82.3%	79
Odin Attendance Center 9-12	White	88.6%	70
Odin Attendance Center K-8	White	91.2%	181
Patoka Elementary School	White	98.2%	112
Patoka Junior High School	White	100%	47
Patoka Senior High School	White	100%	69
Raccoon Consolidated Elementary School	White	92%	238
Salem Community High School	White	95.2%	715
Sandoval Elementary School	White	86.8%	204
Sandoval Junior High School	White	89.8%	98
Sandoval Senior High School	White	87%	115
Selmaville Elementary School	White	91.9%	246
South Central Elementary-Kinmundy School	White	99%	286
South Central Middle School	White	99.3%	142