South Central Reporter

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

Of the 1,735 students attending Washington County schools, 93.4% were white. multiracial students were the second largest ethnicity, making up 2% of Washington County students.

In the previous school year, white students were also the most common group in Washington County, representing 93.6% of the student body.

Nashville Community High School and Nashville Grade School had the most diverse student body in Washington County, including Hispanic, multiracial, and white.

In the 2022-23 school year, the total number of students enrolled in public schools in the county increased by 1% 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
Ashley Community Consolidated School	White	96.9%	129
Irvington Elementary School	White	89.9%	69
Nashville Community High School	White	91.6%	383
Nashville Grade School	White	92.3%	569
Oakdale Grade School	White	98.3%	59
Okawville Grade School	White	94.3%	283
Okawville Junior/Senior High School	White	95.9%	243