South Central Reporter

Steven Isoye State Board of Education Chairperson | linkedin.com

By South Central Reporter

Jun 13, 2025

There were 4,752 white students enrolled in Marion County schools in the 2023-24 school year, 2.3% less than the previous year, according to the Illinois State Board of Education.

Data showed that white students made up 83.5% of the 5,688 students during the 2023-24 school year. They were the most represented ethnicity in the county schools.

Among the 21 schools in Marion County, Salem Community High School recorded the highest enrollment of white students in the 2023-24 school year, with a total of 663 students.

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.

K-12 enrollment has been declining in Illinois for many years, reflecting the state's demographic changes. Between the 2019–20 and 2022–23 school years, Illinois public school enrollment declined from approximately 1.98 million to 1.85 million students, a decrease of about 127,000 students or 6.4%. This decline is significantly higher than the typical annual decreases of 0.5% to 1.5% observed in the preceding years, reflecting broader demographic shifts within the state.

Ethnicities in Marion County in 2023-24 School Year

Enrollment Demographics in Marion County County Schools During 2023-24 School Year

School name	% of White students enrolment	Total enrollment
Salem Community High School	95.4%	695
Centralia High School	68.9%	868
Franklin Park Middle School	90.4%	584
Centralia Junior High School	59.4%	566
Hawthorn Elementary School	89.3%	375
South Central Elementary-Kinmundy School	97%	300
Central City Elementary School	85.4%	295
Iuka Community Consolidated School	93.1%	245
Selmaville Elementary School	91.5%	236
Raccoon Consolidated Elementary School	89.5%	209
Sandoval Elementary School	86.8%	212
Odin Attendance Center K-8	90.7%	162
South Central Middle School	97.9%	142
Jordan Elementary School	58.8%	226
Patoka Elementary School	97.3%	111
Sandoval Senior High School	86%	114
Sandoval Junior High School	82.3%	96
Patoka Senior High School	100%	67
Odin Attendance Center 9-12	85.7%	70
Kell Grade School	84.5%	71
Patoka Junior High School	97.7%	44