South Central Reporter

There were 10 Hispanic students enrolled in Fayette County schools in the 2023-24 school year, 16.7% less than the previous year, according to the Illinois State Board of Education.

Data showed that Hispanic students made up 0.4% of the 2,838 students during the 2023-24 school year. They were the least represented ethnicity in the county schools.

Among the 12 schools in Fayette County, Vandalia Community High School recorded the highest enrollment of Hispanic students in the 2023-24 school year, with a total of 10 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.

School name	% of Hispanic students enrolment	Total enrollment
Vandalia Community High School	2.7%	370
South Central High School	0%	185
St. Elmo Elementary School	0%	224
St. Elmo Junior High School	0%	55
St. Elmo Senior High School	0%	116
Vandalia Elementary School	0%	558
Vandalia Junior High School	0%	524
Ramsey High School	0%	185
Brownstown Elementary School	0%	269
Brownstown High School	0%	87
Brownstown Junior High School	0%	59
Ramsey Elementary School	0%	206