South Central Reporter

There were 27 Hispanic students enrolled in Washington County schools in the 2023-24 school year, the same as the previous year, according to the Illinois State Board of Education.

Data showed that Hispanic students made up 1.6% of the 1,707 students during the 2023-24 school year. They were the least represented ethnicity in the county schools.

Among the seven schools in Washington County, Nashville Community High School recorded the highest enrollment of Hispanic students in the 2023-24 school year, with a total of 14 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
Nashville Community High School	3.8%	364
Nashville Grade School	2.2%	590
Irvington Elementary School	0%	62
Oakdale Grade School	0%	56
Okawville Grade School	0%	280
Okawville Junior/Senior High School	0%	229
Ashley Community Consolidated School	0%	126