There were 13 Black students enrolled in Ford County school districts in the 2024-25 school year, 18.8% more than the previous year, according to the Illinois State Board of Education.
Data showed that Black students made up 0.6% of the 2,181 students in the county. They were the least represented ethnicity.
Among the two districts in Ford County, Paxton-Buckley-Loda Community Unit School District 10 was the only one that enrolled Black students in the 2024-25 school year.
The main offices of all districts mentioned in the story are located in cities associated with Ford County.
Illinois allocated $8.6 billion to K-12 education in its 2025 budget—a $350 million increase over FY 2024, meeting the minimum required under the state’s school funding formula.
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.
| District | Black Student Enrollment Percentage | Total enrollment |
|---|---|---|
| Paxton-Buckley-Loda Community Unit School District 10 | 1.1% | 1,217 |
