Chambana Sun

There were 11 Black students enrolled in Ford County County schools in the 2021-22 school year, according to the Illinois State Board of Education report.

Data showed that Black students made up 0.4% of the 2,486 students during the 2021-22 school year. They were the least represented ethnicity in the county schools.

Among the eight schools in Ford County County, Clara Peterson Elementary School recorded the highest enrollment of Black students in 2021-22 school year, with a total of 11 students.

In 2022, Illinois had 1,925,415 students enrolled in a total of 3,977 schools. There were 130,467 teachers in the public schools, or roughly one teacher for every 15 students, compared to the national average of 1:16.

K-12 enrollment has been declining in Illinois for many years, reflecting demographic changes. Combined public and private K-12 enrollment dropped 3% between the 2019-20 and 2020–21 school years (60,900 students), far more than the typical 0.5% to 1.5% annual enrollment declines in Illinois over the last 5 years.

School name	% of Black students enrolment	Total enrollment
Clara Peterson Elementary School	1.9	571
Tri Point Elementary School	0	119
Tri-Point Junior High/Elementary	0	134
Paxton-Buckley-Loda High School	0	413
Paxton-Buckley-Loda Junior High School	0	292
Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley Elementary School	0	478
Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley High School	0	277
Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley Middle School	0	202