Chambana Sun

There were 18 Black students enrolled in Piatt County schools in the 2023-24 school year, 25% less than the previous year, according to the Illinois State Board of Education.

Data showed that Black students made up 0.6% of the 3,008 students during the 2023-24 school year. They were the least represented ethnicity in the county schools.

Among the 14 schools in Piatt County, Monticello High School recorded the highest enrollment of Black students in the 2023-24 school year, with a total of 18 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 Black students enrolment	Total enrollment
Monticello High School	3.8%	471
Cerro Gordo Elementary School	0%	239
Cerro Gordo Junior/Senior High School	0%	205
Deland-Weldon Elementary School	0%	103
Deland-Weldon High School	0%	39
Deland-Weldon Middle School	0%	24
Washington School	0%	557
White Heath Elementary School	0%	263
Bement Elementary School	0%	133
Bement High School	0%	90
Bement Middle School	0%	65
Blue Ridge Intermediate and Junior High School	0%	213
Monticello Middle School	0%	377
Atwood-Hammond Grade School	0%	229