Chambana Sun

White students were the largest ethnic group in Piatt County in the 2023-24 school year, according to the Illinois State Board of Education.

Of the 3,008 students attending Piatt County schools, 92.5% were white. multiracial students were the second largest ethnicity, making up 1.9% of Piatt County students.

In the previous school year, white students were also the most common group in Piatt County, representing 92.8% of the student body.

Monticello High School had the most diverse student body in Piatt County, including African American, Hispanic, multiracial, and white.

The Illinois State Board of Education’s budget for fiscal year 2026 will increase from nearly $10.8 billion to about $11.2 billion. This includes a $307 million boost for K–12 schools, marking the smallest annual increase since 2020.

The agency has paused about $50 million in funding previously allocated through the Evidence-Based Funding formula for the Property Tax Relief Grant while reviewing its impact on local tax relief. Officials say the pause could affect the timing and amount of property tax relief available to taxpayers.

School name	Most prevalent ethnicity	Percent of Total Student Body	Total Enrollment
Atwood-Hammond Grade School	White	94.3%	229
Bement Elementary School	White	88.7%	133
Bement High School	White	86.7%	90
Bement Middle School	White	92.3%	65
Blue Ridge Intermediate and Junior High School	White	94.4%	213
Cerro Gordo Elementary School	White	91.2%	239
Cerro Gordo Junior/Senior High School	White	93.7%	205
Deland-Weldon Elementary School	White	89.3%	103
Deland-Weldon High School	White	94.9%	39
Deland-Weldon Middle School	White	87.5%	24
Monticello High School	White	89.6%	471
Monticello Middle School	White	93.6%	377
Washington School	White	95%	557
White Heath Elementary School	White	93.2%	263

Information in this story was obtained from the Illinois State Board of Education. The source data can be found here.