Southern Illinois News

There were 442 white students enrolled in Pope County County schools in the 2021-22 school year, 3.1% more than the previous year, according to the Illinois State Board of Education report.

Data showed that white students made up 94.6% of the 467 students during the 2021-22 school year. They were the most represented ethnicity in the county schools.

Among the two schools in Pope County County, Pope County Elementary School recorded the highest enrollment of white students in 2021-22 school year, with a total of 305 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 White students enrolment	Total enrollment
Pope County Elementary School	93.8	325
Pope County High School	96.5	142