South West Illinois News

There were 180 multiracial students enrolled in Randolph County school districts in the 2023-24 school year, 4.7% more than the previous year, according to the Illinois State Board of Education.

Data showed that multiracial students made up 4.7% of the 3,816 students in the county. They were the second most represented ethnicity.

Among the six districts in Randolph County, Sparta Community Unit School District 140 recorded the highest enrollment of multiracial students in the 2023-24 school year, with a total of 116 students.

The main offices of all districts mentioned in the story are located in cities associated with Randolph 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	multiracial Student Enrollment Percentage	Total enrollment
Sparta Community Unit School District 140	10%	1,161
Chester Community Unit School District 139	2.9%	940
Red Bud Community Unit School District 132	2.5%	990
Steeleville Community Unit School District 138	2.9%	409