How many students were enrolled in Whiteside County in 2023-24 school year?

Jason Helfer Chief Education Officer - Instruction | Twitter

By NW Illinois News

Apr 3, 2025

Whiteside County schools welcomed 8,003 students in the 2023-24 school year, according to the Illinois State Board of Education.

This is a decrease of 0.3% from the previous school year, when there were 8,031 students enrolled in the county.

Whiteside County had the 26th highest enrollment numbers in the state.

Of all the students welcomed at the time, 51% identified as male, and 49% as female.

Most of the students enrolled in the county were white, representing 71.5% of its student body.

Within Whiteside County, Sterling High School had the highest enrollment in the school year, welcoming 951 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.

Enrollment in Whiteside County Schools Over 7 Years

Enrollment of Whiteside County County Schools in 2023-24 School Year

School	City	Enrollment
Challand Middle School	Sterling	698
Dillon Elementary School	Rock Falls	247
East Coloma - Nelson Elementary School	Rock Falls	209
Erie Elementary School	Erie	247
Erie High School	Erie	186
Erie Middle School	Erie	173
Franklin Elementary School	Sterling	383
Fulton Elementary School	Fulton	399
Fulton High School	Fulton	269
Jefferson Elementary School	Sterling	447
Lincoln Elementary School	Sterling	285
Merrill Elementary School	Rock Falls	233
Montmorency School	Rock Falls	207
Morrison High School	Morrison	276
Morrison Junior High School	Morrison	209
Northside School	Morrison	259
Prophetstown Elementary School	Prophetstown	230
Prophetstown High School	Prophetstown	205
Prophetstown-Lyndon-Tampico Middle School	Prophetstown	167
River Bend Middle School	Fulton	233
Rock Falls Middle School	Rock Falls	232
Rock Falls Township High School	Rock Falls	522
Southside School	Morrison	215
Sterling High School	Sterling	951
Tampico Elementary School	Tampico	134
Washington Elementary School	Sterling	387