How many Black students were enrolled in Stephenson County schools in 2023-24 school year?

Jason Helfer Chief Education Officer - Instruction | Twitter

By NW Illinois News

Jun 24, 2025

There were 886 Black students enrolled in Stephenson County schools in the 2023-24 school year, 3% more than the previous year, according to the Illinois State Board of Education.

Data showed that Black students made up 15.1% of the 5,875 students during the 2023-24 school year. They were the second most represented ethnicity in the county schools.

Among the 20 schools in Stephenson County, Freeport High School recorded the highest enrollment of Black students in the 2023-24 school year, with a total of 250 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.

Ethnicities in Stephenson County in 2023-24 School Year

Enrollment Demographics in Stephenson County County Schools During 2023-24 School Year

School name	% of Black students enrolment	Total enrollment
Freeport High School	23.7%	1,056
Lincoln-Douglas Elementary School	37.3%	314
Freeport Middle School	24.6%	472
Carl Sandburg Middle School	26.9%	428
Jones-Farrar, an International Baccalaureate World School	24.4%	336
Empire Elementary School	26.4%	303
Center Elementary School	25.7%	280
Black Hawk Elementary School	16.7%	323
Lena-Winslow Elementary School	0%	421
Lena-Winslow High School	0%	235
Lena-Winslow Junior High School	0%	169
Dakota Elementary School	0%	405
Dakota Junior Senior High School	0%	341
Orangeville Elementary School	0%	143
Orangeville High School	0%	95
Orangeville Junior High School	0%	62
Pearl City Elementary School	0%	205
Pearl City High School	0%	131
Pearl City Junior High School	0%	76
German Valley Grade School	0%	80