NW Illinois News

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

Of the 2,814 students attending Jo Daviess County schools, 86.2% were white. Hispanic students were the second largest ethnicity, making up 7.4% of Jo Daviess County students.

In the previous school year, white students were also the most common group in Jo Daviess County, representing 87.2% of the student body.

East Dubuque Elementary School had the most diverse student body in Jo Daviess 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
East Dubuque Elementary School	White	85.7%	350
East Dubuque High School	White	87.2%	179
East Dubuque Junior High	White	88.5%	87
Galena High School	White	78.2%	239
Galena Primary School	White	82.1%	588
River Ridge Elementary School	White	84.4%	225
River Ridge High School	White	91.5%	130
Scales Mound Elementary School	White	94.5%	127
Scales Mound High School	White	93.1%	72
Scales Mound Junior High School	White	92.9%	56
Stockton Elementary School	White	86.5%	223
Stockton Senior High School	White	85.5%	166
Warren Elementary School	White	90.5%	190
Warren Junior and Senior High School	White	92.3%	182

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