NW Illinois News

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

Of the 3,719 students attending Lee County schools, 83.1% were white. Hispanic students were the second largest ethnicity, making up 6.6% of Lee County students.

In the previous school year, white students were also the most common group in Lee County, representing 82.8% of the student body.

Washington Elementary School had the most even distribution of races among county schools, including 74.6% white students, 11.3% multiracial students, 8.2% Hispanic students, and 4.7% African American students.

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
Amboy Central Elementary School	White	91.1%	270
Amboy High School	White	88.9%	226
Amboy Junior High School	White	87.2%	203
Ashton-Franklin Center Elementary School	White	89.4%	246
Ashton-Franklin Center High School	White	91.4%	210
Dixon High School	White	82.7%	705
Jefferson Elementary School	White	78.5%	326
Madison School	White	80.6%	360
Paw Paw Elementary School	White	83%	94
Paw Paw Junior High School	White	89.3%	28
Reagan Middle School	White	81.2%	569
Steward Elementary School	White	76.8%	56
Washington Elementary School	White	74.6%	426

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