Rockford Sun

There were 3,852 Hispanic students enrolled in Boone County schools in the 2023-24 school year, 3.9% more than the previous year, according to the Illinois State Board of Education.

Data showed that Hispanic students made up 43.6% of the 8,830 students during the 2023-24 school year. They were the second most represented ethnicity in the county schools.

Among the 16 schools in Boone County, Belvidere High School recorded the highest enrollment of Hispanic students in the 2023-24 school year, with a total of 609 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.

School name	% of Hispanic students enrolment	Total enrollment
Belvidere High School	54.3%	1,122
Washington Academy	64.8%	820
Belvidere North High School	36.2%	1,341
Belvidere South Middle School	56.9%	738
Meehan Elementary School	54.6%	601
Belvidere Central Middle School	36.2%	858
Seth Whitman Elementary School	41%	691
Lincoln Elementary School	49.4%	534
North Boone High School	33%	476
Caledonia Elementary School	25.3%	447
North Boone Middle School	29.3%	246
Poplar Grove Elementary School	26.6%	256
Capron Elementary School	38.8%	170
North Boone Upper Elementary School	29.4%	201
Perry Elementary School	26.8%	194
Manchester Elementary School	25.2%	135