Illinois Valley Times

There were 16 Black students enrolled in Bureau County school districts in the 2023-24 school year, 6.7% more than the previous year, according to the Illinois State Board of Education.

Data showed that Black students made up 0.4% of the 4,403 students in the county. They were the second least represented ethnicity.

Among the 12 districts in Bureau County, Princeton Elementary School District 115 recorded the highest enrollment of Black students in the 2023-24 school year, with a total of 16 students.

The main offices of all districts mentioned in the story are located in cities associated with Bureau County.

Illinois allocated $8.6 billion to K-12 education in its 2025 budget—a $350 million increase over FY 2024, meeting the minimum required under the state’s school funding formula.

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.

District	Black Student Enrollment Percentage	Total enrollment
Princeton Elementary School District 115	1.5%	1,075