In 2024-25 school year, white students had highest representation in Knox County school districts

White students made up the majority of enrollment in Knox County school districts in the 2024-25 school year, according to the Illinois State Board of Education.

Of the 6,549 students enrolled in Knox County school districts, 69.5% were white. African American students were the second-largest group, accounting for 10.6% of enrollment.

In the previous school year, white students were the most common group in Knox County school districts, representing 69.4% of the student body.

Galesburg Community Unit School District 205 had the most diverse student body in Knox County, including Asian, African American, Hispanic, multiracial, and white students.

In the 2024-25 school year, total enrollment in Knox County school districts dropped 0.4% compared with the previous year.

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

K-12 enrollment has been declining in Illinois for many years, reflecting the state’s demographic changes. Between the 2017-18 and 2024-25 school years, Illinois public school enrollment declined from approximately two million to 1.85 million students, a decrease of about 153,000 students or 7.6%.

As of the 2024-25 school year, Illinois public schools served just under 1.85 million K-12 students statewide, continuing a slow decline in enrollment from previous years. During that same period, the state recorded a student-teacher ratio of about 17:1 as full-time equivalent teachers rose to a record 137,899.

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