Galesburg Reporter

The only school district in Henderson County had a rise in enrollment numbers in the 2023-24 school year, according to the Illinois State Board of Education.

There were 744 students in the halls of West Central Community Unit School District 235 schools, 2.2% higher than the year before.

The enrollment numbers in Henderson County bucked the state’s trend, which shows an overall decrease in enrollment across the state.

Of all the students welcomed in the 2023-24 school year, 50.4% of them were boys, and 49.6% were girls.

Data also showed that the majority of students identified themselves as white, making up 91.7% of the West Central Community Unit School District 235's total enrollment.

West Central Community Unit School District 235 has a main office in Biggsville and is the only school district within Henderson County.

Illinois has approved a new budget for 2025 that increases funds for K-12 education to $8.6 billion, $350 million above 2024.

Lawmakers also approved a new bill that creates a statewide child tax credit, which allows families to receive $300 per child under 17 years. This comes after a similar aid was granted from the federal government, as part of the American Rescue Plan.

School	Total Enrollment in 2023-24	Total Enrollment in 2022-23	Total % Change
West Central Elementary School	318	305	4.3%
West Central High School	200	192	4.2%
West Central Middle School	172	178	-3.4%