Grundy Reporter

There were 2,359 Hispanic students enrolled in Grundy County schools in the 2023-24 school year, 7.1% more than the previous year, according to the Illinois State Board of Education.

Data showed that Hispanic students made up 19.7% of the 11,954 students during the 2023-24 school year. They were the second most represented ethnicity in the county schools.

Among the 22 schools in Grundy County, Minooka Community High School recorded the highest enrollment of Hispanic students in the 2023-24 school year, with a total of 643 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
Minooka Community High School	22.3%	2,882
Minooka Junior High School	21.5%	1,048
Minooka Intermediate School	23.3%	951
Morris Community High School	23.1%	863
White Oak Elementary	26.8%	714
Saratoga Elementary School	18.5%	806
Minooka Elementary School	28.3%	491
Aux Sable Elementary School	23.6%	581
Minooka Primary Center	26.4%	273
Shabbona Middle School	20.8%	337
Coal City High School	8.5%	636
Coal City Middle School	11.1%	486
Coal City Elementary School	17.4%	304
Coal City Early Childhood Center	11.5%	434
Coal City Intermediate School	12%	266
Braceville Elementary School	18.1%	116
Mazon-Verona-Kinsman Middle School	12.9%	139
Mazon-Verona-Kinsman Elementary School	8.8%	171
Gardner-South Wilmington High School	9.8%	153
South Wilmington Grade School	0%	79
Nettle Creek Elementary School	0%	76
Gardner Elementary School	0%	148