Enrollment Analysis: White students comprised 45.3% of Will County’s student body in 2023-24 school year

Dr. Robert McBride Jr. Superintendent at Lockport Township High School East | Official Website

By Will County Gazette

Jun 12, 2025

There were 49,466 white students enrolled in Will County schools in the 2023-24 school year, 2.9% less than the previous year, according to the Illinois State Board of Education.

Data showed that white students made up 45.3% of the 109,154 students during the 2023-24 school year. They were the most represented ethnicity in the county schools.

Among the 169 schools in Will County, Lockport Township High School East recorded the highest enrollment of white students in the 2023-24 school year, with a total of 2,525 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.

Ethnicities in Will County in 2023-24 School Year

Enrollment Demographics in Will County County Schools During 2023-24 School Year

School name	% of White students enrolment	Total enrollment
Lockport Township High School East	66.7%	3,785
Lincoln-Way East High School	69.5%	2,707
Lincoln-Way Central High School	80.7%	1,992
Lincoln Way West	79.8%	1,959
Plainfield North High School	61.7%	2,311
Neuqua Valley High School	42.3%	2,951
Plainfield High School	49.8%	1,849
Joliet West High School	25.8%	3,294
Hadley Middle School	84.7%	864
Hickory Creek Middle School	75.4%	945
Homer Junior High School	83.4%	795
Chelsea Elementary School	74.9%	882
Plainfield East High School	35.5%	1,822
Grand Prairie Elementary School	76.2%	816
Wilson Creek Elementary School	82.4%	727
Mokena Elementary School	78.5%	715
Reed-Custer Elementary School	82%	671
Bolingbrook High School	16.1%	3,317
Richard Ira Jones Middle School	59.3%	863
Luther J. Schilling School	83.6%	602
Manhattan Junior High School	84.1%	592
Anna McDonald Elementary School	84.3%	585
Heritage Grove Middle School	57.1%	844
Alex M. Martino Junior High School	85.5%	564
William J. Butler School	83.7%	563
Spencer Crossing Intermediate School	87.6%	533
Romeoville High School	25.7%	1,793
Liberty Junior High School	78.6%	584
Dr. Julian Rogus School	72.1%	613
Summit Hill Junior High School	72.9%	602
Gordon Gregory Middle School	53.2%	823
Walker's Grove Elementary School	68.1%	612
Mokena Junior High School	82.3%	503
Spencer Pointe School	85.2%	461
Eagle Pointe Elementary School	65.4%	590
Joliet Central High School	11.5%	3,337
Timber Ridge Middle School	46.1%	823
Nelson Ridge School	84.2%	449
William E. Young School	80.8%	463
Troy Middle School	40.9%	867
Walker Intermediate School	68%	519
Walnut Trails Elementary School	68.3%	514
Peotone High School	80.6%	433
River View Elementary School	56.1%	619
Oak Prairie Junior High School	76.5%	451
Lincoln Elementary School	60.3%	567
John F. Kennedy Middle School	36.7%	927
Wilmington High School	80.5%	406
Reed-Custer High School	84.5%	380
Bentley Elementary School	85.3%	375
Goodings Grove School	81.7%	388
Spencer Trail School	80.8%	386
Nelson Prairie School	82.7%	376
Orenic Intermediate School	38.8%	798
Arnold J. Tyler School	81.2%	377
L.J. Stevens Intermediate School	83.1%	350
Drauden Point Middle School	42.5%	673
Spring Brook Elementary School	51.4%	554
Central Elementary School	54.7%	519
N.B. Galloway Elementary School	77.7%	363
Oster-Oakview School	75.1%	374
Beecher Elementary School	63.7%	438
River Woods Elementary School	59.3%	469
Clifford Crone Middle School	30.8%	882
Kingsley Elementary School	65.6%	410
Walsh Elementary School	77.5%	338
Haines Elementary School	76.5%	340
Mokena Intermediate School	76.9%	338
Meadow View Elementary School	47.2%	545
Liberty Elementary School	47.1%	539
The Wheatlands Elementary School	45.6%	557
Freedom Elementary School	47.3%	533
Scullen Middle School	25.6%	961
Patterson Elementary School	50.8%	484
Bednarcik Junior High School	46%	531
Reed Elementary School	79.3%	305
Ludwig Elementary School	76.8%	314
Wesmere Elementary School	43%	544
Peotone Junior High School	78.8%	297
Indian Trail Middle School	43.7%	526
Peotone Elementary School	76.7%	300
Beecher High School	68%	337
Reed-Custer Middle School	83.9%	273
Wilmington Middle School	85.9%	262
Elizabeth Eichelberger Elementary School	39.4%	563
Three Rivers School	83.1%	260
Troy Cronin Elementary School	33.3%	648
Grand Prairie Elementary School	26%	816
Richland Elementary School	26%	813
Channahon Junior High School	78.5%	260
Wolf's Crossing Elementary School	45.2%	451
Kelvin Grove Junior High School	69.9%	289
Robert C. Hill Elementary School	32.7%	605
Pioneer Path School	80.2%	247
Indian Trail Elementary School	65.9%	299
Crete-Monee High School	13.4%	1,454
Ridge Elementary School	40.2%	482
Troy Shorewood School	58.6%	326
Oliver Julian Kendall Elementary School	31.1%	582
Arlene Welch Elementary School	30.3%	594
Robert Clow Elementary School	51.4%	346
Homestead Elementary School	37.9%	470
Beecher Junior High School	66.3%	258
John J. Lukancic Middle School	29.5%	560
Bruning Elementary School	85.3%	191
Elwood C.C. School	60.4%	270
Milne Grove Elementary School	70.6%	228
Fry Elementary School	28.5%	565
Lakewood Falls Elementary School	29.9%	528
Taft Grade School	60.2%	254
Troy Hofer Elementary School	36.5%	414
Danielle-Joy Peterson Elementary School	26.3%	567
Troy Craughwell School	33.6%	444
Creekside Elementary School	30.5%	478
Pioneer Elementary School	24.1%	607
Crete-Monee Middle School	14.1%	969
Crystal Lawns Elementary School	45%	302
V. Blanche Graham Elementary School	44.2%	308
Peotone Intermediate Center	83.9%	155
Brooks Middle School	13.3%	967
Arbury Hills Elementary School	72.7%	176
A. Vito Martinez Middle School	19.5%	646
Troy Heritage Trail School	29.5%	410
Skoff Elementary School	17.3%	692
Chaney-Monge School	29.2%	401
Hufford Junior High School	10.4%	1,101
Frankfort Square Elementary School	70.6%	160
Irene King Elementary School	26.8%	410
Columbia Central School	18.8%	581
Cherry Hill Elementary And Early Childhood Center	67.1%	152
Jamie McGee Elementary School	24.1%	390
Jane Addams Middle School	17.5%	532
Jonas E. Salk Elementary School	19.1%	471
Balmoral Elementary School	18.7%	449
Monee Elementary School	21.8%	372
Steger Intermediate Center	15.4%	480
Wood View Elementary School	20%	345
Oak View Elementary School	11.5%	572
Wayne Builta Elementary School	19.9%	326
Hubert H. Humphrey Middle School	12.1%	537
Crete Elementary School	16.3%	381
Kenneth L. Hermansen Elementary School	15.5%	394
Pershing Elementary School	12.6%	478
Washington Junior High and Academy Program	8.5%	685
Eisenhower Academy	23.3%	227
Taft Elementary School	16%	332
Rockdale Elementary School	21.3%	240
Lynne Thigpen Elementary School	8%	610
Union Elementary School	38.5%	122
Dirksen Junior High School	8.1%	554
John R. Tibbott Elementary School	9.3%	474
Independence Elementary School	7.1%	593
Fairmont School	13.1%	283
M.J. Cunningham Elementary School	7%	513
Thomas Jefferson Elementary School	7.2%	445
Farragut Elementary School	5.9%	511
Carl Sandburg Elementary School	8%	287
Coretta Scott King Magnet School	8.7%	264
Forest Park Individual Education School	8.2%	267
T.E. Culbertson Elementary School	9.4%	212
Laraway Elementary School	4%	452
Bernard J. Ward Elementary School	5.2%	346
Isaac Singleton Elementary School	3.3%	454
Sator Sanchez Elementary School	2%	710
Edna Keith Elementary School	3.4%	357
Woodland Elementary School	0%	348
Talala Elementary School	0%	277
A.O. Marshall Elementary School	0%	211
Gompers Junior High School	0%	695