Rock Island Today

The only school district in Mercer County suffered a drop in enrollment numbers in the 2023-24 school year, according to the Illinois State Board of Education.

There were 1,230 students in the halls of Mercer County School District 404 schools, 2.1% lower than the year before.

The enrollment numbers in Mercer County amplified the state's declining trend, showing a sharper decrease in student numbers than the state average.

Of all the students welcomed in the 2023-24 school year, 50.6% of them were boys, and 49.4% were girls.

Data also showed that the majority of students identified themselves as white, making up 91.7% of the Mercer County School District 404's total enrollment.

Mercer County School District 404 has a main office in Aledo and is the only school district within Mercer 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
Mercer County High School	384	382	0.5%
Apollo Elementary School	341	334	2.1%
Mercer County Junior High School	268	292	-8.2%
New Boston Elementary School	160	171	-6.4%