Tim Farquer, Superintendent at Mercer County School District 404 | Mercer County School District 404
Tim Farquer, Superintendent at Mercer County School District 404 | Mercer County School District 404
Data showed that Black students made up 1.5% of the 1,230 students in the county. They were the least represented ethnicity.
Mercer County School District 404 was the only district in the county which enrolled Black students, welcoming 19 students in the 2023-24 school year.
The main offices of all districts mentioned in the story are located in cities associated with Mercer County.
Illinois allocated $8.6 billion to K-12 education in its 2025 budget—a $350 million increase over FY 2024, meeting the minimum required under the state’s school funding formula.
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.
| District | Black Student Enrollment Percentage | Total enrollment |
|---|---|---|
| Mercer County School District 404 | 1.5% | 1,230 |
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