State report card shows student demographic changes in Will, Grundy counties

The 2015 Illinois Report Card shows increased enrollment at several Will County schools and decreased enrollment at one Grundy County school.

Joliet Public Schools District 86, Plainfield School District 202 and Joliet Township High School District 204 have shown increased enrollment over last year, according to state data released Friday, while Morris Community High School District 101 showed a decrease.

The Illinois Report Card website provides a plethora of information about individual public schools and districts throughout the state, including test scores, the amount spent educating each student and demographic information about students.

State education officials unveiled the new Illinois Report Card based on data from the 2014-15 school year that shows academic, financial, personnel and student information about public schools and school districts.

Besides enrollment, student demographic changes also have taken place at some of these schools, with District 86 showing an increased Hispanic population and District 204 with an increased percentage of low-income students.

Statewide, the enrollment numbers increased slightly, as have the percentage of Hispanic and low-income students.

Tony Smith, Illinois State Board of Education superintendent, said in a teleconference Friday that Illinois “most mirrors the demographics of the country.” He said there has been a transition in student demographics statewide.

“We have now majority students of color. We have about just over 50 percent of our kids are students of color now and that’s a major transition. About 25 percent are Latino and that move of course mirrors the transition of the rest of the country,” he said.

Area districts

The percentage of Hispanic students at District 86 increased by 2.4 percent over last year, with 57.2 percent of students at the Joliet school district being Hispanic. About 13 percent of students are white and 26 percent are black at the district.

Tanisha Cannon, assistant superintendent of student services, said she believes the Hispanic population has been growing at the district in the last five to six years.

“As the population increases in Joliet, we anticipate our Hispanic population will increase in terms of student enrollment,” she said.

Even though enrollment has increased by 134 students at 11,781 students, district officials expect that number of fluctuate from year to year. The percentage of low-income students decreased by 2.3 percent at 95.5 percent.

But Sandy Zalewski, District 86 spokeswoman, said that number is skewed because the district is part of a federal breakfast and lunch program and preschool students have a half day and do not eat lunch.

“Realistically, that’s not an accurate number on the report card,” she said.

The state defines low-income students as those who are either eligible to receive free or reduced-price lunches, live in substitute care or whose families receive public aid.

Enrollment has continued to increase at District 204 to 6,427 students, according to the 2015 report card.

The number of low-income students also slightly increased from 63.3 percent to 65.4 percent.

“There is not one definitive factor that we can speculate on in regards to our enrollment and low-income population. Our student population varies from year to year and is a reflection of our community as a whole,” District 204 Superintendent Cheryl McCarthy wrote in an email.

Plainfield School District 202 student enrollment also increased over last year at 28,116.

District officials have said there were enrollment declines after a growth period throughout the 2000s as more people moved into the Chicago suburbs.

District 202 enrollment is declining at the elementary level but holding steady at the middle and high school level.

Morris Community High School District 101 enrollment dropped from 989 to 932 students. Enrollment has fluctuated in the past five years at the high school, according to state data.

“We’re not seeing a huge fluctuation in the community but we’re seeing a mild decline,” MCHS Principal Kelly Hussey said.

––––––

MORE ONLINE

Visit the Illinois Report Card at www.illinoisreportcard.com to look up demographics and other information from your child's school and district.

---

DISTRICT/2014 ENROLLMENT/2015 ENROLLMENT

WILL COUNTY

• Troy School District 30-C/4,505/4,459

• Homer School District District 33-C/3,652/3,672

• Laraway School District 70-C/425/432

• Union School District 81/102/114

• Rockdale School District 84/292/311

• Joliet Public Schools District 86/11,647/11,781

• Chaney-Monge School District 88/450/495

• Richland School District 88-A/966/948

• Fairmont School District 89/304/335

• Taft School District 90/338/344

• Lockport School District 91/665/660

• Will County School District 92/1,697/1,634

• Manhattan School District 114/1,353/1,374

• New Lenox School District 122/5,306/5,357

• Frankfort School District 157-C/2,491/2,482

• Mokena School District 159/1,659/1,623

• Plainfield School District 202/27,885/28,116

• Elwood School District 203/385/380

• Joliet Township High School District 204/6,204/6,427

• Lockport Township High School District 205/3,662/3,670

• Wilmington School District 209-U/1,486/1,452

• Lincoln-Way High School District 210/7,188/7,126

• Reed-Custer School District 255-U/1,675/1,631

• Valley View School District 365-U/17,481/17,318

GRUNDY COUNTY

• Coal City School District 1/2,124/2,127

• Channahon School District 17/1,359/1,285

• Mazon-Verona-Kinsman District 2C/330/319

• Morris Elementary District 54/1,197/1,214

• Gardner Grade School District 72 C/219/200

• Gardner South Wilmington District 73/192/191

• Braceville School District 75/163/150

• Morris Community High School 101/989/932

• Minooka Community High School District 111/2,575/2,589

• Minooka School District 201/4,167/4,255

• Nettle Creek School District/88/86

• Saratoga School District/777/798