Lima Reporter

There were 273 Black students enrolled in Elida Local Schools in the 2023-24 school year, a decrease from the 283 Black students in the previous school year, according to the Ohio Department of Education & Workforce.

Data showed that Elida Local Schools welcomed 1,997 students during the 2023-24 school year. Among them, Black students made up 13.7% of the student body, making them the second most represented ethnicity in the district.

Elida Local Schools roughly covers three schools within Allen County and has its main office in Elida.

Among the three schools in Elida Local Schools, Elida Elementary School recorded the highest enrollment of Black students in the 2023-24 school year, with a total of 139 students.

In 2022, Ohio saw an average student-to-teacher ratio of approximately 1:15, which is better than the national average of 1:16. This marks an improvement for the state, especially compared to 2016, when the ratio reached its decade-high at 16.1 students per teacher.

Despite the apparent improvement, this positive trend is overshadowed by a general decline in public school enrollments, which was accelerated by the pandemic. This decline, aligned with the steady number of teachers in the state over the last 10 years, has led to low student-to-teacher ratios.

Year	Total District Enrollment	Total Black Students	Black %
2023-24	1,997	273	13.7%
2022-23	2,085	283	13.6%
2021-22	2,078	290	14%