Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. District totals are aggregated directly from the schools reporting under this district in the source records. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, the data changelog, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.
Decatur, Illinois - 15 schools
An equity score of 30/100 ranks Decatur Sd 61 #545 of 759 districts in Illinois (state average 38). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $15,611 per pupil, Decatur Sd 61 ranks #548 of 845 Illinois districts by per-pupil spending (Illinois districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
Decatur Sd 61 operates 15 public schools serving 7,974 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Illinois. The school portfolio breaks down into 8 elementary, 4 combined, 2 high, 1 middle schools, a compact enough portfolio that families can compare every campus directly before they move, rent, or enrol. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Macon County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $15,611 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the lower half of 845 Illinois districts by per-pupil spending. See how Illinois compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 35.3% local, 43.3% state, and 21.4% federal, a balanced mix across local, state, and federal sources, spreading budget risk across funding cycles rather than concentrating it in one. The district's equity score is 30/100, ranked #545 of 759 in Illinois against a state average of 38, notably less even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.
Academic infrastructure includes 2 of 15 schools offering Advanced Placement (25 AP courses district-wide), a 474.5:1 student-counselor ratio, above both the ASCA benchmark and the roughly 408:1 national average, and 59.9% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 52.1% African American, 25.4% White, 6.3% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Johns Hill Magnet School, with a diversity index of 71.4/100.
Its largest campus is Macarthur High School, enrolling 1,059 students (14% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Michael E Baum Elem School, at 313 students, a 3x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.
Decatur Sd 61 school enrollment ranges from 313 students (lowest) to 1,059 students (highest), a spread of 746 students. That relatively narrow ratio reflects an unusually homogeneous campus portfolio, most districts have a wider mix of school sizes. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment, districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.
chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason, illness, family obligations, or disengagement Values this far above typical often signal acute resource constraints or a structurally different scale than most peers — worth reading alongside the underlying counts, not the ratio alone.
This district scores below average on funding equity. High reliance on local revenue or lower spending may contribute.
Average demographic composition across 15 schools in Decatur Sd 61.
Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.
Average Simpson diversity index across Decatur Sd 61's schools, above the Illinois average of 38.9.
Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22.
| School | Enrollment |
|---|---|
| Macarthur High School | 1,059 |
| Eisenhower High School | 909 |
| Johns Hill Magnet School | 627 |
| Montessori Academy for Peace | 586 |
| Dennis Lab School | 579 |
| Parsons Elementary School | 505 |
| Hope Academy | 501 |
| Franklin Grove Elem School | 461 |
| American Dreamer Stem Academy | 423 |
| Pershing Early Learning Center | 416 |
| Stephen Decatur Middle School | 413 |
| Muffley Elem School | 386 |
| South Shores Elem School | 335 |
| Robertson Charter School Charter | 327 |
| Michael E Baum Elem School | 313 |
The Illinois districts closest to this one in total enrollment.
| District | Enrollment | Spending | Funding Mix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Glenbard Twp Hsd 87 | Similar size | Higher spending | More locally funded |
| J S Morton Hsd 201 | Similar size | Higher spending | Similar funding mix |
| Barrington Cusd 220 | Similar size | Higher spending | More locally funded |
| Cons Hsd 230 | Similar size | Higher spending | More locally funded |
| Elmhurst Sd 205 | Similar size | Higher spending | More locally funded |
Comparisons are relative to Decatur Sd 61's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data and the F-33 Finance Survey.
Top districts in the same state, compare side-by-side for enrollment, spending, and demographics.
Out-of-state peers matched by enrollment and by per-pupil expenditure, not the same-state lists above.
See how this district compares to others in enrollment, spending, demographics, and academic resources.
Compare vs City of Chicago Sd 299 →Decatur Sd 61 has 15 schools, including 2 high, 8 elementary, 4 combined, 1 middle. Total enrollment is 7,974 students.
Decatur Sd 61 spends $15,611 per student. The district has an equity score of 30/100, ranking #545 in Illinois.
Decatur Sd 61 students are 52.1% African American, 25.4% White, 6.3% Hispanic or Latino, 0.5% Asian, averaged across 15 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
Decatur Sd 61 has an equity score of 30/100, ranking #545 out of 759 districts in Illinois.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.