- Enrollment
- 1,059
- Students per teacher
- 18.9:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
Other / mixed grade configuration · Decatur, IL
Dennis Lab School
Federal NCES profile for Dennis Lab School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 16/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 171185001399
👥 S:T ratio 32
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Dennis Lab School earns 16/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 87% of Illinois schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Illinois schools.
- #2 of 4
- schools in Decatur · Resource Index
- 16
- Resource Index · Lower
- 17:1
- large classes for Illinois
- 579
- students enrolled
Dennis Lab School has class sizes larger than 87% of Illinois schools. Computed live against every Illinois school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Dennis Lab School ranks #2 of 4 schools in Decatur, IL.
School address
District: Decatur Sd 61 · Illinois
NCES ID 171185001399 Verify on NCES CCD record →
NCES CCD universe card
School universe 171185001399 · Decatur, IL Other · MID · TRAD
579 enr · 17:1 · RII 16
Nearest enrollment peer: Macarthur High School (1,059 students)
Resource Investment Index #2 of 4 schools in Decatur. NCES Common Core of Data stamps for this campus. Read with this school → · District book → · Illinois schools → · Find another →
Dennis Lab School in the enrollment neighbourhood
Fall enrollment among this campus and nearest district peers
- Macarthur High
Macarthur High School
1,059 students
- Eisenhower Hig
Eisenhower High School
909 students
- Johns Hill Mag
Johns Hill Magnet School
627 students
- Montessori Aca
Montessori Academy for Peace
586 students
- This school
Dennis Lab School
579 students
- Parsons Elemen
Parsons Elementary School
505 students
What this shows Dennis Lab School reports 579 students on the CCD universe file.
How Dennis Lab School compares
Dennis Lab School on the metrics families compare, against Illinois and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Illinois | Illinois avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17:1 | ▲ 21% | 14:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 579 | top 22% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17:1
Leaner classes than 30% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
579
Bigger than 71% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
17:1
students per teacher
- 21% above state mean
Top 87% in Illinois - lower ratio than 13% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
41.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$15,611
per pupil, district-wide
- below Illinois avg of $18,196
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 579 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 99 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 17.1 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Student demographics
African American 49.9%
White 28.3%
Two or More 14.0%
Hispanic or Latino 7.4%
Asian 0.3%
Largest group: African American at 49.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 64.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 64.6, Dennis Lab School is more mixed than the Illinois school average of 38.9.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Decatur Sd 61, which includes Dennis Lab School.
$15,611
Per student
-14%
vs Illinois
Avg $18,196
-12%
vs U.S.
Avg $17,658
Revenue mix
Local 35.3%
State 43.3%
Federal 21.4%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2022-23 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Dennis Lab School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Macarthur High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Eisenhower High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Johns Hill Magnet School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Montessori Academy for Peace | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Parsons Elementary School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Dennis Lab School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 909
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
- Resource Index
- 16/100
- Enrollment
- 627
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 586
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 505
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Resource Index
- 20/100
Similar other schools in Decatur
3 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Nationwide other schools with similar size or staffing
Out-of-state peers matched by enrollment and by student-teacher ratio, not the same-city or same-district lists above.
Similar enrollment (~579 students)
Frequently asked questions about Dennis Lab School
How many students attend Dennis Lab School?
Dennis Lab School has 579 students enrolled. It is a public school in Decatur, IL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Dennis Lab School?
The student-teacher ratio at Dennis Lab School is 17:1, which is 21% higher than the Illinois average of 14:1 and 8% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Dennis Lab School?
The largest demographic group at Dennis Lab School is African American at 49.9% of enrollment, in Decatur, IL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 64.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Dennis Lab School?
Dennis Lab School has a Resource Investment Index of 16/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, gifted-program reporting, counselor availability, chronic absenteeism. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Dennis Lab School rank among schools in Decatur?
By Resource Investment Index, Dennis Lab School ranks #2 of 4 schools in Decatur, IL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Decatur on the city page.
What other schools are in Decatur Sd 61?
Besides Dennis Lab School, Decatur Sd 61 also operates Macarthur High School (1,059 students), Eisenhower High School (909 students), and Johns Hill Magnet School (627 students). See the Decatur Sd 61 district page for the complete list.
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. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. 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.