Enrollment
579
Illinois · 2024-25 NCES data
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 35
🌟 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 83% 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
- 16.2:1
- large classes for Illinois
- 579
- students enrolled
Dennis Lab School has class sizes larger than 83% 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 →
Teachers (FTE)
34.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.2:1
vs 14:1 Illinois avg
+16% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Dennis Lab School compares with Illinois and U.S. medians
What stands out at Dennis Lab School
Dennis Lab School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Decatur, Illinois, enrolling 579 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.2:1 puts it in the larger third of Illinois schools by student-teacher ratio.
Enrollment of 579 puts it in the larger third of Illinois schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 98% of the 3,845 Illinois schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Its student body is led by African American (50%) and White (28%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 65/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 579 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 41.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 21.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Decatur's public schools, it stands alongside Montessori Academy for Peace (586 students): Dennis Lab School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (16.2:1 vs 17.9:1).
Decatur Sd 61 also operates Macarthur High School (1,059 students) and Eisenhower High School (909 students) alongside Dennis Lab School.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
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 | 16.2:1 | ▲ 16% | 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
16.2:1
Leaner classes than 37% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
579
Bigger than 71% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
16.2:1
students per teacher
- 16% above state mean
Top 83% in Illinois - lower ratio than 17% 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
$16,005
per pupil, district-wide
- below Illinois avg of $17,042
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
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.
Overview
Enrollment 579 Top 22% in Illinois - larger than 78% of 3,845 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 34.0
Students per teacher 16.2:1 +16% vs state
Free-lunch eligible -
NCES ID 171185001399
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 & staff
Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 579:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 41.5%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 99
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Decatur Sd 61, which includes Dennis Lab School.
$16,005
Per student
-6%
vs Illinois
Avg $17,042
-4%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 35.3%
State 43.3%
Federal 21.4%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 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 | Higher 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
- 1,059
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 909
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 16/100
- Enrollment
- 627
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 586
- Students per teacher
- 17.9:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 505
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
Similar other schools in Decatur
3 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Dennis Lab School's federal record.
- Compare Dennis Lab School against another school. Compare schools
- Decatur Sd 61's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
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 16.2:1, which is 16% higher than the Illinois average of 14:1 and 3% 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, counselor availability, attendance rates. 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.
Is Dennis Lab School a good school?
Dennis Lab School earns 16/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 83% of Illinois schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Illinois schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
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.