Enrollment
313
Illinois · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Decatur, IL
Michael E Baum Elem School
Federal NCES profile for Michael E Baum Elem School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 17/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 171185001423
👥 S:T ratio 22
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Michael E Baum Elem School earns 17/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 95% of Illinois schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Illinois schools.
- #5 of 8
- elementary schools in Decatur · Resource Index
- 17
- Resource Index · Lower
- 19.6:1
- large classes for Illinois
- 313
- students enrolled
Michael E Baum Elem School has class sizes larger than 95% of Illinois schools. Computed live against every Illinois school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Michael E Baum Elem School ranks #5 of 8 elementary schools in Decatur, IL.
School address
District: Decatur Sd 61 · Illinois
NCES ID 171185001423 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
16.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.6:1
vs 14:1 Illinois avg
+40% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Michael E Baum Elem School compares with Illinois and U.S. medians
What stands out at Michael E Baum Elem School
Teacher staffing is the clearest operational constraint
Michael E Baum Elem School's enrollment sits away from the most extreme size bands, but its reported student-teacher ratio is heavier than most Illinois schools. That isolates staffing load as a more useful concern than raw campus size. A high ratio does not establish weak teaching or outcomes, yet it can indicate less adult capacity per enrolled student. The remaining federal indicators show whether support staffing and program access offset that pressure.
Attendance is the dominant support signal
Michael E Baum Elem School's 52.1% chronic-absence rate is more consequential than a generic staffing label: at least one quarter of students missed 10% or more of school days in the 2021-22 collection. That level can affect instruction, counseling demand, and continuity even when other reported resources look ordinary. The dataset records the scale of absence but not its causes, so it should prompt a current-year question rather than a conclusion about school management.
Michael E Baum Elem School is a mid-sized elementary school in Decatur, Illinois, enrolling 313 students.
Class loads run heavy: 19.6:1 is larger than about 95% of Illinois schools and 40% above the 14:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
With 313 students, its enrollment sits close to the Illinois median campus size.
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 (41%) and White (32%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 68/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 52.1% 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 elementary schools, it stands alongside Johns Hill Magnet School (627 students): Michael E Baum Elem School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (19.6:1 vs 16.5:1).
Decatur Sd 61 also operates Macarthur High School (1,059 students) and Eisenhower High School (909 students) alongside Michael E Baum Elem 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 Michael E Baum Elem School compares
Michael E Baum Elem 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 | 19.6:1 | ▲ 40% | 14:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 313 | top 61% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.6:1
Leaner classes than 17% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
313
Bigger than 34% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
19.6:1
students per teacher
- 40% above state mean
Top 95% in Illinois - lower ratio than 5% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
52.1%
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 18 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.8 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Student demographics
African American 41.2%
White 31.9%
Two or More 21.7%
Hispanic or Latino 4.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Asian 0.3%
Largest group: African American at 41.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 68.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 68.0, Michael E Baum Elem 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 Michael E Baum Elem 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 Michael E Baum Elem School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Macarthur High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Eisenhower High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Johns Hill Magnet School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Montessori Academy for Peace | Larger | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Dennis Lab School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Michael E Baum Elem School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,059
- Students per teacher
- 18.9:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- 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
- 579
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 16/100
Similar elementary schools in Decatur
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Johns Hill Magnet School
Standard public school
627 students 16.5:1 students per teacher
Parsons Elementary School
Standard public school
505 students 17.4:1 students per teacher
Hope Academy
Standard public school
501 students 17.9:1 students per teacher
Franklin Grove Elem School
Standard public school
461 students 25.6:1 students per teacher
American Dreamer Stem Academy
Standard public school
423 students 22.3:1 students per teacher
Muffley Elem School
Standard public school
386 students 18.4:1 students per teacher
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Illinois, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~313 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Michael E Baum Elem School's federal record.
- Compare Michael E Baum Elem 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 Michael E Baum Elem School
How many students attend Michael E Baum Elem School?
Michael E Baum Elem School has 313 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Decatur, IL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Michael E Baum Elem School?
The student-teacher ratio at Michael E Baum Elem School is 19.6:1, which is 40% higher than the Illinois average of 14:1 and 25% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Michael E Baum Elem School?
The largest demographic group at Michael E Baum Elem School is African American at 41.2% of enrollment, in Decatur, IL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 68.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Michael E Baum Elem School?
Michael E Baum Elem School has a Resource Investment Index of 17/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, gifted-program reporting, chronic absenteeism. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Michael E Baum Elem School rank among elementary schools in Decatur?
By Resource Investment Index, Michael E Baum Elem School ranks #5 of 8 elementary 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 elementary schools in Decatur on the city page.
What other schools are in Decatur Sd 61?
Besides Michael E Baum Elem 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.
Related tools
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, or report a data error. Data current as of July 2026.