Enrollment
313
Illinois · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Elementary school (grades K-5) NCES 171185001423
Michael E Baum Elem School — Decatur, IL
Federal NCES profile for Michael E Baum Elem School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 19/100.
👥 Class size 26
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
The verdict
Michael E Baum Elem School earns an F Resource Investment Index (19/100), with class sizes larger than 94% of Illinois schools.
- F
- Resource Index · 19/100
- 18.6:1
- large classes for Illinois
- 313
- students enrolled
School address
District: Decatur Sd 61 · Illinois
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
16.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.6:1
vs 14.6:1 Illinois avg
+27% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Michael E Baum Elem School compares with Illinois and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Michael E Baum Elem School reports 313 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 16.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 18.6:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 27% above the Illinois state mean of 14.6:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.7:1, it is 18% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 52.1% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Decatur Sd 61 spends $16,005 per pupil district-wide, below the Illinois average of $17,042 and below the national average of $16,593. Revenue comes 35.3% from local sources (property taxes), 43.3% from the state, and 21.4% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 19/100 (F), calculated from 3 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Michael E Baum Elem School compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Illinois state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Illinois | Illinois avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 18.6:1 | ▲ 27% | 14.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 313 | top 39% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
Class size vs. every US school
Students per teacher (lower means more individual attention)
19 smaller classes than 21% of 92,598 US schools
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US schools. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Education — NCES Common Core of Data · 2024-25
School size vs. every US school
Total enrollment — where this school sits by size (neither large nor small is 'better')
313 larger than 34% of 95,891 US schools
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US schools. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Education — NCES Common Core of Data · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Staffing depth
18.6:1
students per teacher
— 27% above state mean
Top 94% in Illinois — lower ratio than 6% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
52.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$16,005
per pupil, district-wide
— below Illinois avg of $17,042
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
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.
Overview
Enrollment 313 Top 39% in Illinois — larger than 61% of 3,845 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 16.0
Students per teacher 18.6:1 +27% vs state
Free-lunch eligible —
NCES ID 171185001423
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.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 0.0
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 52.1%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 18
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,059
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
- Enrollment
- 909
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Enrollment
- 627
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Enrollment
- 586
- Students per teacher
- 17.9:1
- Enrollment
- 579
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
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 16.9:1 students per teacher
Parsons Elementary School
Standard public school
505 students 15.9:1 students per teacher
Hope Academy
Standard public school
501 students 20.1:1 students per teacher
Franklin Grove Elem School
Standard public school
461 students 25.4:1 students per teacher
American Dreamer Stem Academy
Standard public school
423 students 20.6:1 students per teacher
Muffley Elem School
Standard public school
386 students 17.5:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Before you act on this record
Treat this page as the federal baseline — then verify locally.
- Compare Michael E Baum Elem School side-by-side with another school you're considering on the same NCES measures. Compare schools
- Read the district context — spending per pupil, staffing, and equity ranking are district-level decisions that shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment windows, programs, and boundaries with the school directly — federal data lags the current school year. Choosing guide
Figures are the school's reported federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) — coverage varies by entity type, and PlainSchools does not rate or rank schools.
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 a 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 18.6:1, which is 27% higher than the Illinois average of 14.6:1 and 18% 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%. The school serves a diverse student body in Decatur, IL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Michael E Baum Elem School?
Michael E Baum Elem School has a Resource Investment Index of 19/100 (F) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.
Is Michael E Baum Elem School a good school?
Michael E Baum Elem School earns an F Resource Investment Index (19/100), with class sizes larger than 94% of Illinois schools. The Resource Investment Index reflects staffing, counselor access, gifted programs, and attendance reported to NCES, not test scores or academic outcomes, so treat it as a resource snapshot rather than an overall rating.