Enrollment
586
Illinois · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Decatur, IL
Montessori Academy for Peace
Federal NCES profile for Montessori Academy for Peace, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 26/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 171185001398
👥 S:T ratio 28
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 44
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Montessori Academy for Peace earns 26/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 91% of Illinois schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Illinois schools.
- #1 of 4
- schools in Decatur · Resource Index
- 26
- Resource Index · Lower
- 17.9:1
- large classes for Illinois
- 586
- students enrolled
Montessori Academy for Peace has class sizes larger than 91% of Illinois schools. Computed live against every Illinois school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Montessori Academy for Peace ranks #1 of 4 schools in Decatur, IL.
School address
District: Decatur Sd 61 · Illinois
NCES ID 171185001398 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
39.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.9:1
vs 14:1 Illinois avg
+28% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Montessori Academy for Peace compares with Illinois and U.S. medians
What stands out at Montessori Academy for Peace
Montessori Academy for Peace is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Decatur, Illinois, enrolling 586 students.
Class loads run heavy: 17.9:1 is larger than about 91% of Illinois schools and 28% above the 14:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Enrollment of 586 puts it in the larger third of Illinois schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 3,845 scored Illinois schools.
Its student body is led by White (46%) and African American (32%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 65/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 586 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 22.4% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights 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 Dennis Lab School (579 students): Montessori Academy for Peace is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (17.9:1 vs 16.2:1).
Decatur Sd 61 also operates Macarthur High School (1,059 students) and Eisenhower High School (909 students) alongside Montessori Academy for Peace.
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 Montessori Academy for Peace compares
Montessori Academy for Peace on the metrics families compare, against Illinois and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Illinois | Illinois avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17.9:1 | ▲ 28% | 14:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 586 | top 22% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.9:1
Leaner classes than 25% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
586
Bigger than 71% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
17.9:1
students per teacher
- 28% above state mean
Top 91% in Illinois - lower ratio than 9% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
22.4%
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 586 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 28 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.8 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 586 Top 22% in Illinois - larger than 78% of 3,845 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 39.0
Students per teacher 17.9:1 +28% vs state
Free-lunch eligible -
NCES ID 171185001398
Student demographics
White 46.2%
African American 31.7%
Two or More 19.8%
Hispanic or Latino 1.4%
Asian 0.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 46.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 64.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 64.7, Montessori Academy for Peace is more mixed than the Illinois school average of 38.9.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 586:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 22.4%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 28
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Decatur Sd 61, which includes Montessori Academy for Peace.
$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 Montessori Academy for Peace 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 |
| Dennis Lab School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Parsons Elementary School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Montessori Academy for Peace'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
- 579
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Resource Index
- 16/100
- 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 Montessori Academy for Peace's federal record.
- Compare Montessori Academy for Peace 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 Montessori Academy for Peace
How many students attend Montessori Academy for Peace?
Montessori Academy for Peace has 586 students enrolled. It is a public school in Decatur, IL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Montessori Academy for Peace?
The student-teacher ratio at Montessori Academy for Peace is 17.9:1, which is 28% higher than the Illinois average of 14:1 and 14% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Montessori Academy for Peace?
The largest demographic group at Montessori Academy for Peace is White at 46.2% of enrollment, in Decatur, IL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 64.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Montessori Academy for Peace?
Montessori Academy for Peace has a Resource Investment Index of 26/100 (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 Montessori Academy for Peace rank among schools in Decatur?
By Resource Investment Index, Montessori Academy for Peace ranks #1 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 Montessori Academy for Peace a good school?
Montessori Academy for Peace earns 26/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 91% 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 Montessori Academy for Peace, 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.