Enrollment
413
Illinois · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Decatur, IL
Stephen Decatur Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Stephen Decatur Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 33/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 171185004100
👥 S:T ratio 43
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 59
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Stephen Decatur Middle School earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Illinois median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Illinois schools.
- #1 of 15
- public schools in Decatur · Resource Index
- 33
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.2:1
- students per teacher
- 413
- students enrolled
Stephen Decatur Middle School has class sizes near the Illinois median. Computed live against every Illinois school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Stephen Decatur Middle School ranks #1 of 15 public schools in Decatur, IL.
School address
District: Decatur Sd 61 · Illinois
NCES ID 171185004100 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
29.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.2:1
vs 14:1 Illinois avg
+1% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Stephen Decatur Middle School compares with Illinois and U.S. medians
What stands out at Stephen Decatur Middle School
Stephen Decatur Middle School is a mid-sized middle school in Decatur, Illinois, enrolling 413 students.
At 14.2:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Illinois median, within a few percentage points of the 14:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
With 413 students, its enrollment sits close to the Illinois median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 3,845 scored Illinois schools.
Its student body is led by African American (53%) and White (29%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 61/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 207 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 85.7% 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.
Discipline events run high: 225 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 413 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 2 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Decatur Sd 61 also operates Macarthur High School (1,059 students) and Eisenhower High School (909 students) alongside Stephen Decatur Middle 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 Stephen Decatur Middle School compares
Stephen Decatur Middle 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 | 14.2:1 | ▲ 1% | 14:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 413 | top 43% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.2:1
Leaner classes than 55% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
413
Bigger than 49% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
14.2:1
students per teacher
- 1% above state mean
Top 60% in Illinois - lower ratio than 40% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
85.7%
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 207 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
62
in-school suspensions + 163 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 15.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 54.5 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 2 expulsions.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
African American 53.0%
White 29.1%
Two or More 13.6%
Hispanic or Latino 4.4%
Largest group: African American at 53.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 61.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 61.4, Stephen Decatur Middle 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 Stephen Decatur Middle 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 Stephen Decatur Middle 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 | Higher S:T ratio |
| Johns Hill Magnet School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Montessori Academy for Peace | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Dennis Lab School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Stephen Decatur Middle 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 middle 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 (~413 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Stephen Decatur Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Stephen Decatur Middle 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 Stephen Decatur Middle School
How many students attend Stephen Decatur Middle School?
Stephen Decatur Middle School has 413 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Decatur, IL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Stephen Decatur Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Stephen Decatur Middle School is 14.2:1, which is 1% higher than the Illinois average of 14:1 and 10% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Stephen Decatur Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Stephen Decatur Middle School is African American at 53.0% of enrollment, in Decatur, IL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 61.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Stephen Decatur Middle School?
Stephen Decatur Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 33/100 (typical 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 Stephen Decatur Middle School rank among public schools in Decatur?
By Resource Investment Index, Stephen Decatur Middle School ranks #1 of 15 public 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 public schools in Decatur on the city page.
Is Stephen Decatur Middle School a good school?
Stephen Decatur Middle School earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Illinois median. 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 Stephen Decatur Middle 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 June 2026.