Decatur SD 61 School District

101 W Cerro Gordo St
Decatur, IL 62523-1001
(District boundaries shown in map)
1/
10
Bottom 50%

Top Rankings

Decatur SD 61 School District ranks among the top 20% of public school district in Illinois for:

Category
Attribute
Diversity
Most diverse schools (Top 1%)
Community Size
Largest student body (number of students) (Top 1%)
For the 2025 school year, there are 4 public high schools serving 1,978 students in Decatur SD 61 School District. This district's average high testing ranking is 1/10, which is in the bottom 50% of public high schools in Illinois.
Public High Schools in Decatur SD 61 School District have an average math proficiency score of 6% (versus the Illinois public high school average of 28%), and reading proficiency score of 14% (versus the 29% statewide average).
Public High School in Decatur SD 61 School District have a Graduation Rate of 70%, which is less than the Illinois average of 87%.
The school with highest graduation rate is Macarthur High School, with 73% graduation rate. Read more about public school graduation rate statistics in Illinois or national school graduation rate statistics.
Minority enrollment is 70% of the student body (majority Black), which is more than the Illinois public high school average of 55% (majority Hispanic).

Overview

This School District
This State (IL)
# Schools
17 Schools
1,032 Schools
# Students
7,827 Students
605,599 Students
# Teachers
424 Teachers
42,722 Teachers
Student : Teacher Ratio
19:1
19:1

District Rank

Decatur SD 61 School District, which is ranked within the bottom 50% of all 844 school districts in Illinois (based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data) for the 2020-2021 school year.
The school district's graduation rate of 70% has decreased from 72% over five school years.
This School District
State Average (IL)
#850 out of 852 school districts
(Bottom 50%)
This chart displays the overall district rank of Decatur SD 61  School District, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.
(20-21)
3%
28%
This chart displays the percentage of public school students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Math of Decatur SD 61  School District and the percentage of public school students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Math of Illinois by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
6%
30%
This chart displays the percentage of public school students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Reading/Language Arts of Decatur SD 61  School District and the percentage of public school students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Reading/Language Arts of Illinois by year, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.
21%
50%
70%
87%
This chart displays public school graduation rate of Decatur SD 61  School District and public school graduation rate of Illinois by year, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.

Students by Ethnicity:

0.65
0.69
# American Indian Students
21 Students
1,567 Students
% American Indian Students
n/a
n/a
# Asian Students
45 Students
32,853 Students
% Asian Students
1%
6%
# Hispanic Students
478 Students
175,467 Students
% Hispanic Students
6%
29%
# Black Students
3,957 Students
98,861 Students
% Black Students
51%
16%
# White Students
2,184 Students
273,633 Students
% White Students
28%
45%
# Hawaiian Students
7 Students
637 Students
% Hawaiian Students
n/a
n/a
# Two or more races Students
1,135 Students
22,148 Students
% of Two or more races Students
14%
4%

Students by Grade:

# Students in PK Grade:
504
85
# Students in K Grade:
606
405
# Students in 1st Grade:
648
432
# Students in 2nd Grade:
629
440
# Students in 3rd Grade:
608
538
# Students in 4th Grade:
611
557
# Students in 5th Grade:
587
763
# Students in 6th Grade:
570
1,672
# Students in 7th Grade:
527
4,432
# Students in 8th Grade:
559
4,914
# Students in 9th Grade:
510
149,389
# Students in 10th Grade:
510
150,473
# Students in 11th Grade:
479
146,807
# Students in 12th Grade:
479
144,692
# Ungraded Students:
-
-

District Revenue and Spending

The revenue/student of $16,962 in this school district is less than the state median of $21,990. The school district revenue/student has grown by 8% over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $20,754 is less than the state median of $21,244. The school district spending/student has grown by 8% over four school years.
This School District
This State (IL)
Total Revenue
$133 MM
$41,381 MM
This chart displays total revenue of Decatur SD 61  School District and median value from total revenues of all school districts in Illinois by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
Spending
$162 MM
$39,976 MM
This chart displays total spending of Decatur SD 61  School District and median value from total spendings of all school districts in Illinois by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
Revenue / Student
$16,962
$21,990
This chart displays average revenue per public school student in Decatur SD 61  School District and average revenue per public school student of all school districts in Illinois by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
Spending / Student
$20,754
$21,244
This chart displays average spending per public school student in Decatur SD 61  School District and average spending per public school student of all school districts in Illinois by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.

Best Decatur SD 61 School District Public High Schools (2025)

School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Grades
Students
Rank: #11.
Garfield Learning Academy
Alternative School
(Math: <50% | Reading: <50% )
Rank:
10/
10
Top 10%
300 Meadow Terrace Pl, Dianne
Decatur, IL 62526
(217) 362-3361
Grades: K-12
| n/a students
Rank: #22.
Macarthur High School
Rank:
2/
10
Bottom 50%
300 E Eldorado St
Decatur, IL 62523
(217) 362-3152
Grades: 9-12
| 1,042 students
Rank: #33.
Eisenhower High School
Rank:
2/
10
Bottom 50%
1200 S 16th St
Decatur, IL 62521
(217) 362-3100
Grades: 9-12
| 936 students
Rank: n/an/a
620 E Garfield Ave
Decatur, IL 62526
(217) 362-3310
Grades: PK-12
| n/a students

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Quick Stats (2025)

  • District size: 17 schools
  • Grades: PK-12
  • Enrollment: 7,827 students
  • Student:Teacher Ratio: 19:1
  • Minority Enrollment: 72%
  • : 70% (Btm 50% in IL)
  • : Bottom 50%
  • : 3% (Btm 50%)
  • : 6% (Btm 50%)
  • : 21% (Btm 50%)
  • Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), IL Dept. of Education

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