Decatur School District 61

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

Top Rankings

Decatur School District 61 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 2026 school year, there is 1 public charter school serving 332 students in Decatur School District 61. This district's average charter testing ranking is 2/10, which is in the bottom 50% of public charter schools in Illinois.
Public Charter School in Decatur School District 61 have an average math proficiency score of 5% (versus the Illinois public charter school average of 10%), and reading proficiency score of 11% (versus the 14% statewide average).
Minority enrollment is 98% of the student body (majority Black), which is more than the Illinois public charter school average of 97% (majority Black).

Overview

This School District
This State (IL)
# Schools
17 Schools
135 Schools
# Students
7,827 Students
60,138 Students
# Teachers
424 Teachers
3,533 Teachers
Student-Teacher Ratio
19:1
19:1

Student By Grade

District Rank

Decatur School District 61, which is ranked within the bottom 50% of all 864 school districts in Illinois (based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data) for the 2022-2023 school year.
The school district's graduation rate of 72% has decreased from 74% over five school years.
This School District
State Average (IL)
#852 out of 865 school districts
(Bottom 50%)
4%
27%
6%
30%
21%
50%
72%
87%

Students by Ethnicity:

0.65
0.55
% American Indian
n/a
n/a
% Asian
1%
1%
% Hispanic
6%
42%
% Black
51%
53%
% White
28%
3%
% Hawaiian
n/a
n/a
% Two or more races
14%
1%
All Ethnic Groups

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 17% 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 41% over four school years.
This School District
This State (IL)
Total Revenue
$133 MM
$41,381 MM
Spending
$162 MM
$39,976 MM
Revenue / Student
$16,962
$21,990
Spending / Student
$20,754
$21,244

Best Decatur School District 61 Public Charter Schools (2026)

School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Quick Facts
Rank: #11.
Robertson Charter School
Charter School
(Math: ≤5% | Reading: 11%)
Rank:
2/
10
Bottom 50%
2240 E Geddes Ave
Decatur, IL 62526
(217) 428-7072
Gr: PK-8 | 332 students Student-teacher ratio: 55:1 Minority enrollment: 98%

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Quick Facts (2026)

  • District size: 17 schools
  • Grades: PK-12
  • Enrollment: 7,827 students
  • Student-Teacher Ratio: 19:1
  • Minority Enrollment: 72%
  • : 72% (Btm 50% in IL)
  • : Bottom 50%
  • : 4% (Btm 50%)
  • : 6% (Btm 50%)
  • : 21% (Btm 50%)
  • Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), IL Dept. of Education

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