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Decatur School District 61

101 W Cerro Gordo St
Decatur, IL 62523-1001
(District boundaries shown in map)
1/
10
Bottom 50%
<Âé¶¹¹û¶³´«Ã½ class="so-dt-title" id="top-rankings">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 are 4 public high schools serving 1,978 students in Decatur School District 61. 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 School District 61 have an average math proficiency score of 5% (versus the Illinois public high school average of 26%), and reading proficiency score of 14% (versus the 29% statewide average).
Public High School in Decatur School District 61 have a Graduation Rate of 72%, which is less than the Illinois average of 87%.
The school with highest graduation rate is Macarthur High School, with 77% 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).
<Âé¶¹¹û¶³´«Ã½ class='so-dt-title' id="overview">Overview
This School District
This State (IL)
# Schools
17 Schools
1,030 Schools
# Students
7,827 Students
605,599 Students
# Teachers
424 Teachers
42,717 Teachers
Student-Teacher Ratio
19:1
19:1
<Âé¶¹¹û¶³´«Ã½ class='so-dt-title' id="student-by-grade">Student By Grade
<Âé¶¹¹û¶³´«Ã½ class='so-dt-title' id="district-rank">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%
<Âé¶¹¹û¶³´«Ã½ class='so-dt-title' id="students-by-ethnicity">Students by Ethnicity:
0.65
0.69
% American Indian
n/a
n/a
% Asian
1%
6%
% Hispanic
6%
29%
% Black
51%
16%
% White
28%
45%
% Hawaiian
n/a
n/a
% Two or more races
14%
4%
All Ethnic Groups
<Âé¶¹¹û¶³´«Ã½ class="so-dt-title" id="district-revenue-and-spending">District Revenue and Spending
The revenue/student of $16,962 in this school district is less than the state median of $22,430. 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 $21,668. 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
$22,430
Spending / Student
$20,754
$21,668

Best Decatur School District 61 Public High Schools (2026)

School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Quick Facts
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
Gr: K-12
Rank: #22.
Macarthur High School
(Math: 5% | Reading: 15%)
Rank:
2/
10
Bottom 50%
300 E Eldorado St
Decatur, IL 62523
(217) 362-3152
Gr: 9-12 | 1,042 student Student-teacher ratio: 20:1 Minority enrollment: 72%
Rank: #33.
Eisenhower High School
(Math: ≤5% | Reading: 10-14%)
Rank:
2/
10
Bottom 50%
1200 S 16th St
Decatur, IL 62521
(217) 362-3100
Gr: 9-12 | 936 students Student-teacher ratio: 18:1 Minority enrollment: 67%
Rank: n/an/a
620 E Garfield Ave
Decatur, IL 62526
(217) 362-3310
Gr: PK-12

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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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