Mahadev Maitri Foundation
US Initiatives
Elementary Schools

Best Elementary Schools
in Decatur SD 61

This page covers 11 elementary schools in Decatur SD 61, including 1 charter school. Rankings use a composite of neighborhood opportunity, class sizes, and per-student investment — signals available consistently from federal data across all US public schools. Schools in this district score near the national median on neighborhood opportunity. Use these rankings as a starting point; pair them with school visits and conversations with local parents before making any enrollment decision.

11
Schools Ranked
Illinois
State
1
Charter Schools
RankingsHow We RankFAQAbout Data

Elementary Schools Rankings

Showing 10 of 11
1
rank
Montessori Academy for Peace
Grades PK–08697 students
Ranked for: above-average investment ($18,855/student)
52
/100
Student:Teacher
17.5:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
50/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$18,855
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
52%
Near nat'l 52.2%
2
rank
Parsons Elementary School
Grades KG–06462 students
Ranked for: above-average investment ($18,855/student)
51
/100
Student:Teacher
15.9:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
50/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$18,855
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
80%
High economic need
3
rank
Johns Hill Magnet School
Grades KG–08643 students
Ranked for: above-average investment ($18,855/student)
51
/100
Student:Teacher
16.9:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
50/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$18,855
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
72%
High economic need
4
rank
Muffley Elem School
Grades KG–06368 students
Ranked for: above-average investment ($18,855/student)
50
/100
Student:Teacher
17.5:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
50/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$18,855
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
78%
High economic need
5
rank
South Shores Elem School
Grades KG–06328 students
Ranked for: above-average investment ($18,855/student)
50
/100
Student:Teacher
16.4:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
50/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$18,855
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
80%
High economic need
6
rank
Dennis Lab School
Grades PK–08551 students
Ranked for: above-average investment ($18,855/student)
48
/100
Student:Teacher
15.8:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
43/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$18,855
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
79%
High economic need
7
rank
Michael E Baum Elem School
Grades KG–06297 students
Ranked for: above-average investment ($18,855/student)
48
/100
Student:Teacher
18.6:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
50/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$18,855
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
78%
High economic need
8
rank
Hope Academy
Grades KG–08563 students
Ranked for: above-average investment ($18,855/student)
46
/100
Student:Teacher
20.1:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
50/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$18,855
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
88%
High economic need
9
rank
American Dreamer STEM Academy
Grades KG–08391 students
Ranked for: above-average investment ($18,855/student)
45
/100
Student:Teacher
20.6:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
50/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$18,855
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
90%
High economic need
10
rank
Franklin Grove Elem School
Grades KG–06458 students
Ranked for: above-average investment ($18,855/student)
41
/100
Student:Teacher
25.4:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
50/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$18,855
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
85%
High economic need
1 more elementary schools in Decatur SD 61 not shown here.
View all schools in Decatur SD 61
How We Rank Elementary Schools

Each school receives a composite score (0–100) built from 4 federal data signals, weighted to reflect what matters most at the elementary school level. All signals are normalised against national benchmarks so a school's score reflects its standing across the entire US, not just within this district.

Neighborhood Opportunity
40%
Harvard Opportunity Atlas score for the school's neighbourhood. Higher means children from this area historically achieve stronger economic outcomes.
Student-Teacher Ratio
30%
Lower ratio = smaller classes = more individual attention per child. Normalised against national range.
Per-Pupil Expenditure
20%
Annual district spending per enrolled student from the NCES F-33 Finance Survey. Compared against national average.
Free Lunch Rate
10%
Percentage of students qualifying for free/reduced-price lunch. Used as a neighbourhood economic-context signal.
Test scores are excluded: they are not published as consistent open federal data across all states, making reliable cross-district comparison impossible with this signal alone.
District at a Glance
11
Elementary Schools
17
Total Schools
52
#1 Score
47
Avg Score
District profileDecatur SD 61
Top Ranked Elementary School
Compare Decatur SD 61 with neighbouring districts
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Frequently Asked Questions
About This Data

All figures on this page come directly from US federal open datasets: NCES Common Core of Data (enrollment, school characteristics, student-teacher ratios), NCES F-33 Finance Survey (per-pupil expenditure), Harvard Opportunity Atlas (neighbourhood opportunity scores). Federal data is published on an annual cycle and may not reflect the very latest school-year changes. Rankings reflect available data and should be used as a starting point — not a substitute for visiting schools or consulting district resources directly. What this ranking does not measure: teacher quality, classroom culture, extracurricular programmes, school safety, or parent and student satisfaction.