Is Parsons Elementary School a good school?

Parsons Elementary School ranks in the bottom 1.7% of Illinois elementary schools.

How many students attend Parsons Elementary School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 488 students attended Parsons Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Parsons Elementary School?

Students at Parsons Elementary School are 45% African American, 28% White, 20% Two or more races, 6% Hispanic.

What schools do graduates of Parsons Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Parsons Elementary School usually go on to attend: Middle : Stephen Decatur Middle School High : Eisenhower High School High : MacArthur High School

Parsons Elementary School

Summary:

Parsons Elementary School is a public elementary school in Decatur, Illinois, serving 462 students in grades K-6. The school is part of the Decatur School District 61, which is ranked 806 out of 813 school districts in Illinois and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Parsons Elementary School consistently performs significantly below the state and district averages in both English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics proficiency across all grade levels. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, only 5.4% of Parsons students were proficient or better in ELA, compared to 41.2% statewide and 9.4% in the Decatur School District. The school also struggles with high chronic absenteeism rates, reaching as high as 56.1% in the 2020-2021 school year, which is significantly higher than the state average. Additionally, Parsons Elementary School's student subgroups, such as African American, White, and Low Socioeconomic Status students, consistently rank in the bottom 10-20% of their respective subgroups statewide, indicating significant achievement gaps.

When comparing Parsons Elementary to other nearby schools in the Decatur School District, such as American Dreamer STEM Academy, Michael E. Baum Elementary, and South Shores Elementary, the academic performance and other key metrics are consistently lower at Parsons. This suggests that the challenges faced by Parsons Elementary are not unique to the school but may be systemic issues within the Decatur School District.

Detail:

Public K-6

601 N Church St
Decatur, IL 62522-2107

(217) 362-3330

District: Decatur School District 61

SchoolDigger Rank:
2032^nd of 2,067 Illinois Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $18,136

Students who attend Parsons Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Stephen Decatur Middle School
High:	Eisenhower High School
	MacArthur High School

Student/teacher ratio: 17.4

Number of students: 488

Racial breakdown:

African American:

45.1%

White:

28.3%

Two or more races:

19.7%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 66.4%

See top rated Illinois elementary schools

Compare Parsons Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Parsons Elementary School ranks worse than 98.3% of elementary schools in Illinois. It also ranks 8^th among 11 ranked elementary schools in the Decatur School District 61. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 10.08. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Student population at Parsons Elementary School is diverse. Racial makeup is: African American (45.1%), White (28.3%), two or more races (19.7%). (See more...)

Compare Details 66.4% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Parsons Elementary School is 17.4, which is the 4^th best among 11 elementary schools in the Decatur School District 61. (See more...)

Compare Parsons Elementary School employs 28 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Parsons Elementary School is $18,136. 8 elementary schools in the Decatur School District 61 spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Parsons Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Parsons Elementary School 2032^nd of 2067 Illinois public elementary schools. (See Parsons Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Multi-racial students:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Disabled students:

Male students:

African American students:

White students:

Decatur School District 61:

SchoolDigger ranks Decatur School District 61 806^th of 813 Illinois school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Parsons Elementary School

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Rank History for all students at Parsons Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2003	33.62	1493^rd	2020	26.1%
2004	14.12	1776^th	2030	12.5%
2005	31.38	1558^th	2022	22.9%
2006	21.28	1774^th	2086	15.0%
2007	10.66	1913^th	2095	8.7%
2008	20.78	1764^th	2092	15.7%
2009	10.34	1942^nd	2120	8.4%
2010	21.69	1795^th	2139	16.1%
2011	30.78	1630^th	2147	24.1%
2012	8.36	2053^rd	2166	5.2%
2013	12.66	1967^th	2167	9.2%
2014	18.80	1785^th	2093	14.7%
2015	13.78	1883^rd	2052	8.2%
2016	17.40	1775^th	2046	13.2%
2017	23.73	1580^th	2044	22.7%
2018	17.45	1739^th	2037	14.6%
2019	19.24	1753^rd	2086	16.0%
2021	14.13	1805^th	1948	7.3%
2022	14.29	1899^th	2082	8.8%
2023	11.16	1995^th	2077	3.9%
2024	10.08	2032^nd	2067	1.7%

See the entire list of Illinois Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Parsons Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2021	18.98	35^th	40	12.5%
2022	16.78	86^th	95	9.5%
2023	15.30	85^th	93	8.6%
2024	9.65	92^nd	93	1.1%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Parsons Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2019	25.65	970^th	1194	18.8%
2022	25.54	898^th	1113	19.3%
2023	20.99	1029^th	1156	11.0%
2024	17.70	1126^th	1195	5.8%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Parsons Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	20.18	1578^th	1765	10.6%
2019	28.43	1420^th	1816	21.8%
2021	18.96	1413^th	1514	6.7%
2022	21.89	1517^th	1763	14.0%
2023	15.45	1734^th	1808	4.1%
2024	12.14	1777^th	1793	0.9%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Parsons Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	13.95	1794^th	1964	8.7%
2019	14.71	1825^th	2019	9.6%
2021	12.85	1587^th	1680	5.5%
2022	15.94	1739^th	1970	11.7%
2023	12.59	1851^st	1957	5.4%
2024	11.31	1881^st	1942	3.1%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Parsons Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	29.17	659^th	907	27.3%
2024	22.54	783^rd	886	11.6%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Parsons Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	24.20	1521^st	1972	22.9%
2019	24.19	1556^th	2019	22.9%
2021	14.25	1593^rd	1707	6.7%
2022	14.24	1832^nd	1977	7.3%
2023	11.56	1910^th	1984	3.7%
2024	9.92	1930^th	1959	1.5%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Parsons Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	25.98	579^th	698	17.0%
2019	20.94	661^st	711	7.0%
2021	34.68	268^th	428	37.4%
2022	22.41	652^nd	684	4.7%
2023	19.54	674^th	692	2.6%
2024	18.96	634^th	655	3.2%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for White students at Parsons Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	13.46	1362^nd	1463	6.9%
2019	3.46	1453^rd	1462	0.6%
2021	4.29	1307^th	1308	0.1%
2022	7.08	1393^rd	1425	2.2%
2023	4.21	1409^th	1419	0.7%
2024	3.23	1387^th	1392	0.4%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Illinois State Board of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Illinois State Board of Education

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Enrollment information for Parsons Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	347	65	4	3	n/a	n/a	n/a	0	419
1989	345	67	4	1	n/a	n/a	n/a	0	417
1990	370	151	n/a	1	n/a	n/a	n/a	0	522
1991	287	144	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	431
1992	292	153	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	446
1993	268	145	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	414
1994	250	159	0	0	1	n/a	n/a	0	410
1995	209	149	7	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	366
1996	209	149	7	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	366
1997	197	145	2	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	344
1998	207	147	3	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	357
1999	205	160	2	1	1	n/a	n/a	0	369
2000	215	147	2	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	366
2001	195	167	1	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	364
2002	152	180	2	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	336
2003	152	180	2	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	336
2004	126	176	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	302
2005	112	116	4	0	0	n/a	n/a	16	248
2006	111	99	3	8	0	n/a	n/a	20	241
2007	122	118	1	9	0	n/a	n/a	31	281
2008	131	122	3	9	2	n/a	n/a	38	305
2009	133	123	2	8	0	n/a	n/a	39	305
2010	152	142	4	7	0	n/a	n/a	29	334
2011	134	115	3	9	5	0	28	0	294
2012	131	129	5	9	3	0	22	0	299
2013	182	132	2	11	4	0	29	0	360
2014	170	119	3	8	4	0	37	0	341
2015	163	125	3	9	3	0	38	0	341
2016	172	128	7	15	2	0	40	0	364
2017	158	100	3	12	2	0	48	0	323
2018	152	99	2	10	2	0	58	0	323
2019	138	96	1	11	6	0	56	0	308
2020	123	140	4	7	2	0	8	0	284
2021	115	134	2	13	3	1	58	0	326
2022	164	239	4	10	2	0	108	0	527
2023	126	227	0	17	2	0	90	0	462
2024	138	220	2	29	2	1	96	0	488

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Parsons Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	419	17.0	24.6	n/a
1989	417	16.5	25.2	n/a
1990	522	21.5	24.2	n/a
1991	431	19.5	22.1	n/a
1992	446	20.5	21.7	n/a
1993	414	19.5	21.2	n/a
1994	410	20.6	19.9	n/a
1995	366	20.0	18.3	n/a
1996	366	20.0	18.3	n/a
1997	344	18.0	19.1	n/a
1998	357	19.5	18.3	n/a
1999	369	18.5	19.9	n/a
2000	366	20.5	17.9	n/a
2001	364	19.4	18.8	n/a
2002	336	17.5	19.2	69
2003	336	17.5	19.2	69
2004	302	16.0	18.9	65.6
2005	248	16.0	15.5	72.8
2006	241	13.0	18.5	76
2007	281	14.0	20.1	n/a
2008	305	15.0	20.3	95.5
2009	305	14.0	21.8	n/a
2010	334	16.0	20.8	n/a
2011	294	14.4	20.3	83
2012	299	14.4	20.7	81.6
2013	360	28.0	12.8	80
2014	341	16.4	20.7	83.6
2015	341	20.0	17.0	81.5
2016	364	17.0	21.4	76.1
2017	323	23.0	14.0	52.6
2018	323	23.0	14.0	59.4
2019	308	16.0	19.2	70.1
2020	284	18.0	15.7	79.2
2021	326	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	527	31.0	17.0	80.1
2023	462	29.0	15.9	79.7
2024	488	28.0	17.4	66.4

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Parsons Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	419	17.0	24.6	n/a
1989	417	16.5	25.2	n/a
1990	522	21.5	24.2	n/a
1991	431	19.5	22.1	n/a
1992	446	20.5	21.7	n/a
1993	414	19.5	21.2	n/a
1994	410	20.6	19.9	n/a
1995	366	20.0	18.3	n/a
1996	366	20.0	18.3	n/a
1997	344	18.0	19.1	n/a
1998	357	19.5	18.3	n/a
1999	369	18.5	19.9	n/a
2000	366	20.5	17.9	n/a
2001	364	19.4	18.8	n/a
2002	336	17.5	19.2	69
2003	336	17.5	19.2	69
2004	302	16.0	18.9	65.6
2005	248	16.0	15.5	72.8
2006	241	13.0	18.5	76
2007	281	14.0	20.1	n/a
2008	305	15.0	20.3	95.5
2009	305	14.0	21.8	n/a
2010	334	16.0	20.8	n/a
2011	294	14.4	20.3	83
2012	299	14.4	20.7	81.6
2013	360	28.0	12.8	80
2014	341	16.4	20.7	83.6
2015	341	20.0	17.0	81.5
2016	364	17.0	21.4	76.1
2017	323	23.0	14.0	52.6
2018	323	23.0	14.0	59.4
2019	308	16.0	19.2	70.1
2020	284	18.0	15.7	79.2
2021	326	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	527	31.0	17.0	80.1
2023	462	29.0	15.9	79.7
2024	488	28.0	17.4	66.4

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

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