The top reported proficiency rate is 19% in Science. The lowest is 5% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Stephen Decatur Middle School
Stephen Decatur Middle School serves students in grades seven and eight in Decatur, a mid-sized central Illinois city known as the Soybean Capital of the World. The school is located on an Educational Park campus and is part of Decatur School District 61.
The school enrolls students from across Decatur, a city whose economy centers on grain processing, agricultural commodity work, and industrial manufacturing. The student body is diverse in racial composition, with a substantial share identifying as Black, and a significant share as white, along with students of two or more races and smaller numbers of Hispanic students. The enrollment is modest in size for a middle school of its grade band.
State test data available for the school shows a clear weakness in academic proficiency. In mathematics, seventh grade students achieved proficiency at a low single-digit rate, and eighth grade performance was even lower. English language arts results were similarly low, with seventh graders reaching proficiency at a single-digit rate and eighth graders at a rate below one in five. Science testing, available only for eighth grade, showed proficiency below one in five. These results place the school in the bottom quartile relative to other districts in Macon County on overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades. A parent may want to look into the school's academic support approaches and the circumstances behind these results directly with administrators.
State testing participation rates were strong across grades and subjects, with near-universal student participation, suggesting the data reflects actual performance rather than incomplete testing. Data on free or reduced price lunch eligibility, special education enrollment, and English learner counts was not available, limiting insight into whether certain student populations face particular achievement gaps.
Decatur itself is experiencing gradual population decline but has launched downtown revitalization efforts and a major new housing development called the Village at Legacy, which began construction in early 2024. The district is also undertaking a substantial strategic planning and master facilities initiative called Roadmap2030, which began in October 2024 and was scheduled to present recommendations to the board in May 2025. This effort will examine building conditions and whether current facility use aligns with future enrollment and financial needs, so decisions about which school buildings remain open and how programs are organized may shift in coming years. Additionally, starting in the 2024-25 school year, the district implemented a strict bell-to-bell ban on student use of phones, ear buds, smartwatches, and tablets, with all devices stored in locked lockers during the entire day.
The housing market in the Decatur area is affordable relative to national benchmarks. Median home values are modest, and rents are similarly low. The community includes Lake Decatur and waterfront parks, a historic downtown with walkable streets and local shops, and anchors like Millikin University and the Scovill Zoo.
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