Robertson Charter School, Decatur IL

Original Research by School Decision on Robertson Charter School

Robertson Charter School serves students from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade in Decatur, Illinois. It is a small school with an enrollment spread across ten grade levels, with the largest grades in the middle school band. The student body is predominantly Black, with a smaller share of students identifying as multiracial, and very few students from other racial and ethnic backgrounds.

State testing data for the most recent school year reveals consistently low proficiency rates across tested subjects and grade bands. In mathematics, proficiency ranges from roughly three to ten percent across grades three through eight. English language arts performance is notably stronger, ranging from around twenty to forty percent in the upper grades, with eighth grade showing the highest results. Science proficiency, tested in grades five and eight, sits in the single digits for grade five and rises to around twenty percent in grade eight. All students participated in testing, indicating consistent assessment administration.

Compared to other districts in Macon County, Robertson's overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile. This positioning reflects a significant academic gap that a parent may want to explore further with school leadership, particularly regarding specific instructional support, curriculum choices, or external factors shaping these results.

The school is part of Decatur School District 61, which in the 2024-25 school year implemented a district-wide policy requiring all students to store phones, ear buds, smartwatches, and tablets in lockers throughout the entire school day. This represents a structural change to the classroom environment. Additionally, the district launched a strategic planning process called Roadmap2030 beginning in October 2024, a multi-year initiative examining building conditions, enrollment projections, and long-term facility decisions. This planning effort will shape which buildings remain open and how programs are organized going forward, making it relevant context for families considering the school.

Robertson sits in a Decatur economy anchored by Archer Daniels Midland and Caterpillar, along with healthcare, education, and growing interest in agricultural biomanufacturing. The community has pursued downtown revitalization and a major new mixed-income housing development, though the city's population has been gradually declining. Housing values and rental costs in the area are modest relative to national benchmarks, and mortgage rates currently sit in the mid-to-high range. The school's location on East Geddes Avenue places it within Decatur's residential fabric rather than in the downtown core.

Data on free and reduced-price lunch eligibility, English learner enrollment, and students with IEPs were not available, so the economic and support composition of the school cannot be fully characterized from the information provided. A parent seeking enrollment should contact the school directly to understand staffing, special education services, English learner support, and any targeted academic interventions in place.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 38%

School 8% · District 11% · ▼ 3 pts below district

▼ 38 pts below state median · ▼ 6 pts below county median

Grade 44%

School 4% · District 9% · ▼ 5 pts below district

▼ 33 pts below state median · ▼ 3 pts below county median

Grade 511%

School 11% · District 6% · ▲ 4 pts above district

▼ 19 pts below state median · ▲ 3 pts above county median

Grade 64%

School 4% · District 5% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▼ 20 pts below state median · ▼ 4 pts below county median

Grade 73%

School 3% · District 8% · ▼ 5 pts below district

▼ 26 pts below state median · ▼ 14 pts below county median

Grade 88%

School 8% · District 4% · ▲ 4 pts above district

▼ 15 pts below state median · even with county median

English language arts

Grade 324%

School 24% · District 13% · ▲ 11 pts above district

▼ 20 pts below state median · ▲ 7 pts above county median

Grade 421%

School 21% · District 18% · ▲ 4 pts above district

▼ 27 pts below state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

Grade 536%

School 36% · District 17% · ▲ 19 pts above district

▼ 16 pts below state median · ▲ 15 pts above county median

Grade 628%

School 28% · District 18% · ▲ 10 pts above district

▼ 23 pts below state median · ▲ 2 pts above county median

Grade 731%

School 31% · District 15% · ▲ 15 pts above district

▼ 20 pts below state median · ▼ 2 pts below county median

Grade 842%

School 42% · District 19% · ▲ 23 pts above district

▼ 11 pts below state median · ▲ 2 pts above county median

Science

Grade 57%

School 7% · District 15% · ▼ 8 pts below district

▼ 30 pts below state median · ▼ 10 pts below county median

Grade 822%

School 22% · District 21% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▼ 18 pts below state median · ▼ 8 pts below county median

This schoolDecatur SD 61, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.