SchoolRow
#1905

Michael E Baum Elem School

Decatur, IL · Decatur SD 61

Regular public school · Grades K - 6 · City, small

1,905th of 2,105 Illinois elementary schools statewide · better than 10%· Stable

801 S Lake Ridge Ave, Decatur, IL 62521

(217)362-3521NCES ID 171185001423Directory 202324

311
Students
2023–24 enrollment
19.4:1
Student / teacher ratio
86%
Free / reduced-price lunch
low-income indicator
45.7%
Chronically absent
IL average 25%

SchoolRow ranks Michael E Baum Elem School 1,905th of 2,105 Illinois elementary schools for 2024–25, based on Illinois Report Card 2024–25 English and Math results — better than 10% of elementary schools statewide. Its statewide percentile went from 8th in 2019 to 10th in 2025.

Statewide percentile by year
25%50%75%10%201920202025no testing 2020–21

Percent meeting or exceeding the state standard, Illinois Report Card 2024–25

English Language Arts
Michael E Baum Elem School
23%
IL average
52%
Math
Michael E Baum Elem School
13%
IL average
38%
English Language Arts over time Michael E Baum Elem School IL average
25%50%75%23%52%201920202025no testing 2020–21
Math over time Michael E Baum Elem School IL average
25%50%75%13%38%201920202025no testing 2020–21
Science over time Michael E Baum Elem School IL average
25%50%75%20%45%201920202025no testing 2020–21
ELA by race, over time
25%50%75%40%29%7%201920202025no testing 2020–21

Black (last reported 2023) stops before 2025: IL suppresses a group once too few of its students are tested, so the line ends rather than the school having stopped testing.

Math by race, over time
25%50%75%22%5%0%201920202025no testing 2020–21

Black (last reported 2023) and Two or more races (last reported 2023) stop before 2025: IL suppresses a group once too few of its students are tested, so the line ends rather than the school having stopped testing.

Science by race, over time
25%50%75%29%20%10%201920202023no testing 2020–21

Black (last reported 2022) and Two or more races (last reported 2019) stop before 2023: IL suppresses a group once too few of its students are tested, so the line ends rather than the school having stopped testing.

Percent meeting or exceeding the state standard, by student race and ethnicity. Only groups IL reports for this school appear — small groups are suppressed at the source to protect student privacy, so a missing line means too few testers, not zero. Tap a group to compare it with the IL average for that same group.

Racial and ethnic breakdown of 311 students (202324, NCES) — history since 1988, with comparable seven-category changes from 2010

5%White35%Black39%Two+20%
Hover the pie for details
categories changedWhite 35%Black 39%Two or more races 20%75%23%19882023
GroupTrend20102023Change
Black22.8%38.6% 15.8 pts
White64.3%35.0% 29.3 pts
Two or more races9.1%20.3% 11.2 pts
Hispanic2.8%5.1% 2.3 pts
American Indian0.5%0.6% 0.1 pts

NCES history for this school begins in 1988. Race categories changed by 2010: earlier data combines Asian and Pacific Islander students and does not consistently identify multiracial students. The chart retains that history, while the change table uses 2010 onward.

Typical home value $124K in zip 62521 as of 2026-05 · trend since 2000

$30K$60K$90K$120K$114K200020052010201520202025

Data Provided by Zillow Group

See recently sold homes in 62521 on Zillow →

Closest same-level schools, with 2024–25 state rank · ▲▼ = points better or worse than Michael E Baum Elem School

View on the map →

What school district is Michael E Baum Elem School in?

Michael E Baum Elem School is part of the Decatur SD 61 district in Decatur, Illinois.

Is Michael E Baum Elem School a good school?

SchoolRow ranks Michael E Baum Elem School 1,905th of 2,105 Illinois elementary schools (better than 10% statewide) based on 2024–25 test results (Illinois Report Card 2024–25).

What is the racial makeup of Michael E Baum Elem School?

Black 39%, White 35%, Two or more races 20%, Hispanic 5% (311 students, 2023–24).

How much do homes near Michael E Baum Elem School cost?

The typical home value in zip code 62521 is $124K as of 2026-05 (Zillow ZHVI).

Sources: state education department data (Illinois Report Card 2024–25, low-income, chronic absenteeism), National Center for Education Statistics via the Urban Institute (enrollment, demographics, staffing), Zillow Group (home values). Rankings are computed by SchoolRow from state English and Math results within grade level; they measure test performance, not everything that makes a school good.