Hope Academy

Hope Academy operates as a reasonably sized K-5 school in Decatur, Illinois, operated by Decatur SD 61. Current enrollment sits at 501 students spanning grades K through 8. Compared to the state average of about 381 students per school, that is 31% larger than typical.

Hope Academy is one of 15 schools operated by Decatur SD 61, a district that enrolls 7,840 students overall.

Looking at the student body, Hope Academy reports that 64% of the student body identifies as Black; the rest consists of 20% White, 13% multiracial, 3% Hispanic. That is visibly more Black than the county at large, where the share is closer to 16%.

Looking at the economic backdrop, The school currently runs with 36 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 13.9:1. The state averages about 13.9:1, putting this campus right in line with peers. Around 94% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal. Set against Macon County (around 61%), the school's rate is north of typical.

Adjusting for the school's free-and-reduced-lunch share, On a poverty-adjusted basis, Hope Academy sits in the bottom 10% statewide. Predicted proficiency from the FRL regression is roughly 17.3%; actual is 3.3%, a gap of -14.1 points.

Across the wider county, census data for Macon County shows median household income runs about $62,666, about 24% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and roughly 10% of residents live below the federal poverty line. In all, Macon County runs 43 public schools (combined enrollment of about 14,702 students), of which Hope Academy is one.

Johns Hill Magnet School is the nearest neighboring public school, about 1.0 miles from this campus. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools. Among the 8 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), Hope Academy ranks 8th on composite proficiency, below the local average of 12.8%.

The school occupies a high-density site.

Looking at the recent track record. Hope Academy's enrollment has declined 3% since 2018, when it stood at 519 (now 501). Over the same period, the Black share ticked down from 69% to 64%. The student-to-teacher ratio fell from 16.0:1 in 2018 to 13.9:1 today.

Inside the community feed, posts here usually surface around sports schedules, lunch menu changes, and school spirit week. Contributors range from current parents to recent graduates and teachers.