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Welcome to the MacArthur High School community. What's one thing that would make MacArthur High School even better?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
1,059
High
DISTRICT 984 · STATE 834
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·DECATUR SD 61·NCES 171185001411
MacArthur High School
1499 W Grand Ave, Decatur, IL 62522 · (217) 362-3152 · Macon County
GRADES 09–12HIGH13-CITYTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL1,059 STUDENTS
Student : Teacher
20.0:1
53 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 18.6:1 · STATE 13.8:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
73%
773 students
DISTRICT 81% · STATE 56%
Community
5
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other high schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 9 | 292 | 28% |
| Grade 10 | 254 | 24% |
| Grade 11 | 250 | 24% |
| Grade 12 | 263 | 25% |
Student demographics
64%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 65% · STATE 69% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
BeatsExpectations
Demographically-adjusted score · methodologyTier
AS EXPECTED
Performing as predicted given the school's student profile
Actual proficiency
15.8%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
29.4%
based on IL schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
-13.6pp
below demographic expectation
What this means: About 16% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 29% typical for Illinois schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations measures results against demographically similar schools rather than by raw scores, and this school falls within the typical range, neither among Illinois's top nor bottom 10%.
BeatsExpectations runs a per-state regression of proficiency on free/reduced-lunch share, then scores each school by residual. How this is calculated →
Schools most like MacArthur High School
MacArthur High School's state test result (15.8% proficient) is higher than 2 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| MacArthur High School this school | 1,059 | 73.0% | 15.8% |
| Lanphier High School Springfield | 1,117 | 74.2% | 14.8% |
| Eisenhower High School Decatur | 909 | 76.7% | 12.8% |
| Springfield Southeast High School Springfield | 1,229 | 66.2% | 19.9% |
| Danville High School Danville | 1,253 | 82.9% | 19.1% |
| Rolling Acres Middle School Peoria | 321 | 72.3% | 23.2% |
Matched among Illinois high schools on enrollment, the share of students from low-income families (eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), and racial and ethnic makeup. Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across all of the school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25, the same combined score our test-score rankings use. Online schools and schools serving specialized populations are not matched.
Where MacArthur High School ranks
Among high schools| Measure | This school | In Illinois | In Macon County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 15.8% | #475 of 573 | #7 of 8 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 1,059 | #211 of 708 | #1 of 8 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 20.0:1 | #517 of 528 | #8 of 8 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 64.4% | #71 of 537 | #2 of 8 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 73.0% | #141 of 578 | #2 of 8 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -3.1% | #292 of 358 | #5 of 6 |
Ranked against other public high schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
1,059
-117 (-10%) vs 2020
-17% since 1990-91, when it was 1,276
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 1,059 | 53 | 20.0:1 | 73% (773) |
| 2023-24 | 1,042 | 53 | 19.7:1 | 55% (578) |
| 2022-23 | 1,105 | 56 | 19.7:1 | 67% (740) |
| 2020-21 | 1,176 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 2017-18 | 1,093 | 65 | 16.8:1 | 55% (600) |
| 2015-16 | 1,085 | 53 | 20.5:1 | 71% (775) |
| 2010-11 | 1,197 | 54 | 22.2:1 | 63% (752) |
| 2000-01 | 1,330 | 67 | 19.9:1 | N/A |
| 1990-91 | 1,276 | 54 | 23.6:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for MacArthur High School.
Since 2017-18: students down 3% (1,093 to 1,059); teachers down 18% (65 to 53).
About MacArthur High School
MacArthur High School sits in Decatur, Illinois, and is classified as a high school. It serves 1,059 students in grades 9 through 12. The average among high schools in Illinois is roughly 834 students; this school is 27% larger than that.
MacArthur High School is run by Decatur SD 61, whose 15 schools enroll 7,840 students.
MacArthur High School is 51% Black by enrollment. The remaining students are 27% White, 14% multiracial, and 8% Hispanic. Among people living in Macon County, the Black share is about 16%. MacArthur High School's diversity index is 64%, against a US figure of 70%.
Dividing enrollment by its 53 full-time-equivalent teachers gives a ratio of about 20.0:1. That is higher than the 13.8:1 average for high schools in Illinois. Eligible students account for 73% of enrollment in the free or reduced-price lunch program. It compares with 61% for public schools in Macon County.
MacArthur High School sits between the top and bottom 10% of Illinois schools on BeatsExpectations, with an actual average proficiency rate on state tests of 15.8% and a predicted 29.4%.
In Macon County (population about 101,849), the median household income is $62,666, 24% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and about 10% of people live in poverty. MacArthur High School is one of 43 public schools in the county.
Franklin Grove Elementary School is the public school closest to MacArthur High School, about 1.1 miles away. There are at least 8 other public schools within five miles. MacArthur High School ranks 3rd of 8 among nearby schools on average proficiency, with 15.8% against a local average of 10.7%.
NCES lists the school's locale as City: Small. That means it sits inside a principal city with a population under 100,000.
Enrollment at MacArthur High School declined 10% between 2020-21 and 2024-25, from 1,176 to 1,059 students.
The allk12 site hosts a discussion page for MacArthur High School covering things like sports tryouts, band and choir, and theater. Reviews and ratings from people who know the school are welcome.
Macon County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
101,849
Census ACS
Median income
$62,666
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
24%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
10%
Below federal line
Schools in county
43
14,702 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Decatur SD 61
- Eisenhower High SchoolHigh · 909 students
- Johns Hill Magnet SchoolElementary · 627 students
- Montessori Academy for PeaceElementary · 586 students
- Dennis Lab SchoolElementary · 579 students
- Parsons Elementary SchoolElementary · 505 students
- Hope AcademyElementary · 501 students
Other schools in Decatur
- Eisenhower High SchoolHigh · 909 students
- Johns Hill Magnet SchoolElementary · 627 students
- Montessori Academy for PeaceElementary · 586 students
- Dennis Lab SchoolElementary · 579 students
- Parsons Elementary SchoolElementary · 505 students
- Hope AcademyElementary · 501 students
Other MacArthur High schools
5 other US public schools in 4 states are named MacArthur High. MacArthur High School is the 5th largest of the 6.
- Macarthur High SchoolHOUSTON, TX · 3,501 students
- Macarthur High SchoolIRVING, TX · 2,484 students
- Macarthur High SchoolSAN ANTONIO, TX · 2,033 students
- Macarthur High SchoolLawton, OK · 1,253 students
- MacArthur High SchoolWashington, DC · 390 students
Nearby schools
- Franklin Grove Elementary School1.1 mi · 461
- Pershing Early Learning Center1.5 mi · 416
- Hope Academy1.9 mi · 501
- Johns Hill Magnet School2.2 mi · 627
- Parsons Elementary School2.4 mi · 505
- American Dreamer STEM Academy2.6 mi · 423
Frequently asked questions
About MacArthur High SchoolWhat is the total enrollment at MacArthur High School?
MacArthur High School enrolls approximately 1,059 students in grades 09-12.
What age range does MacArthur High School serve?
MacArthur High School serves students from grade 09 through grade 12.
How many students per teacher at MacArthur High School?
Approximately 20.0:1 students per teacher at MacArthur High School.
How diverse is MacArthur High School?
MacArthur High School reports a student body of 27% White, 8% Hispanic, 51% Black, 1% Asian, 14% Two or more.
Who oversees MacArthur High School?
MacArthur High School is overseen by Decatur SD 61 in Macon County.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.