Parsons Elementary School

Located at 3591 N MacArthur Rd, in Decatur, Illinois, Parsons Elementary School is a middle-of-the-pack elementary campus that works with 505 students (grades K through 6), overseen by Decatur SD 61. Enrollment runs roughly 33% bigger than the state mean of about 381.

Across the 15 schools in Decatur SD 61 (7,840 students total), Parsons Elementary School accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

On demographics, Parsons Elementary School lists that the largest single group is Black at 49%, but no single group is in the majority. Beyond that, the school shows 27% White, 17% multiracial, 6% Hispanic. That is meaningfully more Black than the county at large, where the share is closer to 16%.

Looking at the economic backdrop, Staff filings list 32 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 15.8:1 students per teacher. That figure is higher than the state norm's 13.9:1 average. About 90% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment. By comparison, Macon County runs at roughly 61%, so the school's eligibility rate is meaningfully above the surrounding baseline.

With demographic context factored in, Parsons Elementary School tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 19.8% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 10.0%.

In the area at large, Macon County reports that median household income runs about $62,666, about 24% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and the poverty rate sits near 10%. Across Macon County's 43 public schools (combined enrollment of about 14,702 students), Parsons Elementary School is one campus in the mix.

Nearest neighbor: Pershing Early Learning Center, around 0.9 miles off. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius. Among the 8 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), Parsons Elementary School ranks 6th on composite proficiency, below the local average of 17.8%.

The campus sits in a metropolitan setting.

Trend over the last 7 years. Parsons Elementary School's enrollment has climbed 56% since 2018, when it stood at 323 (now 505). White enrollment moved from 47% to 27% across the same window. Class-load math has rose: from 14.0:1 in 2018 to 15.8:1 in 2025.

On the community side, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around classroom updates, athletics, and weather closures. The community welcomes input from current and former families.