Is Montessori Academy for Peace a good school?

Montessori Academy for Peace ranks 1541 st of 2067 Illinois elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

How many students attend Montessori Academy for Peace?

In the 2023-24 school year, 639 students attended Montessori Academy for Peace.

What is the racial makeup of Montessori Academy for Peace?

Students at Montessori Academy for Peace are 47% White, 32% African American, 19% Two or more races, 1% Hispanic.

Montessori Academy for Peace

Summary:

Montessori Academy for Peace is a public elementary school serving grades PK-8 in Decatur, Illinois, which is part of the Decatur School District 61. The school has 697 students and follows a Montessori-based approach to education.

While Montessori Academy for Peace consistently outperforms the Decatur School District 61 average in both English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics proficiency, its test scores are still significantly below the state average. The school's strongest performance is in 4th grade ELA, where 36.1% of students were proficient or better in 2023-2024, compared to just 10.8% for the district. However, the school struggles to serve certain student subgroups effectively, with its rankings for African American and White students in the bottom third of the state. Additionally, Montessori Academy for Peace has seen a significant increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 8.4% in 2019-2020 to 24.9% in 2022-2023, well above the state average.

Compared to other schools in the Decatur School District 61, Montessori Academy for Peace generally outperforms schools like Dennis Lab School, American Dreamer STEM Academy, and Hope Academy in both ELA and Mathematics proficiency. However, it lags behind some higher-performing schools in the area, such as Robertson Charter School and Johns Hill Magnet School, which have stronger test scores and lower chronic absenteeism rates.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-8

601 N Church St
Decatur, IL 62522-2107

(217) 362-3390

District: Decatur School District 61

SchoolDigger Rank:
1541^st of 2,067 Illinois Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $18,581

Student/teacher ratio: 16.3

Number of students: 639

Racial breakdown:

White:

46.8%

African American:

31.8%

Two or more races:

18.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 42.6%

See top rated Illinois elementary schools

Compare Montessori Academy for Peace to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Montessori Academy for Peace ranks worse than 74.6% of elementary schools in Illinois. It also ranks first among 11 ranked elementary schools in the Decatur School District 61! (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 25.11. (See more...)

Compare Details Montessori Academy for Peace ranks worse than 85.2% of middle schools in Illinois. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 17.77. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Montessori Academy for Peace has the largest elementary school student body size in the Decatur School District 61. Student population at Montessori Academy for Peace is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (46.8%), African American (31.8%), two or more races (18.9%). (See more...)

Compare Details 42.6% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the lowest percentage in the Decatur School District 61. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Montessori Academy for Peace is 16.3, which is the 2^nd best among 11 elementary schools in the Decatur School District 61. (See more...)

Compare Montessori Academy for Peace employs 39 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Montessori Academy for Peace is $18,581, which is the 5^th highest among 11 elementary schools in the Decatur School District 61.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Montessori Academy for Peace:

SchoolDigger ranks Montessori Academy for Peace 1541^st of 2067 Illinois public elementary schools. (See Montessori Academy for Peace in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Multi-racial students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

African American students:

White students:

SchoolDigger ranks Montessori Academy for Peace 1161^st of 1363 Illinois public middle schools. (See Montessori Academy for Peace in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Multi-racial students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

African American students:

White students:

Decatur School District 61:

SchoolDigger ranks Decatur School District 61 806^th of 813 Illinois school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Montessori Academy for Peace

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Rank History for all elementary school students at Montessori Academy for Peace

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2003	34.30	1483^rd	2020	26.6%
2004	35.88	1485^th	2030	26.8%
2005	46.78	1294^th	2022	36.0%
2006	45.14	1398^th	2086	33.0%
2007	67.40	800^th	2095	61.8%
2008	64.46	912^th	2092	56.4%
2009	62.96	963^rd	2120	54.6%
2010	67.27	838^th	2139	60.8%
2011	67.68	814^th	2147	62.1%
2012	70.40	719^th	2166	66.8%
2013	63.87	832^nd	2167	61.6%
2014	74.31	528^th	2093	74.8%
2015	50.60	886^th	2052	56.8%
2016	42.42	1119^th	2046	45.3%
2017	34.34	1302^nd	2044	36.3%
2018	32.10	1370^th	2037	32.7%
2019	24.12	1605^th	2086	23.1%
2021	19.40	1600^th	1948	17.9%
2022	22.73	1571^st	2082	24.5%
2023	24.92	1523^rd	2077	26.7%
2024	25.11	1541^st	2067	25.4%

See the entire list of Illinois Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for elementary school Multi-racial students at Montessori Academy for Peace

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2022	26.68	62^nd	95	34.7%
2023	28.57	62^nd	93	33.3%
2024	23.75	68^th	93	26.9%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for elementary school Special Education students at Montessori Academy for Peace

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	31.65	732^nd	1113	34.2%
2023	31.76	751^st	1156	35.0%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for elementary school Low Socio Economic Status students at Montessori Academy for Peace

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	33.15	1234^th	1765	30.1%
2019	23.66	1552^nd	1816	14.5%
2021	19.00	1411^th	1514	6.8%
2022	22.67	1488^th	1763	15.6%
2023	28.33	1377^th	1808	23.8%
2024	24.22	1474^th	1793	17.8%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for elementary school Female students at Montessori Academy for Peace

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	29.19	1395^th	1964	29.0%
2019	22.56	1616^th	2019	20.0%
2021	14.97	1528^th	1680	9.0%
2022	23.23	1510^th	1970	23.4%
2023	32.79	1253^rd	1957	36.0%
2024	32.83	1243^rd	1942	36.0%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for elementary school Disabled students at Montessori Academy for Peace

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	33.69	554^th	907	38.9%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for elementary school Male students at Montessori Academy for Peace

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	36.78	1192^nd	1972	39.6%
2019	26.89	1484^th	2019	26.5%
2021	22.94	1328^th	1707	22.2%
2022	22.96	1496^th	1977	24.3%
2023	18.03	1675^th	1984	15.6%
2024	17.75	1656^th	1959	15.5%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for elementary school African American students at Montessori Academy for Peace

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	13.11	696^th	698	0.3%
2021	27.88	361^st	428	15.7%
2022	30.81	497^th	684	27.3%
2023	26.60	570^th	692	17.6%
2024	24.58	567^th	655	13.4%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for elementary school White students at Montessori Academy for Peace

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	29.43	1084^th	1463	25.9%
2019	19.97	1253^rd	1462	14.3%
2021	14.09	1223^rd	1308	6.5%
2022	13.66	1321^st	1425	7.3%
2023	16.27	1266^th	1419	10.8%
2024	20.17	1185^th	1392	14.9%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Illinois State Board of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Rank History for Montessori Academy for Peace

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Rank History for all middle school students at Montessori Academy for Peace

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2006	53.23	702^nd	1272	44.8%
2007	61.62	576^th	1287	55.2%
2008	76.03	284^th	1293	78.0%
2009	58.71	635^th	1318	51.8%
2010	66.51	493^rd	1327	62.8%
2011	64.48	542^nd	1344	59.7%
2012	75.58	301^st	1365	77.9%
2013	50.81	686^th	1367	49.8%
2014	56.67	577^th	1322	56.4%
2015	59.85	420^th	1302	67.7%
2016	52.93	549^th	1294	57.6%
2017	53.73	534^th	1293	58.7%
2018	54.62	540^th	1293	58.2%
2019	64.12	431^st	1356	68.2%
2021	13.31	1162^nd	1241	6.4%
2022	22.25	1059^th	1369	22.6%
2023	15.62	1215^th	1367	11.1%
2024	17.77	1161^st	1363	14.8%

See the entire list of Illinois Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for middle school Multi-racial students at Montessori Academy for Peace

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	17.69	164^th	194	15.5%
2024	15.93	159^th	184	13.6%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for middle school Special Education students at Montessori Academy for Peace

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	32.12	521^st	805	35.3%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for middle school Low Socio Economic Status students at Montessori Academy for Peace

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	40.27	689^th	1161	40.7%
2019	40.29	726^th	1217	40.3%
2022	25.44	978^th	1221	19.9%
2023	13.16	1199^th	1234	2.8%
2024	14.94	1154^th	1219	5.3%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for middle school Female students at Montessori Academy for Peace

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	49.38	599^th	1226	51.1%
2019	62.43	430^th	1276	66.3%
2021	10.66	984^th	1017	3.2%
2022	18.18	1089^th	1286	15.3%
2023	15.05	1143^rd	1275	10.4%
2024	18.05	1056^th	1251	15.6%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for middle school Disabled students at Montessori Academy for Peace

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	39.76	352^nd	674	47.8%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for middle school Male students at Montessori Academy for Peace

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	57.32	452^nd	1223	63.0%
2019	62.41	417^th	1296	67.8%
2022	29.86	866^th	1286	32.7%
2023	21.86	1029^th	1292	20.4%
2024	18.95	1061^st	1264	16.1%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for middle school African American students at Montessori Academy for Peace

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2022	30.81	423^rd	573	26.2%
2023	21.37	524^th	569	7.9%
2024	22.64	483^rd	548	11.9%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for middle school White students at Montessori Academy for Peace

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	44.40	485^th	889	45.4%
2019	62.89	303^rd	905	66.5%
2021	12.29	765^th	813	5.9%
2022	17.79	788^th	898	12.2%
2023	9.22	861^st	895	3.8%
2024	13.32	796^th	875	9.0%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Illinois State Board of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Illinois State Board of Education

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Enrollment information for Montessori Academy for Peace

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1989	221	133	n/a	2	1	n/a	n/a	0	357
1990	242	161	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	0	403
1991	238	165	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	403
1992	240	163	0	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	405
1993	234	188	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	422
1994	219	197	0	2	1	n/a	n/a	0	419
1995	257	234	4	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	495
1996	257	234	4	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	495
1997	240	211	6	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	459
1998	193	145	9	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	349
1999	213	168	13	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	398
2000	156	136	8	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	301
2001	152	173	4	3	1	n/a	n/a	0	333
2002	131	155	4	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	290
2003	131	155	4	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	290
2004	139	153	5	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	298
2005	167	120	4	4	0	n/a	n/a	31	326
2006	198	113	3	1	0	n/a	n/a	39	354
2007	208	110	10	1	1	n/a	n/a	33	363
2008	212	101	9	4	1	n/a	n/a	38	365
2009	219	98	8	0	0	n/a	n/a	39	364
2010	230	93	4	0	2	n/a	n/a	41	370
2011	233	86	5	2	2	0	43	0	371
2012	233	79	5	2	2	0	45	0	366
2013	236	89	5	2	3	0	45	0	380
2014	237	93	6	3	5	0	42	0	386
2015	238	95	6	2	4	0	37	0	382
2016	216	109	5	4	0	0	48	0	382
2017	227	94	4	4	0	0	45	0	374
2018	217	88	4	4	1	0	43	0	357
2019	208	89	4	2	2	0	52	0	357
2020	194	127	5	1	2	0	6	0	335
2021	317	192	5	8	3	0	108	0	633
2022	339	211	5	8	1	0	119	0	683
2023	329	227	6	7	1	0	127	0	697
2024	299	203	5	9	1	1	121	0	639

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Montessori Academy for Peace

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	357	18.0	19.8	n/a
1990	403	18.5	21.7	n/a
1991	403	20.0	20.1	n/a
1992	405	20.5	19.7	n/a
1993	422	21.0	20.1	n/a
1994	419	18.0	23.3	n/a
1995	495	23.6	21.0	n/a
1996	495	23.6	21.0	n/a
1997	459	23.7	19.4	n/a
1998	349	17.0	20.5	n/a
1999	398	18.0	22.1	n/a
2000	301	15.9	18.9	n/a
2001	333	15.0	22.2	n/a
2002	290	13.4	21.6	53.1
2003	290	13.4	21.6	53.1
2004	298	13.4	22.2	59.1
2005	326	14.4	22.6	53.9
2006	354	14.9	23.8	55.6
2007	363	15.0	24.2	n/a
2008	365	16.0	22.8	49.8
2009	364	13.9	26.2	n/a
2010	370	14.8	24.8	n/a
2011	371	13.8	26.7	41
2012	366	14.8	24.5	17.5
2013	380	26.1	14.5	40.5
2014	386	14.0	27.5	42
2015	382	19.0	20.1	47.9
2016	382	18.0	21.2	46.6
2017	374	19.0	19.6	2.1
2018	357	21.0	17.0	37.5
2019	357	19.0	18.7	40.3
2020	335	20.0	16.7	40.6
2021	633	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	683	43.2	15.8	51.8
2023	697	39.9	17.4	51.5
2024	639	39.0	16.3	42.6

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Montessori Academy for Peace

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	357	18.0	19.8	n/a
1990	403	18.5	21.7	n/a
1991	403	20.0	20.1	n/a
1992	405	20.5	19.7	n/a
1993	422	21.0	20.1	n/a
1994	419	18.0	23.3	n/a
1995	495	23.6	21.0	n/a
1996	495	23.6	21.0	n/a
1997	459	23.7	19.4	n/a
1998	349	17.0	20.5	n/a
1999	398	18.0	22.1	n/a
2000	301	15.9	18.9	n/a
2001	333	15.0	22.2	n/a
2002	290	13.4	21.6	53.1
2003	290	13.4	21.6	53.1
2004	298	13.4	22.2	59.1
2005	326	14.4	22.6	53.9
2006	354	14.9	23.8	55.6
2007	363	15.0	24.2	n/a
2008	365	16.0	22.8	49.8
2009	364	13.9	26.2	n/a
2010	370	14.8	24.8	n/a
2011	371	13.8	26.7	41
2012	366	14.8	24.5	17.5
2013	380	26.1	14.5	40.5
2014	386	14.0	27.5	42
2015	382	19.0	20.1	47.9
2016	382	18.0	21.2	46.6
2017	374	19.0	19.6	2.1
2018	357	21.0	17.0	37.5
2019	357	19.0	18.7	40.3
2020	335	20.0	16.7	40.6
2021	633	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	683	43.2	15.8	51.8
2023	697	39.9	17.4	51.5
2024	639	39.0	16.3	42.6

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

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