Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

Montessori Academy for Peace

Q: Is Montessori Academy for Peace a good school?

Montessori Academy for Peace ranks 1521 st of 2056 Illinois elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-8

1521^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,056 Illinois Elementary Schools

Better than 26% of Illinois elementary schools

Summary

Montessori Academy for Peace is a public elementary school in Decatur, Illinois that serves grades PK-8 and has 639 students. Despite being part of the low-performing Decatur School District 61, Montessori Academy for Peace stands out as a relatively high-performing school, consistently outperforming the district averages in both English Language Arts and Mathematics proficiency across all grade levels.

The school's Montessori-based approach and focus on individualized learning may be contributing to its stronger academic outcomes. Montessori Academy for Peace has a lower student-teacher ratio and spends more per student compared to the district average, which likely enables its success. However, the school still struggles with high chronic absenteeism rates, which likely impact its overall performance. Addressing attendance issues could be an area for improvement.

When compared to other nearby schools in the Decatur School District 61, Montessori Academy for Peace consistently outperforms the other district elementary schools in both ELA and Math proficiency, often by a significant margin. The nearby Robertson Charter School also demonstrates relatively strong academic performance, but still falls short of Montessori Academy for Peace's results. The other traditional public elementary schools in the district struggle to meet state averages, highlighting Montessori Academy for Peace's exceptional performance within the broader challenges facing the Decatur School District.

586

Students ?

14.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$18,865

Per pupil spending ?

52.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

4735 E Cantrell St
Decatur, IL 62521-8720

(217) 362-3390

District: Decatur School District 61

Racial breakdown:

White:

46.2%

African American:

31.7%

Two or more races:

19.8%

See top rated Illinois elementary schools

Compare Montessori Academy for Peace to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 57th percentile in 2015 → 26th in 2025

Strengths

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Decatur School District 61

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Illinois average (32% vs 44% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped — down 31 percentile points since 2015

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school32%

District avg15%

Illinois avg44%

Elementary school

1,521^st of 2,056

Illinois public elementary schools ?

Bottom 26%▼ down 31 pts since 2015

From top 43% (2015) to bottom 26% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Illinois Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

965^th of 1,368

Illinois public middle schools ?

Bottom 29%▼ down 38 pts since 2015

From top 32% (2015) to bottom 29% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Illinois Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 11Elementary Schools in the Decatur School District 61

806^th of 811Decatur School District 61 among Illinois districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Elementary school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	26.6	1521 of 2056	26.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	25.1	1541 of 2067	25.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	24.9	1523 of 2077	26.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	22.7	1571 of 2082	24.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	19.4	1600 of 1948	17.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	24.1	1605 of 2086	23.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	32.1	1370 of 2037	32.7%	★★☆☆☆
2017	34.3	1302 of 2044	36.3%	★★☆☆☆
2016	42.4	1119 of 2046	45.3%	★★☆☆☆
2015	50.6	886 of 2052	56.8%	★★★☆☆
2014	74.3	528 of 2093	74.8%	★★★★☆
2013	63.9	832 of 2167	61.6%	★★★☆☆
2012	70.4	719 of 2166	66.8%	★★★☆☆
2011	67.7	814 of 2147	62.1%	★★★☆☆
2010	67.3	838 of 2139	60.8%	★★★☆☆
2009	63.0	963 of 2120	54.6%	★★★☆☆
2008	64.5	912 of 2092	56.4%	★★★☆☆
2007	67.4	800 of 2095	61.8%	★★★☆☆
2006	45.1	1398 of 2086	33.0%	★★☆☆☆
2005	46.8	1294 of 2022	36.0%	★★☆☆☆
2004	35.9	1485 of 2030	26.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2003	34.3	1483 of 2020	26.6%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	19.4	630 of 688	8.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	24.6	567 of 655	13.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	26.6	570 of 692	17.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	30.8	497 of 684	27.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	27.9	361 of 428	15.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	13.1	696 of 698	0.3%	☆☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2023	33.7	554 of 907	38.9%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	34.5	1259 of 1942	35.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	32.8	1243 of 1942	36.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	32.8	1253 of 1957	36.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	23.2	1510 of 1970	23.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	15.0	1528 of 1680	9.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	22.6	1616 of 2019	20.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	29.2	1395 of 1964	29.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	24.4	1465 of 1800	18.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	24.2	1474 of 1793	17.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	28.3	1377 of 1808	23.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	22.7	1488 of 1763	15.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	19.0	1411 of 1514	6.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	23.7	1552 of 1816	14.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	33.1	1234 of 1765	30.1%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	18.9	1609 of 1947	17.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	17.7	1656 of 1959	15.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	18.0	1675 of 1984	15.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	23.0	1496 of 1977	24.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	22.9	1328 of 1707	22.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	26.9	1484 of 2019	26.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	36.8	1192 of 1972	39.6%	★★☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	20.8	90 of 120	25.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	23.7	68 of 93	26.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	28.6	62 of 93	33.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	26.7	62 of 95	34.7%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	24.0	1010 of 1292	21.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	31.8	751 of 1156	35.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	31.6	732 of 1113	34.2%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	27.0	1073 of 1389	22.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	20.2	1185 of 1392	14.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	16.3	1266 of 1419	10.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	13.7	1321 of 1425	7.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	14.1	1223 of 1308	6.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	20.0	1253 of 1462	14.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	29.4	1084 of 1463	25.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	28.0	965 of 1368	29.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	17.8	1161 of 1363	14.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	15.6	1215 of 1367	11.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	22.3	1059 of 1369	22.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	13.3	1162 of 1241	6.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	64.1	431 of 1356	68.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	54.6	540 of 1293	58.2%	★★★☆☆
2017	53.7	534 of 1293	58.7%	★★★☆☆
2016	52.9	549 of 1294	57.6%	★★★☆☆
2015	59.9	420 of 1302	67.7%	★★★☆☆
2014	56.7	577 of 1322	56.4%	★★★☆☆
2013	50.8	686 of 1367	49.8%	★★☆☆☆
2012	75.6	301 of 1365	77.9%	★★★★☆
2011	64.5	542 of 1344	59.7%	★★★☆☆
2010	66.5	493 of 1327	62.8%	★★★☆☆
2009	58.7	635 of 1318	51.8%	★★★☆☆
2008	76.0	284 of 1293	78.0%	★★★★☆
2007	61.6	576 of 1287	55.2%	★★★☆☆
2006	53.2	702 of 1272	44.8%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	30.4	422 of 574	26.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	22.6	483 of 548	11.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	21.4	524 of 569	7.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	30.8	423 of 573	26.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2023	39.8	352 of 674	47.8%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	29.5	876 of 1248	29.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	18.1	1056 of 1251	15.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	15.0	1143 of 1275	10.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	18.2	1089 of 1286	15.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	10.7	984 of 1017	3.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	62.4	430 of 1276	66.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	49.4	599 of 1226	51.1%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	23.9	989 of 1229	19.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	14.9	1154 of 1219	5.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	13.2	1199 of 1234	2.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	25.4	978 of 1221	19.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	40.3	726 of 1217	40.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	40.3	689 of 1161	40.7%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	26.2	912 of 1271	28.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	19.0	1061 of 1264	16.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	21.9	1029 of 1292	20.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	29.9	866 of 1286	32.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	62.4	417 of 1296	67.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	57.3	452 of 1223	63.0%	★★★☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	10.5	189 of 204	7.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	15.9	159 of 184	13.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	17.7	164 of 194	15.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2023	32.1	521 of 805	35.3%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	35.6	589 of 884	33.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	13.3	796 of 875	9.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	9.2	861 of 895	3.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	17.8	788 of 898	12.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	12.3	765 of 813	5.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	62.9	303 of 905	66.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	44.4	485 of 889	45.4%	★★☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Elementary school

Disabled (2023)39th percentile+12 vs school

Female (2025)35th percentile+9 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)25th percentile~ school

White (2025)23rd percentile-3 vs school

Special Education (2025)22nd percentile-4 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)19th percentile-7 vs school

Male (2025)17th percentile-9 vs school

African American (2025)8th percentile-18 vs school

Middle school

Disabled (2023)48th percentile+37 vs school

Special Education (2023)35th percentile+24 vs school

White (2025)33rd percentile+4 vs school

Female (2025)30th percentile~ school

Male (2025)28th percentile~ school

African American (2025)26th percentile-3 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)20th percentile-10 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)7th percentile-22 vs school

By subject vs Illinois (2024-2025) ?

Science38%-5 vs state

English Language Arts36%-17 vs state

Mathematics15%-24 vs state

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate Montessori Academy for Peace and help other families decide.

Rate Montessori Academy for Peace

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near Montessori Academy for Peace

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Immunizations Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				ISA Science (2025)		IAR English Language Arts (2025)							IAR Mathematics (2025)							% Polio (2024)	% Measles (2024)	% Mumps (2024)	% Rubella (2024)	% Hepatitis B (2024)	% Varicella (2024)	% DTP (2024)	% Pneumococcal (2024)	% Meningococcal (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	ISA Science 5th Grade	ISA Science 8th Grade	IAR English Language Arts 3rd Grade	IAR English Language Arts 4th Grade	IAR English Language Arts 5th Grade	IAR English Language Arts 6th Grade	IAR English Language Arts 7th Grade	IAR English Language Arts 8th Grade	IAR English Language Arts All Grades	IAR Mathematics 3rd Grade	IAR Mathematics 4th Grade	IAR Mathematics 5th Grade	IAR Mathematics 6th Grade	IAR Mathematics 7th Grade	IAR Mathematics 8th Grade	IAR Mathematics All Grades	% Polio All Grades	% Measles All Grades	% Mumps All Grades	% Rubella All Grades	% Hepatitis B All Grades	% Varicella All Grades	% DTP All Grades	% Pneumococcal All Grades	% Meningococcal All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Montessori Academy for Peace	Public	PK, KG-8	4735 E Cantrell St	Decatur	62521	Macon County	Decatur School District 61	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(217) 362-3390	586	40	14.6	52.9%	271 (46.2%)	186 (31.7%)	8 (1.4%)	4 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	116 (19.8%)	26.6	1521^st of 2056 public elementary schools	26.0%		25.1	1541^st of 2067 public elementary schools	25.4%	20	38.1	38.8	15.4	35.2	44.4	45.7	34.6	38.8	35.8	17.3	14.8	19.0	13.0	13.5	8.2	14.6	97.5	97.5	97.5	97.5	98.1	97.4	97.7	13.4	25.3	$18,865	$2,231	$16,634
Michael E Baum Elementary School	Public	K-6	801 S Lake Ridge Ave	Decatur	62521	Macon County	Decatur School District 61	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(217) 362-3521	313	17	18.4	86.6%	100 (31.9%)	129 (41.2%)	13 (4.2%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	68 (21.7%)	14.7	1792^nd of 2056 public elementary schools	12.8%		13.7	1903^rd of 2067 public elementary schools	7.9%	111	16.2		17.0	25.6	21.6	32.4			23.6	13.3	25.6	5.7	8.8			13.7	96.9	97.2	97.2	97.2	98.8	97.2	96.9		10.2	$17,892	$2,273	$15,619
Muffley Elementary School	Public	K-6	88 S Country Club Rd	Decatur	62521	Macon County	Decatur School District 61	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(217) 362-3341	386	22	17.5	84.5%	130 (33.7%)	188 (48.7%)	17 (4.4%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	49 (12.7%)	8.9	1974^th of 2056 public elementary schools	4.0%		11.9	1978^th of 2067 public elementary schools	4.3%	4	15.5		15.3	14.0	10.3	23.5			15.6	13.6	6.0	1.7	6.0			6.9	99.2	99.2	99.2	99.2	100.0	99.2	98.7		8.1	$17,847	$2,601	$15,246
Robertson Charter School	Public, Charter	PK, KG-8	2240 E Geddes Ave	Decatur	62526	Macon County	Decatur School District 61	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(217) 428-7072	327	11	29.7	63.9%	4 (1.2%)	292 (89.3%)	3 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (8.0%)	12.4	1862^nd of 2056 public elementary schools	9.4%		20.9	1657^th of 2067 public elementary schools	19.8%	205	7.1	21.6	24.0	21.4	35.7	27.6	30.8	42.1	31.0	8.0	3.6	10.7	3.4	2.6	7.9	5.9										$20,000	$1,381	$18,619
Johns Hill Magnet School	Public	K-8	1025 E Johns Ave	Decatur	62521	Macon County	Decatur School District 61	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(217) 362-3350	627	41	15.2	79.7%	97 (15.5%)	248 (39.6%)	190 (30.3%)	22 (3.5%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	68 (10.8%)	13.3	1838^th of 2056 public elementary schools	10.6%		15.6	1825^th of 2067 public elementary schools	11.7%	13	18.8	22.4	20.3	19.0	17.2	23.5	24.2	17.9	20.4	15.6	17.5	7.8	13.2	19.4	3.0	12.6	95.5	95.3	95.3	95.3	96.7	95.5	95.6		31.4	$18,151	$2,446	$15,705
Hope Academy	Public	K-8	955 N Illinois St	Decatur	62521	Macon County	Decatur School District 61	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(217) 362-3280	501	36	13.9	93.8%	98 (19.6%)	320 (63.9%)	17 (3.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	66 (13.2%)	4.3	2056^th of 2056 public elementary schools	0.0%		7.9	2067^th of 2067 public elementary schools	0.0%	11	2.0	12.2	0.0	9.8	2.0	3.9	0.0	4.8	3.1	3.6	4.9	0.0	0.0	0.0	2.4	1.7	97.7	98.1	98.1	98.1	99.8	97.9	98.1		23.7	$18,499	$2,201	$16,298
McGaughey Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-1	1320 W Main St	Mount Zion	62549	Macon County	Mt Zion CUSD 3	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(217) 864-2711	371	22	17.1	38.8%	336 (90.6%)	5 (1.3%)	11 (3.0%)	5 (1.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (3.5%)								(n/a)																	98.1	98.1	98.1	98.1	98.1	98.1	98.1	15.3		$12,195	$1,041	$11,154
South Shores Elementary School	Public	K-6	2500 S Franklin Street Rd	Decatur	62521	Macon County	Decatur School District 61	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(217) 362-3321	335	18	18.4	87.2%	88 (26.3%)	171 (51.0%)	12 (3.6%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	61 (18.2%)	6.2	2034^th of 2056 public elementary schools	1.1%		9.7	2044^th of 2067 public elementary schools	1.1%	10	7.1		12.5	13.2	2.4	17.0			11.4	8.3	5.3	2.4	0.0			4.0	95.6	95.9	95.9	95.9	97.8	95.9	95.9		10.4	$17,564	$2,789	$14,774
Mt Zion Elementary School	Public	2-3	725 W Main St	Mount Zion	62549	Macon County	Mt Zion CUSD 3	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(217) 864-3631	359	23	15.5	30.1%	322 (89.7%)	5 (1.4%)	7 (1.9%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (6.4%)								(n/a)			55.7						55.7	63.2						63.2	98.9	98.9	98.9	98.9	98.9	98.9	98.9			$11,054	$1,067	$9,987
Dennis Lab School	Public	K-8	300 Meadow Terrace Pl	Decatur	62521	Macon County	Decatur School District 61	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(217) 362-3511	579	35	16.5	84.6%	164 (28.3%)	289 (49.9%)	43 (7.4%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	81 (14.0%)	7.7	2008^th of 2056 public elementary schools	2.3%		11.8	1980^th of 2067 public elementary schools	4.2%	28	17.9	17.4	16.0	7.4	14.5	6.1	17.2	4.3	10.6	7.8	1.9	5.4	4.6	9.4	2.9	5.3	91.9	94.2	94.2	94.2	98.9	94.0	94.0		27.6	$16,353	$1,930	$14,423

Frequently Asked Questions about Montessori Academy for Peace

Is Montessori Academy for Peace a good school?

Montessori Academy for Peace ranks 1521^st of 2056 Illinois elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

How many students attend Montessori Academy for Peace?

In the 2024-25 school year, 586 students attended Montessori Academy for Peace.

What district is Montessori Academy for Peace in?

Decatur School District 61

What is the racial makeup of Montessori Academy for Peace?

Students at Montessori Academy for Peace are 46% White, 32% African American, 20% Two or more races, 1% Hispanic.

Rate Montessori Academy for Peace!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

ILIllinois Elementary School Rankings

ILIllinois District Rankings

Schools in Decatur, IL

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Montessori Academy for Peace!

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau, the Illinois Department of Public Health and the Illinois State Board of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.