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

Hope Academy

Public Grades K-8
2056th
SchoolDigger Rank ?
of 2,056 Illinois Elementary Schools
Better than 0% of Illinois elementary schools
Summary

Hope Academy is a K-8 elementary school in Decatur, Illinois that is part of the Decatur School District 61, which is ranked 806 out of 811 school districts in the state. Despite being located near several higher-performing schools, Hope Academy has consistently ranked among the lowest-performing elementary schools in Illinois, with a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger for the past several years.

The school's academic performance is significantly below state and district averages across all grade levels and subject areas. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, only 3.1% of students at Hope Academy were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 16.6% in the Decatur School District and 53.1% statewide. The school also has extremely high rates of chronic absenteeism, ranging from 45.3% to 58.6% in recent years, which is much higher than the surrounding schools.

Despite the low academic performance, Hope Academy spends a relatively high amount per student, ranging from $15,570 to $20,116 in recent years. This raises questions about the effective use of resources and the need for more targeted interventions and support to address the complex needs of the school's student population, which includes a very high percentage of students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds.

501
Students ?
13.9
Student/teacher ratio ?
$18,499
Per pupil spending ?
93.8%
Free/discounted lunch ?
 955 N Illinois St
       Decatur, IL  62521-1427

(217) 362-3280

District: Decatur School District 61


Students who attend Hope Academy usually attend:

High:    Eisenhower High School
    MacArthur High School
Racial breakdown:

African American:
63.9%
White:
19.6%
Two or more races:
13.2%
more
 See top rated Illinois elementary schools

 Compare Hope Academy to nearby elementary schools!
At a glance
Ranking trend: Holding steady — <1st percentile in 2015 → <1st in 2025
Worth a look
!Test scores below the Illinois average (5% vs 44% meeting standards)
!In the lower quartile statewide (<1st percentile)
!High chronic absenteeism (59% vs 25% Illinois)
Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?
This school5%
District avg15%
Illinois avg44%
Elementary school
2,056th of 2,056
Illinois public elementary schools ?
Bottom 1%▬ steady since 2015
See the entire ranking list of Illinois Elementary Schools →
SchoolDigger rating ?
Middle school
1,365th of 1,368
Illinois public middle schools ?
Bottom 1%▼ down 1 pts since 2015
See the entire ranking list of Illinois Middle Schools →
SchoolDigger rating ?
11th of 11Elementary Schools in the Decatur School District 61
806th 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

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankIllinois percentileRating
20254.32056 of 20560.0%☆☆☆☆☆
20247.92067 of 20670.0%☆☆☆☆☆
20238.02075 of 20770.1%☆☆☆☆☆
20229.72077 of 20820.2%☆☆☆☆☆
202111.91914 of 19481.7%☆☆☆☆☆
20196.62080 of 20860.3%☆☆☆☆☆
20187.22028 of 20370.4%☆☆☆☆☆
20175.72042 of 20440.1%☆☆☆☆☆
20166.12044 of 20460.1%☆☆☆☆☆
20157.12047 of 20520.2%☆☆☆☆☆
20144.82054 of 20931.9%☆☆☆☆☆
20136.12105 of 21672.9%☆☆☆☆☆
20127.02074 of 21664.2%☆☆☆☆☆
201120.21834 of 214714.6%★☆☆☆☆
201022.71779 of 213916.8%★☆☆☆☆
200928.11673 of 212021.1%★☆☆☆☆
200826.81668 of 209220.3%★☆☆☆☆
200715.21865 of 209511.0%★☆☆☆☆
200612.81878 of 208610.0%★☆☆☆☆

African American

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankIllinois percentileRating
202511.1685 of 6880.4%☆☆☆☆☆
202416.6653 of 6550.3%☆☆☆☆☆
202317.8689 of 6920.4%☆☆☆☆☆
202222.3655 of 6844.2%☆☆☆☆☆
202125.9387 of 4289.6%☆☆☆☆☆
201915.6702 of 7111.3%☆☆☆☆☆
201819.1667 of 6984.4%☆☆☆☆☆

Disabled

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankIllinois percentileRating
202515.91023 of 10492.5%☆☆☆☆☆
202420.5811 of 8868.5%☆☆☆☆☆
202322.1800 of 90711.8%★☆☆☆☆

Female

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankIllinois percentileRating
20254.51938 of 19420.2%☆☆☆☆☆
20248.31940 of 19420.1%☆☆☆☆☆
20238.31955 of 19570.1%☆☆☆☆☆
202210.01957 of 19700.7%☆☆☆☆☆
202110.51656 of 16801.4%☆☆☆☆☆
20197.12005 of 20190.7%☆☆☆☆☆
20188.51929 of 19641.8%☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankIllinois percentileRating
20255.81799 of 18000.1%☆☆☆☆☆
202410.31793 of 17930.0%☆☆☆☆☆
202310.11807 of 18080.1%☆☆☆☆☆
202213.01755 of 17630.5%☆☆☆☆☆
202117.81454 of 15144.0%☆☆☆☆☆
20198.81812 of 18160.2%☆☆☆☆☆
20188.91759 of 17650.3%☆☆☆☆☆

Male

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankIllinois percentileRating
20255.11941 of 19470.3%☆☆☆☆☆
20248.51952 of 19590.4%☆☆☆☆☆
20238.81974 of 19840.5%☆☆☆☆☆
202210.81957 of 19771.0%☆☆☆☆☆
202112.71646 of 17073.6%☆☆☆☆☆
20197.02015 of 20190.2%☆☆☆☆☆
20187.31966 of 19720.3%☆☆☆☆☆

Multi-racial

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankIllinois percentileRating
20248.993 of 930.0%☆☆☆☆☆
20189.877 of 781.3%☆☆☆☆☆

Special Education

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankIllinois percentileRating
202511.51274 of 12921.4%☆☆☆☆☆
202415.91155 of 11953.3%☆☆☆☆☆
202318.31094 of 11565.4%☆☆☆☆☆
202221.61061 of 11134.7%☆☆☆☆☆
202119.3625 of 6402.3%☆☆☆☆☆
201831.2506 of 76333.7%★★☆☆☆

White

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankIllinois percentileRating
20252.21379 of 13890.7%☆☆☆☆☆
20243.21388 of 13920.3%☆☆☆☆☆
20216.71295 of 13081.0%☆☆☆☆☆
20191.61462 of 14620.0%☆☆☆☆☆
Middle school ranking
Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankIllinois percentileRating
20255.71365 of 13680.2%☆☆☆☆☆
20247.51363 of 13630.0%☆☆☆☆☆
20238.51362 of 13670.4%☆☆☆☆☆
202211.51338 of 13692.3%☆☆☆☆☆
202112.31185 of 12414.5%☆☆☆☆☆
20197.81343 of 13561.0%☆☆☆☆☆
20188.91267 of 12932.0%☆☆☆☆☆
20176.91289 of 12930.3%☆☆☆☆☆
20167.51282 of 12940.9%☆☆☆☆☆
20158.61280 of 13021.7%☆☆☆☆☆
20144.41297 of 13221.9%☆☆☆☆☆
20132.31354 of 13671.0%☆☆☆☆☆
20121.31357 of 13650.6%☆☆☆☆☆
201116.41185 of 134411.8%★☆☆☆☆
201010.31216 of 13278.4%☆☆☆☆☆
200916.71134 of 131814.0%★☆☆☆☆
20086.91213 of 12936.2%☆☆☆☆☆
200714.71116 of 128713.3%★☆☆☆☆
20067.91170 of 12728.0%☆☆☆☆☆

African American

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankIllinois percentileRating
202512.8568 of 5741.0%☆☆☆☆☆
202414.2546 of 5480.4%☆☆☆☆☆
202316.9565 of 5690.7%☆☆☆☆☆
202221.5551 of 5733.8%☆☆☆☆☆
202128.2315 of 38518.2%★☆☆☆☆
201917.5554 of 5651.9%☆☆☆☆☆
201819.2489 of 5114.3%☆☆☆☆☆

Disabled

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankIllinois percentileRating
202527.7527 of 69424.1%★☆☆☆☆
202421.9588 of 6398.0%☆☆☆☆☆

Female

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankIllinois percentileRating
20254.91246 of 12480.2%☆☆☆☆☆
20247.31250 of 12510.1%☆☆☆☆☆
20238.61261 of 12751.1%☆☆☆☆☆
202212.51219 of 12865.2%☆☆☆☆☆
202110.8982 of 10173.4%☆☆☆☆☆
20196.81267 of 12760.7%☆☆☆☆☆
20187.51206 of 12261.6%☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankIllinois percentileRating
20257.21226 of 12290.2%☆☆☆☆☆
20249.11218 of 12190.1%☆☆☆☆☆
202310.31230 of 12340.3%☆☆☆☆☆
202214.81186 of 12212.9%☆☆☆☆☆
202116.7970 of 10194.8%☆☆☆☆☆
201910.21199 of 12171.5%☆☆☆☆☆
201811.21136 of 11612.2%☆☆☆☆☆

Male

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankIllinois percentileRating
20258.41249 of 12711.7%☆☆☆☆☆
20248.61261 of 12640.2%☆☆☆☆☆
20239.41285 of 12920.5%☆☆☆☆☆
202211.61261 of 12861.9%☆☆☆☆☆
202112.51015 of 10483.1%☆☆☆☆☆
201910.41266 of 12962.3%☆☆☆☆☆
201811.31179 of 12233.6%☆☆☆☆☆

Special Education

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankIllinois percentileRating
202518.7730 of 81210.1%★☆☆☆☆
202415.9800 of 8020.2%☆☆☆☆☆

White

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankIllinois percentileRating
20252.6882 of 8840.2%☆☆☆☆☆
20242.8875 of 8750.0%☆☆☆☆☆
20188.1859 of 8893.4%☆☆☆☆☆
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 (2025)2nd percentile~ school
Special Education (2025)1st percentile~ school
White (2025)1st percentile~ school
African American (2025)<1st percentile~ school
Male (2025)<1st percentile~ school
Female (2025)<1st percentile~ school
Low Socio Economic Status (2025)<1st percentile~ school
Multi-racial (2024)<1st percentile~ school
Middle school
Disabled (2025)24th percentile+24 vs school
Special Education (2025)10th percentile+10 vs school
Male (2025)2nd percentile~ school
African American (2025)1st percentile~ school
Low Socio Economic Status (2025)<1st percentile~ school
White (2025)<1st percentile~ school
Female (2025)<1st percentile~ school
By subject vs Illinois (2024-2025) ?
Science7%-36 vs state
English Language Arts3%-50 vs state
Mathematics2%-37 vs state

No ratings yet
Be the first to rate Hope Academy and help other families decide.
Rate Hope Academy
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 Hope Academy









Frequently Asked Questions about Hope Academy

Students who attend Hope Academy usually go on to attend:

High : Eisenhower High School
High : MacArthur High School

Students at Hope Academy are 64% African American, 20% White, 13% Two or more races, 3% Hispanic.

In the 2024-25 school year, 501 students attended Hope Academy.

Hope Academy ranks in the bottom 0.0% of Illinois elementary schools.


Rate Hope Academy!



Sign up for updates!

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




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.





Diagnostics