Summary:
The city of Chester, California is home to two public schools - Chester Elementary and Chester Junior/Senior High, both part of the Plumas Unified school district. While Chester Junior/Senior High has seen a decline in its statewide ranking in recent years, it still maintains a 3-star rating, indicating above-average performance. In contrast, Chester Elementary has consistently ranked in the bottom half of California elementary schools, with mixed academic performance across grade levels.
A key concern across both schools is the extremely high chronic absenteeism rates, with Chester Elementary at 57.4% and Chester Junior/Senior High at 54.0% for the 2022-2023 school year. These rates are significantly higher than the district and state averages, suggesting a need to address the root causes of student absenteeism. Additionally, both schools have a high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a relatively high level of economic disadvantage among the student populations.
While Chester Junior/Senior High outperforms Chester Elementary in most subject areas, the school's declining statewide ranking, low graduation rate, and high dropout rate suggest underlying issues that need to be addressed. Similarly, the uneven performance at Chester Elementary, with some grade levels performing well above the district and state averages while others lag behind, points to potential inconsistencies in the quality of instruction or curriculum across grade levels. Addressing these challenges will likely require a comprehensive approach that considers the unique needs and circumstances of each school community.
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