Chester Shell Elementary School

Summary:

Chester Shell Elementary School is a public elementary school in Hawthorne, Florida, serving 355 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the Alachua District, which is ranked 43 out of 68 districts in the state and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Chester Shell Elementary faces several challenges, including a significant increase in chronic absenteeism, from 21.0% in 2019-2020 to 53.3% in 2022-2023, which is much higher than the state and district averages. The school also consistently underperforms compared to the Alachua District and the state of Florida on standardized tests, with only 34% of 3rd-grade students proficient or better in FAST/English Language Arts in 2023-2024, compared to 56% in the district and 55% statewide. Additionally, the school has a very high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 79.21% to 81.97% over the past three school years, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage among the student population.

When comparing Chester Shell Elementary to nearby schools, such as Micanopy Area Cooperative School Inc. and Keystone Heights Elementary, it becomes clear that Chester Shell is underperforming. These nearby schools consistently outperform Chester Shell in test scores, and they have much lower rates of chronic absenteeism, such as 0.0% for Alachua Virtual Instruction Program (District Provided) and 21.1% for Micanopy Area Cooperative School Inc.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

21633 SE 65th Ave
Hawthorne, FL 32640

(352) 481-1901

District: Alachua

SchoolDigger Rank:
2058^th of 2,256 Florida Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $13,763

Students who attend Chester Shell Elementary School usually attend:

High:

Hawthorne Middle/High School

Student/teacher ratio: 14.1

Number of students: 355

Racial breakdown:

White:

50.4%

African American:

35.2%

Two or more races:

8.5%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 82%

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Compare Chester Shell Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Chester Shell Elementary School ranks worse than 91.2% of elementary schools in Florida. It also ranks 26^th among 28 ranked elementary schools in the Alachua School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 14.11. (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 Racial makeup is: White (50.4%), African American (35.2%), two or more races (8.5%). (See more...)

Compare Details 82% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Chester Shell Elementary School is 14.1, which is the 4^th best among 28 elementary schools in the Alachua School District. (See more...)

Compare Chester Shell Elementary School employs 25.1 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Chester Shell Elementary School is $13,763, which is the 3^rd highest among 28 elementary schools in the Alachua School District.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Chester Shell Elementary School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

Alachua:

SchoolDigger ranks Alachua 43^rd of 68 Florida school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Chester Shell Elementary School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	FL State Percentile
2005	23.00	179^th	202	11.4%
2006	24.80	1319^th	1688	21.9%
2007	14.21	1611^th	1786	9.8%
2008	11.36	1665^th	1789	6.9%
2009	6.21	1783^rd	1847	3.5%
2010	24.06	1552^nd	1919	19.1%
2011	8.45	1897^th	1985	4.4%
2012	8.34	1899^th	1984	4.3%
2013	17.53	1784^th	2029	12.1%
2014	22.86	1680^th	2064	18.6%
2016	29.02	1536^th	2087	26.4%
2017	58.45	859^th	2112	59.3%
2018	40.88	1272^nd	2118	39.9%
2019	23.01	1760^th	2182	19.3%
2021	11.51	2082^nd	2247	7.3%
2022	11.67	2067^th	2219	6.8%
2023	13.76	2060^th	2240	8.0%
2024	14.11	2058^th	2256	8.8%

See the entire list of Florida Elementary School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: Florida Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Data source: Florida Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Chester Shell Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	265	176	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	441
1989	268	173	0	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	443
1990	287	172	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	459
1991	278	159	0	6	0	n/a	n/a	0	443
1992	276	162	0	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	441
1993	259	161	0	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	423
1994	264	161	0	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	428
1995	254	152	0	5	0	n/a	n/a	0	411
1996	254	152	0	5	0	n/a	n/a	0	411
1997	231	154	0	6	0	n/a	n/a	0	391
1998	253	162	0	6	0	n/a	n/a	0	421
1999	228	152	0	6	0	n/a	n/a	0	386
2000	220	156	0	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	378
2001	207	139	0	5	1	n/a	n/a	0	352
2002	157	125	0	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	285
2003	157	125	0	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	285
2004	145	126	0	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	274
2005	192	126	0	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	322
2006	147	106	0	5	0	n/a	n/a	0	258
2007	124	107	0	4	0	n/a	n/a	10	245
2008	103	98	4	2	0	n/a	n/a	6	213
2009	98	88	2	4	0	n/a	n/a	6	198
2010	94	80	2	6	0	n/a	n/a	11	193
2011	101	70	0	13	0	0	11	0	195
2012	99	88	0	11	0	1	4	0	203
2013	103	76	0	17	0	0	4	0	200
2014	102	73	0	16	0	0	3	0	194
2015	120	69	0	14	0	0	5	0	208
2016	166	104	0	18	1	0	19	0	308
2017	197	119	0	14	2	0	21	0	353
2018	207	123	0	15	2	0	14	0	361
2019	195	122	3	18	2	0	25	0	365
2020	185	128	3	20	2	0	27	0	365
2021	187	123	3	18	1	0	30	0	362
2022	193	129	1	17	1	0	39	0	380
2023	179	125	1	20	0	0	30	0	355

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 Chester Shell Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	441	24.0	18.3	57.4
1989	443	24.0	18.4	51.9
1990	459	23.0	19.9	58.2
1991	443	24.0	18.4	57.1
1992	441	23.0	19.1	55.8
1993	423	23.0	18.4	62.4
1994	428	23.0	18.6	65.2
1995	411	22.0	18.7	67.2
1996	411	22.0	18.7	67.2
1997	391	21.0	18.6	66.5
1998	421	24.0	17.5	68.2
1999	386	24.0	16.1	76.9
2000	378	24.0	15.8	77.5
2001	352	23.0	15.3	79.8
2002	285	20.0	14.3	85.6
2003	285	20.0	14.3	85.6
2004	274	19.0	14.4	85
2005	322	22.0	14.6	87
2006	258	17.0	15.2	85.3
2007	245	16.0	15.3	90.6
2008	213	14.0	15.2	88.4
2009	198	17.9	13.2	93.8
2010	193	16.0	12.0	95.6
2011	195	15.9	12.2	85.1
2012	203	15.0	13.5	79.8
2013	200	15.0	13.3	80.5
2014	194	16.0	12.1	83
2015	208	15.0	13.8	66.3
2016	308	23.0	13.3	73.4
2017	353	25.0	14.1	75.1
2018	361	27.0	13.3	83.1
2019	365	23.1	15.8	75.1
2020	365	25.0	14.6	81.1
2021	362	27.5	13.1	81.2
2022	380	26.5	14.3	79.2
2023	355	25.1	14.1	82

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 Chester Shell Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	441	24.0	18.3	57.4
1989	443	24.0	18.4	51.9
1990	459	23.0	19.9	58.2
1991	443	24.0	18.4	57.1
1992	441	23.0	19.1	55.8
1993	423	23.0	18.4	62.4
1994	428	23.0	18.6	65.2
1995	411	22.0	18.7	67.2
1996	411	22.0	18.7	67.2
1997	391	21.0	18.6	66.5
1998	421	24.0	17.5	68.2
1999	386	24.0	16.1	76.9
2000	378	24.0	15.8	77.5
2001	352	23.0	15.3	79.8
2002	285	20.0	14.3	85.6
2003	285	20.0	14.3	85.6
2004	274	19.0	14.4	85
2005	322	22.0	14.6	87
2006	258	17.0	15.2	85.3
2007	245	16.0	15.3	90.6
2008	213	14.0	15.2	88.4
2009	198	17.9	13.2	93.8
2010	193	16.0	12.0	95.6
2011	195	15.9	12.2	85.1
2012	203	15.0	13.5	79.8
2013	200	15.0	13.3	80.5
2014	194	16.0	12.1	83
2015	208	15.0	13.8	66.3
2016	308	23.0	13.3	73.4
2017	353	25.0	14.1	75.1
2018	361	27.0	13.3	83.1
2019	365	23.1	15.8	75.1
2020	365	25.0	14.6	81.1
2021	362	27.5	13.1	81.2
2022	380	26.5	14.3	79.2
2023	355	25.1	14.1	82

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.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Chester Shell Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2018	$1,047 (10.4%)	$9,026 (89.6%)	$10,073
2019	$1,238 (11.4%)	$9,636 (88.6%)	$10,874
2020	$1,562 (14.6%)	$9,153 (85.4%)	$10,715
2021	$2,595 (21.4%)	$9,557 (78.6%)	$12,152
2022	$2,419 (19.2%)	$10,204 (80.8%)	$12,623
2023	$3,642 (26.5%)	$10,121 (73.5%)	$13,763

Data source: Florida Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Chester Shell Elementary School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 1760^th of 2182 Elementary schools	Ranks 2060^th of 2240 Elementary schools	11.3%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Chester Shell Elementary School)	58	33	25%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Alachua)	57	50	7%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	58	53	5%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Chester Shell Elementary School)	56	39	17%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Alachua)	58	52	6%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Florida)	62	58	4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Chester Shell Elementary School)	38	29	9%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Alachua)	55	55
4th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	58	57	1%
4th Grade Mathematics (Chester Shell Elementary School)	21	35	14%
4th Grade Mathematics (Alachua)	60	58	2%
4th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	64	61	3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Chester Shell Elementary School)	34	17	17%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Alachua)	55	51	4%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	56	55	1%
5th Grade Mathematics (Chester Shell Elementary School)	41	26	15%
5th Grade Mathematics (Alachua)	57	48	9%
5th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	60	52	8%
5th Grade Science (Chester Shell Elementary School)	34	31	3%
5th Grade Science (Alachua)	55	51	4%
5th Grade Science (Florida)	53	51	2%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	365	355	2.7%
African American	122	125	2.5%
American Indian	2	0	100%
Asian	3	1	66.7%
Hispanic	18	20	11.1%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	195	179	8.2%
Two or More Races	25	30	20%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	75.1%	82%	6.9%

Schools Near Chester Shell Elementary School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				FAST English Language Arts (2024)				FAST Math (2024)				Statewide Science Science (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2023)
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 (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	FAST English Language Arts 3rd Grade	FAST English Language Arts 4th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 5th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 6th Grade	FAST Math 3rd Grade	FAST Math 4th Grade	FAST Math 5th Grade	FAST Math 6th Grade	Statewide Science Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Chester Shell Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	21633 SE 65th Ave	Hawthorne	32640	Alachua County	Alachua	No	No	No	Yes	(352) 481-1901	355	25	14.1	82.0%	179 (50.4%)	125 (35.2%)	20 (5.6%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (8.5%)	14.1	2058^th of 2256 public elementary schools	8.8%		13.8	2060^th of 2240 public elementary schools	8.0%	2	34.0	25.0	28.0		33.0	26.0	37.0		46.0	$13,763	$3,642	$10,121
Ochwilla Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	299 N State Road 21	Hawthorne	32640	Alachua County	Putnam	No	No	No	Yes	(352) 481-0204	410	25	16.4	63.9%	235 (57.3%)	65 (15.9%)	67 (16.3%)	2 (0.5%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	39 (9.5%)	21.5	1868^th of 2256 public elementary schools	17.2%		31	1587^th of 2240 public elementary schools	29.2%	281	27.0	44.0	30.0	54.0	25.0	40.0	26.0	61.0	33.0	$12,993	$4,009	$8,984
Melrose Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	401 State Road 26	Melrose	32666	Putnam County	Putnam	No	No	No	Yes	(352) 475-2060	376	23	16.3	48.7%	285 (75.8%)	28 (7.4%)	31 (8.2%)	1 (0.3%)	5 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (6.9%)	73.8	551^st of 2256 public elementary schools	75.6%		68.5	653^rd of 2240 public elementary schools	70.8%	102	64.0	47.0	62.0	71.0	74.0	74.0	72.0	83.0	64.0	$13,810	$3,814	$9,996
Lake Forest Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4401 SE 4th Ave	Gainesville	32641	Alachua County	Alachua	No	No	No	Yes	(352) 955-6710	330	22	15.3	92.1%	34 (10.3%)	260 (78.8%)	18 (5.5%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (4.8%)	21.4	1870^th of 2256 public elementary schools	17.1%		8.9	2153^rd of 2240 public elementary schools	3.9%	283	35.0	46.0	35.0		33.0	38.0	41.0		41.0	$15,449	$3,674	$11,775
Robert H. Jenkins Junior Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	251 S State Road 315	Interlachen	32148	Putnam County	Putnam	No	No	No	Yes	(386) 684-2130	904	47	19.3	63.9%	662 (73.2%)	39 (4.3%)	156 (17.3%)	1 (0.1%)	5 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	41 (4.5%)	28.2	1678^th of 2256 public elementary schools	25.6%		34.1	1494^th of 2240 public elementary schools	33.3%	184	43.0	31.0	38.0	48.0	42.0	44.0	43.0	61.0	38.0	$10,209	$2,995	$7,214
Scholars For Success	Public	1-5	2802 NE 8th Ave	Gainesville	32641	Alachua County	Alachua	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(352) 955-7300	0				0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Alachua Virtual Instruction Program (District Provided)	Public, Virtual	PK, KG-5	2802 NE 8th Ave	Gainesville	32641	Alachua County	Alachua	No	No	Yes	No	(352) 955-7584	76	1	76.0	46.1%	29 (38.2%)	21 (27.6%)	17 (22.4%)	2 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.3%)	6 (7.9%)								(n/a)										$9,572	$787	$8,784
Idylwild Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4601 SW 20th Terrace	Gainesville	32608	Alachua County	Alachua	No	No	No	Yes	(352) 955-6709	533	29	18.7	77.9%	89 (16.7%)	271 (50.8%)	109 (20.5%)	18 (3.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	45 (8.4%)	18.6	1938^th of 2256 public elementary schools	14.1%		21.1	1870^th of 2240 public elementary schools	16.5%	68	36.0	32.0	43.0		43.0	35.0	41.0		36.0	$13,386	$3,003	$10,382
McIntosh Area School	Public, Charter	K-5	20400 10th St	Mc Intosh	32664	Marion County	Marion	Yes	No	No	Yes	(352) 591-9797	54	5	10.8	63.0%	45 (83.3%)	2 (3.7%)	4 (7.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (5.6%)								(n/a)										$15,479	$1,995	$13,483
Keystone Heights Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	335 SW Pecan St	Keystone Heights	32656	Clay County	Clay	No	No	No	No	(904) 336-1375	803	55	14.6	100.0%	699 (87.0%)	18 (2.2%)	50 (6.2%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.2%)	33 (4.1%)	56.3	939^th of 2256 public elementary schools	58.4%		57.1	911^th of 2240 public elementary schools	59.3%	28	55.0	45.0	59.0	48.0	70.0	58.0	50.0	78.0	57.0	$12,084	$1,597	$10,487

Frequently Asked Questions about Chester Shell Elementary School

How many students attend Chester Shell Elementary School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 355 students attended Chester Shell Elementary School.

What schools do graduates of Chester Shell Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Chester Shell Elementary School usually go on to attend:

High : Hawthorne Middle/High School

What district is Chester Shell Elementary School in?

Alachua

Is Chester Shell Elementary School a good school?

Chester Shell Elementary School ranks in the bottom 8.8% of Florida elementary schools.

What is the racial makeup of Chester Shell Elementary School?

Students at Chester Shell Elementary School are 50% White, 35% African American, 8% Two or more races, 6% Hispanic.

Rate Chester Shell Elementary School!

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Florida Department 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.