Is Chester Elementary School a good school?

Chester Elementary School ranks 898 th of 2067 Illinois elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Chester Elementary School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 616 students attended Chester Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Chester Elementary School?

Students at Chester Elementary School are 81% White, 15% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of Chester Elementary School attend?

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

Chester Elementary School

Summary:

Chester Elementary School is a public elementary school serving 616 students in grades PK-8 in Chester, Illinois, which is part of the Chester CUSD 139 district. The school's academic performance, as measured by proficiency rates on state assessments, is generally below the state averages across all grades and subjects, with a 42.2% proficiency rate in English Language Arts and a 19.3% proficiency rate in Mathematics, compared to state averages of 41.2% and 28.4%, respectively.

Chester Elementary School has a relatively high percentage of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, with 61.04% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. The school's student population is predominantly White, with 63.8% of students identifying as White, and a significant Hispanic population at 22.4%. Compared to nearby schools, Chester Elementary School has a higher percentage of low-income students, with the other schools ranging from 25.86% to 69.52% free or reduced-price lunch recipients. Additionally, the school has experienced a significant increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 11.4% in the 2019-2020 school year to 22.1% in the 2023-2024 school year, which is higher than the state average and the rates of the nearby schools.

Despite generally outperforming some nearby schools, such as Chester Elementary School and Sparta Lincoln School, Chester Elementary School lags behind the higher-performing Prairie Du Rocher Elementary School, which has higher proficiency rates in both English Language Arts and Mathematics. The school has consistently been ranked in the bottom half of Illinois elementary schools by SchoolDigger, with a 3-out-of-5-star rating, indicating average performance compared to other Illinois elementary schools.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-8

650 Opdyke St
Chester, IL 62233-1419

(618) 826-2354

District: Chester CUSD 139

SchoolDigger Rank:
898^th of 2,067 Illinois Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $12,588

Students who attend Chester Elementary School usually attend:

High:

Chester High School

Student/teacher ratio: 13.7

Number of students: 616

Racial breakdown:

White:

81.5%

Hispanic:

15.1%

Two or more races:

2.6%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 61%

See top rated Illinois elementary schools

Compare Chester Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Chester Elementary School ranks better than 56.6% of elementary schools in Illinois. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 51.73. (See more...)

Compare Details Chester Elementary School ranks better than 50.3% of middle schools in Illinois. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 44.47. (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

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Teachers

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Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Chester Elementary School is $12,588.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Chester Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Chester Elementary School 898^th of 2067 Illinois public elementary schools. (See Chester Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Disabled students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

SchoolDigger ranks Chester Elementary School 678^th of 1363 Illinois public middle schools. (See Chester Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Disabled students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Chester CUSD 139:

SchoolDigger ranks Chester CUSD 139 531^st of 813 Illinois school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Chester Elementary School

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Rank History for all elementary school students at Chester Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2003	58.09	1037^th	2020	48.7%
2004	46.61	1271^st	2030	37.4%
2005	41.73	1391^st	2022	31.2%
2006	43.69	1426^th	2086	31.6%
2007	42.51	1459^th	2095	30.4%
2008	45.29	1359^th	2092	35.0%
2009	56.29	1122^nd	2120	47.1%
2010	54.79	1172^nd	2139	45.2%
2011	35.83	1561^st	2147	27.3%
2012	37.87	1553^rd	2166	28.3%
2013	30.87	1574^th	2167	27.4%
2014	29.75	1542^nd	2093	26.3%
2015	34.32	1281^st	2052	37.6%
2016	38.94	1196^th	2046	41.5%
2017	38.16	1213^th	2044	40.7%
2018	39.65	1186^th	2037	41.8%
2019	42.44	1142^nd	2086	45.3%
2021	50.60	841^st	1948	56.8%
2022	50.51	924^th	2082	55.6%
2023	52.21	897^th	2077	56.8%
2024	51.73	898^th	2067	56.6%

See the entire list of Illinois Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for elementary school Special Education students at Chester Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	48.98	294^th	763	61.5%
2019	36.48	698^th	1194	41.5%
2021	43.77	318^th	640	50.3%
2024	24.01	972^nd	1195	18.7%

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

Rank History for elementary school Low Socio Economic Status students at Chester Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	45.18	922^nd	1765	47.8%
2019	55.40	668^th	1816	63.2%
2021	64.02	350^th	1514	76.9%
2022	53.21	701^st	1763	60.2%
2023	68.47	375^th	1808	79.3%
2024	60.48	536^th	1793	70.1%

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

Rank History for elementary school Female students at Chester Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	40.90	1117^th	1964	43.1%
2019	47.39	1011^th	2019	49.9%
2021	43.34	864^th	1680	48.6%
2022	51.26	847^th	1970	57.0%
2023	51.96	843^rd	1957	56.9%
2024	50.04	873^rd	1942	55.0%

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

Rank History for elementary school Disabled students at Chester Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	29.02	651^st	886	26.5%

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

Rank History for elementary school Male students at Chester Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	39.66	1124^th	1972	43.0%
2019	40.76	1136^th	2019	43.7%
2021	53.93	656^th	1707	61.6%
2022	48.48	909^th	1977	54.0%
2023	52.72	840^th	1984	57.7%
2024	54.23	788^th	1959	59.8%

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

Rank History for elementary school Hispanic students at Chester Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2021	52.82	253^rd	742	65.9%
2022	16.32	919^th	954	3.7%
2023	32.38	666^th	970	31.3%
2024	54.91	333^rd	959	65.3%

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

Rank History for elementary school White students at Chester Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	26.48	1135^th	1463	22.4%
2019	28.49	1100^th	1462	24.8%
2021	38.32	822^nd	1308	37.2%
2022	35.01	968^th	1425	32.1%
2023	36.47	950^th	1419	33.1%
2024	34.13	963^rd	1392	30.8%

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 Chester Elementary School

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Rank History for all middle school students at Chester Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2003	48.52	691^st	1185	41.7%
2004	53.86	652^nd	1204	45.8%
2005	63.04	535^th	1209	55.7%
2006	62.28	536^th	1272	57.9%
2007	62.19	566^th	1287	56.0%
2008	67.00	474^th	1293	63.3%
2009	71.79	377^th	1318	71.4%
2010	71.15	402^nd	1327	69.7%
2011	57.34	666^th	1344	50.4%
2012	54.60	718^th	1365	47.4%
2013	51.99	668^th	1367	51.1%
2014	51.62	663^rd	1322	49.8%
2015	55.54	480^th	1302	63.1%
2016	55.91	492^nd	1294	62.0%
2017	52.20	554^th	1293	57.2%
2018	50.70	595^th	1293	54.0%
2019	54.34	561^st	1356	58.6%
2021	48.88	533^rd	1241	57.1%
2022	56.20	498^th	1369	63.6%
2023	52.59	558^th	1367	59.2%
2024	44.47	678^th	1363	50.3%

See the entire list of Illinois Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for middle school Special Education students at Chester Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	57.92	158^th	602	73.8%
2019	52.99	234^th	792	70.5%
2021	37.45	309^th	548	43.6%
2022	26.83	734^th	781	6.0%
2024	30.35	541^st	802	32.5%

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

Rank History for middle school Low Socio Economic Status students at Chester Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	59.28	374^th	1161	67.8%
2019	57.28	425^th	1217	65.1%
2021	58.88	291^st	1019	71.4%
2022	64.94	291^st	1221	76.2%
2023	68.33	264^th	1234	78.6%
2024	45.58	597^th	1219	51.0%

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

Rank History for middle school Female students at Chester Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	49.43	598^th	1226	51.2%
2019	55.87	508^th	1276	60.2%
2021	45.24	505^th	1017	50.3%
2022	56.29	450^th	1286	65.0%
2023	44.26	651^st	1275	48.9%
2024	47.73	585^th	1251	53.2%

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

Rank History for middle school Disabled students at Chester Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	40.16	321^st	639	49.8%

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

Rank History for middle school Male students at Chester Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	50.82	540^th	1223	55.8%
2019	51.54	556^th	1296	57.1%
2021	48.95	449^th	1048	57.2%
2022	54.54	492^nd	1286	61.7%
2023	60.94	397^th	1292	69.3%
2024	40.52	672^nd	1264	46.8%

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

Rank History for middle school Hispanic students at Chester Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	32.38	454^th	661	31.3%
2024	25.27	516^th	643	19.8%

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

Rank History for middle school White students at Chester Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	36.94	573^rd	889	35.5%
2019	39.73	553^rd	905	38.9%
2021	34.44	527^th	813	35.2%
2022	42.16	498^th	898	44.5%
2023	37.76	557^th	895	37.8%
2024	30.50	621^st	875	29.0%

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 Chester Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1989	620	6	1	n/a	5	n/a	n/a	0	632
1990	641	6	3	6	n/a	n/a	n/a	0	656
1991	674	7	1	5	4	n/a	n/a	0	691
1992	657	8	2	1	3	n/a	n/a	0	671
1993	650	7	1	2	3	n/a	n/a	0	663
1994	699	8	1	4	3	n/a	n/a	0	715
1995	729	9	1	9	2	n/a	n/a	0	750
1996	729	9	1	9	2	n/a	n/a	0	750
1997	735	5	1	6	2	n/a	n/a	0	749
1998	682	6	1	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	691
1999	658	7	1	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	667
2000	648	8	1	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	658
2001	671	10	1	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	683
2002	686	16	1	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	705
2003	686	16	1	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	705
2004	688	11	1	8	1	n/a	n/a	0	709
2005	654	13	0	6	2	n/a	n/a	0	675
2006	653	9	2	12	4	n/a	n/a	0	680
2007	633	12	0	12	4	n/a	n/a	0	661
2008	601	17	1	9	4	n/a	n/a	2	634
2009	625	23	1	11	2	n/a	n/a	2	664
2010	608	25	1	15	1	n/a	n/a	6	656
2011	602	18	2	15	2	1	17	0	657
2012	576	14	2	15	0	0	18	0	625
2013	588	18	0	23	0	1	20	0	650
2014	585	24	1	33	0	1	5	0	649
2015	563	25	1	36	0	1	3	0	629
2016	553	11	3	35	0	1	20	0	623
2017	566	6	3	47	0	1	21	0	644
2018	562	5	1	55	0	1	25	0	649
2019	566	8	1	62	0	1	22	0	660
2020	553	6	2	71	0	0	26	0	658
2021	497	4	2	83	0	0	21	0	607
2022	498	5	1	92	0	0	17	0	613
2023	502	4	1	93	0	0	16	0	616

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 Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	632	31.6	20.0	n/a
1990	656	33.0	19.8	n/a
1991	691	34.9	19.7	n/a
1992	671	35.0	19.1	n/a
1993	663	33.0	20.1	n/a
1994	715	36.0	19.9	n/a
1995	750	37.0	20.3	n/a
1996	750	37.0	20.3	n/a
1997	749	39.0	19.2	n/a
1998	691	42.0	16.5	n/a
1999	667	44.0	15.2	n/a
2000	658	44.0	15.0	n/a
2001	683	45.0	15.2	n/a
2002	705	44.8	15.7	41.6
2003	705	44.8	15.7	41.6
2004	709	44.6	15.9	43
2005	675	44.8	15.1	44.6
2006	680	45.8	14.8	43.8
2007	661	39.0	16.9	44
2008	634	33.0	19.2	51.7
2009	664	42.0	15.8	48.2
2010	656	44.0	14.9	52.2
2011	657	43.0	15.2	48.2
2012	625	43.0	14.5	46.6
2013	650	66.0	9.8	48.8
2014	649	38.9	16.6	54.4
2015	629	43.0	14.6	63
2016	623	41.0	15.1	61
2017	644	40.4	15.9	51.4
2018	649	40.3	16.1	56.7
2019	660	39.2	16.8	54.8
2020	658	43.2	15.2	56.7
2021	607	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	613	41.2	14.8	59.1
2023	616	44.7	13.7	61

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 Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	632	31.6	20.0	n/a
1990	656	33.0	19.8	n/a
1991	691	34.9	19.7	n/a
1992	671	35.0	19.1	n/a
1993	663	33.0	20.1	n/a
1994	715	36.0	19.9	n/a
1995	750	37.0	20.3	n/a
1996	750	37.0	20.3	n/a
1997	749	39.0	19.2	n/a
1998	691	42.0	16.5	n/a
1999	667	44.0	15.2	n/a
2000	658	44.0	15.0	n/a
2001	683	45.0	15.2	n/a
2002	705	44.8	15.7	41.6
2003	705	44.8	15.7	41.6
2004	709	44.6	15.9	43
2005	675	44.8	15.1	44.6
2006	680	45.8	14.8	43.8
2007	661	39.0	16.9	44
2008	634	33.0	19.2	51.7
2009	664	42.0	15.8	48.2
2010	656	44.0	14.9	52.2
2011	657	43.0	15.2	48.2
2012	625	43.0	14.5	46.6
2013	650	66.0	9.8	48.8
2014	649	38.9	16.6	54.4
2015	629	43.0	14.6	63
2016	623	41.0	15.1	61
2017	644	40.4	15.9	51.4
2018	649	40.3	16.1	56.7
2019	660	39.2	16.8	54.8
2020	658	43.2	15.2	56.7
2021	607	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	613	41.2	14.8	59.1
2023	616	44.7	13.7	61

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.

Immunization Rates