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Chester High School

Summary:

Chester High School is a public high school serving 323 students in grades 9-12 in Chester, Illinois. The school is part of the Chester CUSD 139 school district, which is ranked 531 out of 813 districts in Illinois and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Chester High School has several notable strengths, including consistently high four-year graduation rates ranging from 88.0% to 92.0% over the past five years, which is higher than the 78.2% rate at nearby Sparta High School. However, the school's test scores, particularly in SAT/English Language Arts, have been relatively low, with only 19% of 11th-grade students proficient or better compared to the state average of 31.1%. Additionally, Chester High School has experienced a significant increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 8.9% in 2019-2020 to 19.8% in the most recent year, which is higher than the nearby Trico Senior High School (25.9%) and Steeleville High School (20.1%).

While Chester High School performs relatively well for special education students, it struggles with low-socioeconomic status students, ranking in the bottom half of Illinois high schools in this category. The school's spending per student has increased over the years, reaching $13,944 in the most recent year, which is higher than the nearby Sparta High School ($15,629) and Steeleville High School ($13,119), suggesting a focus on investing resources in its students. Additionally, Chester High School maintains a relatively low student-teacher ratio, ranging from 13.3 to 13.4 in recent years, comparable to the nearby schools.


Detail:

Public 9-12

 1901 Swanwick St
       Chester, IL  62233-1128

(618) 826-2302

District: Chester CUSD 139

SchoolDigger Rank:
439th of 697 Illinois High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $13,709 Help


Feeder schools for Chester High School:

Elementary:    Chester Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio:  13.4 Help
Number of students:  323

Racial breakdown:

White:
87.3%
Hispanic:
6.8%
Two or more races:
4.3%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  39.9% Help


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Performance Trends
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Compare Details Chester High School ranks worse than 63% of high schools in Illinois. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 34.23. (See more...)
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The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Chester High School who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.
Help
The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.
Help
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
Teachers
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at Chester High School is $13,709.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Chester High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Chester High School 439th of 697 Illinois public high schools. (See Chester High School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
White students:


Chester CUSD 139:

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


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Rank History for Chester High School

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Rank History for all students at Chester High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2003 39.52 420th 586 28.3%
2004 66.59 204th 592 65.5%
2005 41.59 404th 590 31.5%
2006 47.98 361st 596 39.4%
2007 42.03 402nd 612 34.3%
2008 42.56 418th 624 33.0%
2009 45.58 395th 632 37.5%
2010 58.44 304th 643 52.7%
2011 43.18 418th 655 36.2%
2012 33.40 497th 665 25.3%
2013 67.60 230th 670 65.7%
2014 53.42 339th 670 49.4%
2015 32.59 407th 614 33.7%
2016 43.80 359th 643 44.2%
2017 47.91 332nd 642 48.3%
2018 34.77 441st 647 31.8%
2019 38.79 439th 701 37.4%
2021 23.44 519th 688 24.6%
2022 33.74 467th 699 33.2%
2023 42.65 404th 699 42.2%
2024 34.23 439th 697 37.0%
See the entire list of Illinois High School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Chester High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 65.30 89th 453 80.4%
2022 31.21 286th 493 42.0%
2023 42.70 204th 476 57.1%
See the entire list of Best Illinois High Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Chester High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 32.36 430th 585 26.5%
2019 23.62 510th 639 20.2%
2021 29.81 444th 611 27.3%
2022 19.10 538th 626 14.1%
2023 24.50 508th 644 21.1%
2024 26.80 471st 639 26.3%
See the entire list of Best Illinois High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Chester High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 33.30 429th 620 30.8%
2019 41.87 391st 665 41.2%
2021 30.91 424th 639 33.6%
2022 38.52 405th 658 38.4%
2023 42.50 384th 656 41.5%
2024 31.20 439th 664 33.9%
See the entire list of Best Illinois High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Chester High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 34.93 421st 619 32.0%
2019 33.68 455th 675 32.6%
2021 17.45 539th 653 17.5%
2022 29.98 465th 664 30.0%
2023 41.67 384th 668 42.5%
2024 36.37 398th 668 40.4%
See the entire list of Best Illinois High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for White students at Chester High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 19.56 475th 548 13.3%
2019 24.24 437th 552 20.8%
2021 14.99 502nd 553 9.2%
2022 18.53 485th 560 13.4%
2023 26.28 434th 557 22.1%
2024 18.51 472nd 554 14.8%
See the entire list of Best Illinois High 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.

Chester High School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 
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Data source: Illinois State Board of Education

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Enrollment information for Chester High School

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1989 385 2 1 n/a n/a n/a n/a 0 388
1990 381 3 n/a 1 n/a n/a n/a 0 385
1991 358 1 0 1 0 n/a n/a 0 360
1992 373 1 1 0 0 n/a n/a 0 375
1993 367 2 1 1 0 n/a n/a 0 371
1994 379 3 2 1 0 n/a n/a 0 385
1995 400 2 2 7 0 n/a n/a 0 411
1996 400 2 2 7 0 n/a n/a 0 411
1997 402 4 2 4 0 n/a n/a 0 412
1998 405 5 4 6 1 n/a n/a 0 421
1999 401 4 3 2 0 n/a n/a 0 410
2000 405 4 2 1 0 n/a n/a 0 412
2001 388 2 3 1 0 n/a n/a 0 394
2002 359 5 4 1 0 n/a n/a 0 369
2003 359 5 4 1 0 n/a n/a 0 369
2004 354 3 2 0 0 n/a n/a 0 359
2005 338 6 3 3 0 n/a n/a 0 350
2006 341 6 2 2 0 n/a n/a 0 351
2007 342 4 3 5 0 n/a n/a 0 354
2008 330 2 3 4 0 n/a n/a 6 345
2009 333 7 1 0 11 n/a n/a 5 357
2010 276 4 1 2 0 n/a n/a 7 290
2011 319 4 2 4 0 0 7 0 336
2012 324 6 1 4 0 0 8 0 343
2013 322 1 1 1 1 0 9 0 335
2014 305 8 1 3 0 0 10 0 327
2015 305 7 1 6 0 0 14 0 333
2016 271 7 0 3 0 0 13 0 294
2017 287 8 0 4 0 0 12 0 311
2018 305 6 0 9 0 0 9 0 329
2019 295 10 0 14 0 0 13 0 332
2020 314 12 0 17 1 0 10 0 354
2021 326 4 0 19 0 0 14 0 363
2022 292 2 1 24 0 0 17 0 336
2023 282 4 1 22 0 0 14 0 323

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 High School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1989 388 22.0 17.6 n/a
1990 385 21.0 18.3 n/a
1991 360 21.0 17.1 n/a
1992 375 21.7 17.2 n/a
1993 371 22.7 16.3 n/a
1994 385 23.0 16.7 n/a
1995 411 23.5 17.5 n/a
1996 411 23.5 17.5 n/a
1997 412 24.0 17.2 n/a
1998 421 25.0 16.8 n/a
1999 410 28.0 14.6 n/a
2000 412 29.5 14.0 n/a
2001 394 30.0 13.1 n/a
2002 369 31.0 11.9 21.1
2003 369 31.0 11.9 21.1
2004 359 28.0 12.8 22
2005 350 28.0 12.5 24.3
2006 351 28.0 12.5 25.1
2007 354 23.0 15.4 24
2008 345 23.0 15.0 27.7
2009 357 30.0 11.9 29.5
2010 290 29.0 10.0 43.5
2011 336 26.0 12.9 28.3
2012 343 24.0 14.2 30
2013 335 36.0 9.3 31
2014 327 23.0 14.2 36.7
2015 333 26.0 12.8 40.8
2016 294 27.0 10.8 37.1
2017 311 20.5 15.1 38.3
2018 329 23.5 14.0 36.5
2019 332 23.5 14.1 38.6
2020 354 23.0 15.3 39.3
2021 363 n/a n/a n/a
2022 336 25.2 13.3 41.1
2023 323 24.1 13.4 39.9

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 High School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1989 388 22.0 17.6 n/a
1990 385 21.0 18.3 n/a
1991 360 21.0 17.1 n/a
1992 375 21.7 17.2 n/a
1993 371 22.7 16.3 n/a
1994 385 23.0 16.7 n/a
1995 411 23.5 17.5 n/a
1996 411 23.5 17.5 n/a
1997 412 24.0 17.2 n/a
1998 421 25.0 16.8 n/a
1999 410 28.0 14.6 n/a
2000 412 29.5 14.0 n/a
2001 394 30.0 13.1 n/a
2002 369 31.0 11.9 21.1
2003 369 31.0 11.9 21.1
2004 359 28.0 12.8 22
2005 350 28.0 12.5 24.3
2006 351 28.0 12.5 25.1
2007 354 23.0 15.4 24
2008 345 23.0 15.0 27.7
2009 357 30.0 11.9 29.5
2010 290 29.0 10.0 43.5
2011 336 26.0 12.9 28.3
2012 343 24.0 14.2 30
2013 335 36.0 9.3 31
2014 327 23.0 14.2 36.7
2015 333 26.0 12.8 40.8
2016 294 27.0 10.8 37.1
2017 311 20.5 15.1 38.3
2018 329 23.5 14.0 36.5
2019 332 23.5 14.1 38.6
2020 354 23.0 15.3 39.3
2021 363 n/a n/a n/a
2022 336 25.2 13.3 41.1
2023 323 24.1 13.4 39.9

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

Chester High School

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Compare
YearPolioMeaslesMumpsRubellaHepatitis BVaricellaDTPMeningococcal
2015100.0%100.0%100.0%100.0%100.0%99.7%100.0%
2016100.0%100.0%100.0%100.0%100.0%100.0%25.4%
201799.7%99.7%99.7%99.7%100.0%99.7%99.7%20.8%
2018100.0%100.0%100.0%100.0%100.0%100.0%100.0%24.4%
2019100.0%100.0%100.0%100.0%100.0%100.0%100.0%45.2%
202199.7%99.7%99.7%99.7%99.7%99.7%99.7%97.8%
202299.7%99.7%99.7%99.7%99.7%99.7%99.7%98.7%
2023100.0%100.0%100.0%100.0%100.0%100.0%100.0%99.1%
202499.7%99.7%99.7%99.7%99.7%99.7%99.7%99.4%

Data source: Illinois State Board of Education
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Chester High School

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $750 (8.0%) $8,618 (92.0%) $9,368
2020 $746 (7.9%) $8,716 (92.1%) $9,462
2021 $573 (5.6%) $9,690 (94.4%) $10,262
2022 $573 (5.6%) $9,690 (94.4%) $10,262
2023 $1,773 (12.7%) $12,170 (87.3%) $13,944
2024 $00 (0.0%) $13,709 (100.0%) $13,709

Data source: Illinois Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Chester High 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 439th of 701 High schoolsRanks 404th of 699 High schools
 4.8%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)		 % proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)		 Change (%)
11th Grade Mathematics (Chester High School)18.68.6
 10%
   11th Grade Mathematics (Chester CUSD 139)18.68.6
 10%
   11th Grade Mathematics (Illinois)34.826.7
 8.1%
11th Grade English Language Arts (Chester High School)30.219.8
 10.4%
   11th Grade English Language Arts (Chester CUSD 139)30.219.8
 10.4%
   11th Grade English Language Arts (Illinois)36.731.6
 5.1%
End of Course Science (Chester High School)20.653.8
 33.2%
   End of Course Science (Chester CUSD 139)20.653.8
 33.2%
   End of Course Science (Illinois)36.452.2
 15.8%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)		 Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)		 Change (%)
Total Students332323
 2.7%
African American104
 60%
American Indian00
Asian01
Hispanic1422
 57.1%
Pacific Islander00
White295282
 4.4%
Two or More Races1314
 7.7%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients38.6%39.9%
 1.4%

Schools Near Chester High School








Frequently Asked Questions about Chester High School

In the 2022-23 school year, 323 students attended Chester High School.

Chester High School ranks 439th of 697 Illinois high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Chester High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Chester Elementary School

Students at Chester High School are 87% White, 7% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races, 1% African American.


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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.




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