Chester M. Stephens Elementary School

Summary:

Chester M. Stephens Elementary School is a public elementary school serving 708 students in grades PK-5 in Budd Lake, New Jersey, which is part of the Mount Olive Township School District. This diverse school has shown strong academic performance, with students outperforming state averages in both English Language Arts and Mathematics.

One key differentiator for Chester M. Stephens is its racial diversity, with a student population that is 43.5% White, 23.31% Hispanic, 21.89% Asian, and 6.78% African American. This diversity is higher compared to nearby schools in the same district, which have lower percentages of minority students. The school has also demonstrated particularly strong performance for certain student subgroups, such as African American and English Language Learner students, who have consistently ranked in the top quartile of New Jersey elementary schools.

While Chester M. Stephens is a strong-performing school, it has seen a significant increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 4.9% in 2020-2021 to 16.7% in 2021-2022. Additionally, the percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch has increased from 8.88% in 2020-2021 to 21.47% in 2022-2023, suggesting the school is serving a growing population of students from lower-income families. When compared to other elementary schools in the Mount Olive Township School District, Chester M. Stephens generally outperforms its peers in academic achievement, but its ranking and rating are not always the highest within the district.


Detail:

Public K-5

 99 Sunset Drive
       Budd Lake, NJ  07828


(973) 691-4002

District: Mount Olive Township School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
496th of 1,342 New Jersey Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $9,600 Help


Students who attend Chester M. Stephens Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:    Mount Olive Middle School
High:    Mount Olive High School

Student/teacher ratio:  10.4 Help
Number of students:  708

Racial breakdown:

White:
43.5%
Hispanic:
23.3%
Asian:
21.9%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  21.5% Help


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 Compare Chester M. Stephens Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Chester M. Stephens Elementary School ranks better than 63% of elementary schools in New Jersey. It also ranks last among 4 ranked elementary schools in the Mount Olive Township School District. (See more...)
Help
Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 63.77. (See more...)
Help
Chronic absenteeism in a high 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
Help
Compare Details Chester M. Stephens Elementary School has the largest elementary school student body size in the Mount Olive Township School District. Student population at Chester M. Stephens Elementary School is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (43.5%), Hispanic (23.3%), Asian (21.9%). (See more...)
Help
Compare Details 21.5% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Chester M. Stephens Elementary School is 10.4, which is the lowest among 4 elementary schools in the Mount Olive Township School District! (See more...)
Help
Compare Chester M. Stephens Elementary School employs 67.5 full-time teachers.
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at Chester M. Stephens Elementary School is $9,600. 2 elementary schools in the Mount Olive Township School District spend more per student.
Schooldigger 2023 Rankings:

Chester M. Stephens Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Chester M. Stephens Elementary School 496th of 1342 New Jersey public elementary schools. (See Chester M. Stephens Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


English Language Learner students:
Special Education students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
Asian students:
African American students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Mount Olive Township School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Mount Olive Township School District 192nd of 615 New Jersey school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Chester M. Stephens Elementary School

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Chester M. Stephens Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NJ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2003 63.55 551st 1204 54.2%
2004 47.63 850th 1298 34.5%
2005 52.31 789th 1303 39.4%
2006 61.27 681st 1314 48.2%
2007 57.53 753rd 1329 43.3%
2008 65.17 570th 1338 57.4%
2009 61.55 628th 1346 53.3%
2010 70.44 449th 1354 66.8%
2011 76.68 313th 1360 77.0%
2012 78.29 274th 1363 79.9%
2013 76.17 335th 1367 75.5%
2014 76.22 336th 1363 75.3%
2015 62.40 529th 1357 61.0%
2016 77.15 323rd 1346 76.0%
2017 72.62 417th 1352 69.2%
2018 74.61 376th 1353 72.2%
2019 66.73 493rd 1360 63.8%
2021 65.25 407th 1317 69.1%
2022 73.27 383rd 1345 71.5%
2023 63.77 496th 1342 63.0%
See the entire list of New Jersey Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Chester M. Stephens Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NJ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 84.76 54th 434 87.6%
2019 88.15 52nd 463 88.8%
2021 99.06 13th 411 96.8%
2023 76.46 94th 499 81.2%
See the entire list of Best New Jersey Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Chester M. Stephens Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NJ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 57.59 359th 1001 64.1%
2019 46.61 474th 1007 52.9%
2021 53.22 331st 868 61.9%
2022 57.96 323rd 949 66.0%
2023 43.80 457th 958 52.3%
See the entire list of Best New Jersey Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Chester M. Stephens Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NJ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 57.67 353rd 942 62.5%
2019 60.60 287th 948 69.7%
2021 62.55 203rd 839 75.8%
2022 81.72 96th 863 88.9%
2023 56.36 316th 910 65.3%
See the entire list of Best New Jersey Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Chester M. Stephens Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NJ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 72.62 386th 1333 71.0%
2019 65.12 506th 1331 62.0%
2021 66.33 380th 1290 70.5%
2022 74.14 354th 1326 73.3%
2023 62.19 505th 1318 61.7%
See the entire list of Best New Jersey Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Chester M. Stephens Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NJ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 72.43 386th 1334 71.1%
2019 66.59 465th 1335 65.2%
2021 62.79 418th 1297 67.8%
2022 70.54 385th 1324 70.9%
2023 64.65 463rd 1315 64.8%
See the entire list of Best New Jersey Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at Chester M. Stephens Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NJ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 60.68 151st 370 59.2%
2019 53.75 178th 370 51.9%
2021 45.95 195th 339 42.5%
2022 64.96 120th 348 65.5%
2023 52.16 179th 346 48.3%
See the entire list of Best New Jersey Elementary Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for African American students at Chester M. Stephens Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NJ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 97.61 11th 522 97.9%
2021 24.44 385th 456 15.6%
2022 78.27 77th 494 84.4%
2023 67.66 117th 463 74.7%
See the entire list of Best New Jersey Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Chester M. Stephens Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NJ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 76.94 147th 870 83.1%
2019 60.78 300th 899 66.6%
2021 61.02 251st 896 72.0%
2022 64.67 272nd 953 71.5%
2023 61.93 306th 982 68.8%
See the entire list of Best New Jersey Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Chester M. Stephens Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NJ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 59.75 434th 1022 57.5%
2019 47.20 565th 1023 44.8%
2021 48.78 463rd 964 52.0%
2022 54.13 447th 976 54.2%
2023 44.44 548th 975 43.8%
See the entire list of Best New Jersey Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: New Jersey Department 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 M. Stephens Elementary School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 





Data source: New Jersey Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Chester M. Stephens Elementary School

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 503 8 15 9 0 n/a n/a 0 535
1989 462 4 6 7 0 n/a n/a 0 479
1990 448 12 2 7 6 n/a n/a 0 475
1991 432 18 12 12 0 n/a n/a 0 474
1992 674 29 21 22 0 n/a n/a 0 746
1993 680 38 19 23 0 n/a n/a 0 760
1994 666 39 28 25 0 n/a n/a 0 758
1995 683 49 31 31 0 n/a n/a 0 794
1996 683 49 31 31 0 n/a n/a 0 794
1998 761 42 35 33 0 n/a n/a 0 871
1999 753 41 41 37 0 n/a n/a 0 872
2000 784 46 49 54 0 n/a n/a 0 933
2001 841 48 50 52 9 n/a n/a 0 1000
2002 455 27 39 43 0 n/a n/a 0 564
2003 455 27 39 43 0 n/a n/a 0 564
2004 491 25 41 43 0 n/a n/a 0 600
2005 450 39 48 54 2 n/a n/a 0 593
2006 434 44 76 54 1 n/a n/a 0 609
2007 445 56 99 74 2 n/a n/a 0 676
2008 453 56 120 85 0 n/a n/a 0 714
2009 443 46 141 88 0 1 0 0 719
2010 421 47 133 87 3 2 7 0 700
2011 432 42 133 79 1 1 17 0 705
2012 406 50 134 80 1 1 18 0 690
2013 364 42 130 94 0 1 19 0 650
2014 357 46 120 105 0 0 16 0 644
2015 369 47 130 113 0 1 20 0 680
2016 421 49 151 116 0 1 24 0 762
2017 380 49 121 109 0 1 25 0 685
2018 379 54 114 122 1 1 34 0 705
2019 336 44 120 131 2 0 24 0 657
2020 328 44 119 132 2 1 31 0 657
2021 318 46 127 127 2 0 22 0 642
2022 303 48 121 156 3 0 24 0 655
2023 308 48 155 165 2 0 30 0 708

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 M. Stephens Elementary School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 535 49.0 10.9 n/a
1989 479 46.0 10.4 n/a
1990 475 43.0 11.0 3.2
1991 474 43.0 11.0 4.9
1992 746 62.0 12.0 4.7
1993 760 62.4 12.2 6.1
1994 758 63.8 11.9 5.7
1995 794 62.2 12.8 5.8
1996 794 62.2 12.8 5.8
1998 871 70.3 12.4 7
1999 872 72.3 12.1 6.2
2000 933 72.8 12.8 9.8
2001 1000 73.4 13.6 8.2
2002 564 37.5 15.0 11.9
2003 564 37.5 15.0 11.9
2004 600 41.0 14.6 11.7
2005 593 44.0 13.5 n/a
2006 609 44.5 13.7 12.3
2007 676 43.0 15.7 11.1
2008 714 36.0 19.8 10.4
2009 719 57.2 9.5 11.1
2010 700 47.0 14.8 10.7
2011 705 46.0 15.3 13.3
2012 690 48.6 14.1 13.2
2013 650 45.8 14.1 12.8
2014 644 44.8 14.3 14.8
2015 680 43.0 15.8 14.9
2016 762 50.0 15.2 16
2017 685 47.0 14.5 16.5
2018 705 51.5 13.6 16
2019 657 53.5 12.2 12.9
2020 657 52.9 12.4 13.9
2021 642 55.0 11.6 8.9
2022 655 56.5 11.5 12.4
2023 708 67.5 10.4 21.5

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 M. Stephens Elementary School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 535 49.0 10.9 n/a
1989 479 46.0 10.4 n/a
1990 475 43.0 11.0 3.2
1991 474 43.0 11.0 4.9
1992 746 62.0 12.0 4.7
1993 760 62.4 12.2 6.1
1994 758 63.8 11.9 5.7
1995 794 62.2 12.8 5.8
1996 794 62.2 12.8 5.8
1998 871 70.3 12.4 7
1999 872 72.3 12.1 6.2
2000 933 72.8 12.8 9.8
2001 1000 73.4 13.6 8.2
2002 564 37.5 15.0 11.9
2003 564 37.5 15.0 11.9
2004 600 41.0 14.6 11.7
2005 593 44.0 13.5 n/a
2006 609 44.5 13.7 12.3
2007 676 43.0 15.7 11.1
2008 714 36.0 19.8 10.4
2009 719 57.2 9.5 11.1
2010 700 47.0 14.8 10.7
2011 705 46.0 15.3 13.3
2012 690 48.6 14.1 13.2
2013 650 45.8 14.1 12.8
2014 644 44.8 14.3 14.8
2015 680 43.0 15.8 14.9
2016 762 50.0 15.2 16
2017 685 47.0 14.5 16.5
2018 705 51.5 13.6 16
2019 657 53.5 12.2 12.9
2020 657 52.9 12.4 13.9
2021 642 55.0 11.6 8.9
2022 655 56.5 11.5 12.4
2023 708 67.5 10.4 21.5

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 M. Stephens Elementary School

Help

YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $530 (5.5%) $9,070 (94.5%) $9,600

Data source: New Jersey Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Chester M. Stephens 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 493rd of 1360 Elementary schoolsRanks 496th of 1342 Elementary schools
 0.7%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Chester M. Stephens Elementary School)67.642.6
 25%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Mount Olive Township School District)70.751.7
 19%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (New Jersey)50.242
 8.2%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Chester M. Stephens Elementary School)6548.5
 16.5%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Mount Olive Township School District)67.960
 7.9%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (New Jersey)55.145.9
 9.2%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Chester M. Stephens Elementary School)67.864.3
 3.5%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Mount Olive Township School District)7363.7
 9.3%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (New Jersey)57.451.3
 6.1%
4th Grade Mathematics (Chester M. Stephens Elementary School)57.958.4
 0.5%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Mount Olive Township School District)60.860.6
 0.2%
   4th Grade Mathematics (New Jersey)5144.3
 6.7%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Chester M. Stephens Elementary School)72.366.7
 5.6%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Mount Olive Township School District)72.866.9
 5.9%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (New Jersey)57.953.2
 4.7%
5th Grade Mathematics (Chester M. Stephens Elementary School)46.353.5
 7.2%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Mount Olive Township School District)56.756.1
 0.6%
   5th Grade Mathematics (New Jersey)46.840.1
 6.7%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students657708
 7.8%
African American4448
 9.1%
American Indian22
Asian120155
 29.2%
Hispanic131165
 26%
Pacific Islander00
White336308
 8.3%
Two or More Races2430
 25%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients12.9%21.5%
 8.5%


Schools Near Chester M. Stephens Elementary School









Frequently Asked Questions about Chester M. Stephens Elementary School

In the 2022-23 school year, 708 students attended Chester M. Stephens Elementary School.

Students who attend Chester M. Stephens Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Mount Olive Middle School
High : Mount Olive High School

Chester M. Stephens Elementary School ranks 496th of 1342 New Jersey elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Students at Chester M. Stephens Elementary School are 44% White, 23% Hispanic, 22% Asian, 7% African American, 4% Two or more races.


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





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