Chester Upland School of Arts

Summary:

Chester Upland School of Arts is an elementary school serving 424 students in grades PK-5 in the predominantly African American and low-income community of Chester, Pennsylvania. The school consistently ranks among the lowest-performing in the state, with proficiency rates on standardized tests that are far below the state averages.

Despite spending significantly more per student ($17,316 in 2021-2022) than the state average, Chester Upland School of Arts has struggled to provide a high-quality education to its students. Only 3.2% of students were proficient or better in Math, and 12.1% were proficient or better in English Language Arts in the 2022-2023 school year. This is in stark contrast to nearby schools in the Ridley School District and Penn-Delco School District, which generally outperform Chester Upland School of Arts on academic measures, even though they also serve predominantly low-income and minority student populations.

The challenges facing Chester Upland School of Arts are reflective of the broader socioeconomic and racial disparities in the Chester-Upland School District. With 100% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch and an overwhelmingly African American student body (87.5%), the school's struggles highlight the need for targeted interventions and support to address the systemic inequities in the education system. While simply increasing funding may not be enough, learning from the practices and strategies of higher-performing schools in the area could provide valuable insights for improving student outcomes at Chester Upland School of Arts.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

501 West 9th St
Chester, PA 19013

(610) 447-3777

District: Chester-Upland School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
1514^th of 1,534 Pennsylvania Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $17,316

Student/teacher ratio: 14.1

Number of students: 424

Racial breakdown:

African American:

87.5%

Hispanic:

5.7%

Two or more races:

3.5%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 100%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Chester Upland School of Arts ranks worse than 98.7% of elementary schools in Pennsylvania. It also ranks last among 4 ranked elementary schools in the Chester-Upland School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 3.62. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Chester Upland School of Arts has the largest elementary school student body size in the Chester-Upland School District. Racial makeup is: African American (87.5%), Hispanic (5.7%), two or more races (3.5%). (See more...)

Compare Details 100% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Chester Upland School of Arts is 14.1. 2 elementary schools in the Chester-Upland School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Chester Upland School of Arts employs 30 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Chester Upland School of Arts is $17,316. 2 elementary schools in the Chester-Upland School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2023 Rankings:

Chester Upland School of Arts:

SchoolDigger ranks Chester Upland School of Arts 1514^th of 1534 Pennsylvania public elementary schools. (See Chester Upland School of Arts in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Disabled students:

African American students:

Chester-Upland School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Chester-Upland School District 585^th of 606 Pennsylvania school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Chester Upland School of Arts

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Rank History for all students at Chester Upland School of Arts

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	PA State Percentile
2011	20.65	1392^nd	1597	12.8%
2012	19.87	1373^rd	1599	14.1%
2013	8.29	1368^th	1519	9.9%
2014	1.57	1421^st	1467	3.1%
2015	2.69	1452^nd	1474	1.5%
2016	3.74	1489^th	1554	4.2%
2017	2.87	1506^th	1547	2.7%
2018	2.53	1509^th	1530	1.4%
2019	5.03	1455^th	1544	5.8%
2021	3.18	1423^rd	1433	0.7%
2022	3.55	1524^th	1534	0.7%
2023	3.62	1514^th	1534	1.3%

See the entire list of Pennsylvania Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Chester Upland School of Arts

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	5.41	1392^nd	1414	1.6%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Chester Upland School of Arts

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	10.88	1024^th	1043	1.8%

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

Rank History for African American students at Chester Upland School of Arts

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	19.33	395^th	437	9.6%

See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Data source: test scores: Pennsylvania Dept 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: Pennsylvania Dept of Education

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Enrollment information for Chester Upland School of Arts

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2009	0	194	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	194
2010	0	244	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	245
2011	0	268	0	0	0	0	0	268
2012	1	315	0	2	0	0	4	322
2013	0	290	0	1	0	0	2	293
2014	4	320	0	9	0	0	0	333
2015	3	452	0	13	0	0	0	468
2016	3	466	0	22	0	0	2	493
2017	2	460	0	20	0	0	3	485
2018	2	394	0	15	0	0	2	413
2019	5	404	0	11	0	0	2	422
2020	4	392	0	13	0	0	2	411
2021	4	377	0	14	1	0	2	398
2022	7	430	1	26	3	0	14	481
2023	10	371	2	24	2	0	15	424

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 Upland School of Arts

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2009	194	8.0	24.3	84
2010	245	10.5	23.3	82.9
2011	268	17.5	15.3	86.9
2012	322	7.0	46.0	74.2
2013	293	6.0	48.8	73.4
2014	333	1.0	333.0	88.3
2015	468	25.0	18.7	84.2
2016	493	24.0	20.5	100
2017	485	27.0	17.9	82.3
2018	413	29.0	14.2	93.2
2019	422	31.0	13.6	99.8
2020	411	29.0	14.1	97.3
2021	398	26.0	15.3	99.2
2022	481	26.0	18.5	99.4
2023	424	30.0	14.1	100

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 Upland School of Arts

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2009	194	8.0	24.3	84
2010	245	10.5	23.3	82.9
2011	268	17.5	15.3	86.9
2012	322	7.0	46.0	74.2
2013	293	6.0	48.8	73.4
2014	333	1.0	333.0	88.3
2015	468	25.0	18.7	84.2
2016	493	24.0	20.5	100
2017	485	27.0	17.9	82.3
2018	413	29.0	14.2	93.2
2019	422	31.0	13.6	99.8
2020	411	29.0	14.1	97.3
2021	398	26.0	15.3	99.2
2022	481	26.0	18.5	99.4
2023	424	30.0	14.1	100

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 Upland School of Arts

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$1,609 (9.6%)	$15,178 (90.4%)	$16,787
2020	$2,343 (14.0%)	$14,342 (86.0%)	$16,685
2021	$1,241 (12.0%)	$9,101 (88.0%)	$10,342
2022	$1,878 (10.8%)	$15,437 (89.1%)	$17,316

Data source: Pennsylvania Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Chester Upland School of Arts

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 1455^th of 1544 Elementary schools	Ranks 1514^th of 1534 Elementary schools	4.5%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade Math (Chester Upland School of Arts)	14.5	4.2	10.3%
3rd Grade Math (Pennsylvania)	56	51.7	4.3%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Chester Upland School of Arts)	21.1	26	4.9%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)	61.9	54	7.9%
4th Grade Math (Chester Upland School of Arts)	5.7	1.9	3.8%
4th Grade Math (Pennsylvania)	46.2	46.5	0.3%
4th Grade Science (Chester Upland School of Arts)	61.3	18.9	42.4%
4th Grade Science (Pennsylvania)	77.8	74.1	3.7%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Chester Upland School of Arts)	13.2	3.6	9.6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)	63.6	51.8	11.8%
5th Grade Math (Chester Upland School of Arts)	2	3.7	1.7%
5th Grade Math (Pennsylvania)	43	42.7	0.3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Chester Upland School of Arts)	13.5	7.7	5.8%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)	58.5	53.6	4.9%
All Grades Math (Chester Upland School of Arts)	7.6	3.2	4.4%
All Grades Math (Pennsylvania)	42.4	39.3	3.1%
All Grades Science (Chester Upland School of Arts)	61.3	18.9	42.4%
All Grades Science (Pennsylvania)	68	65.6	2.4%
All Grades English Language Arts (Chester Upland School of Arts)	15.9	12.1	3.8%
All Grades English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)	60.9	53.8	7.1%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	422	424	0.5%
African American	404	371	8.2%
American Indian	0	2
Asian	0	2
Hispanic	11	24	118.2%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	5	10	100%
Two or More Races	2	15	650%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	99.8%	100%	0.2%

Schools Near Chester Upland School of Arts

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2023)				Ranking (2022)				PSSA Math (2023)							PSSA Science (2023)			PSSA English Language Arts (2023)							Per Pupil Expenditures (2022)
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 (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	SchoolDigger Rating (2023)	Average Standard Score (2022)	Statewide Rank (2022)	State Percentile (2022)	Rank Change from Previous Year	PSSA Math 3rd Grade	PSSA Math 4th Grade	PSSA Math 5th Grade	PSSA Math 6th Grade	PSSA Math 7th Grade	PSSA Math 8th Grade	PSSA Math All Grades	PSSA Science 4th Grade	PSSA Science 8th Grade	PSSA Science All Grades	PSSA English Language Arts 3rd Grade	PSSA English Language Arts 4th Grade	PSSA English Language Arts 5th Grade	PSSA English Language Arts 6th Grade	PSSA English Language Arts 7th Grade	PSSA English Language Arts 8th Grade	PSSA English Language Arts All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Chester Upland School of Arts	Public	PK, KG-5	501 West 9th St	Chester	19013	Delaware County	Chester-Upland School District	No	No	No	Yes	(610) 447-3777	424	30	14.1	100.0%	10 (2.4%)	371 (87.5%)	24 (5.7%)	2 (0.5%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (3.5%)	3.6	1514^th of 1534 public elementary schools	1.3%		3.5	1524^th of 1534 public elementary schools	0.7%	10	4.2	1.9	3.7				3.2	18.9		18.9	26.0	3.6	7.7				12.1	$17,316	$1,878	$15,437
Chester Community Charter School	Public, Charter	K-8	302 East 5th Street	Chester	19013	Delaware County	Chester Community Charter School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(610) 447-0400	4,276	235	18.2		60 (1.4%)	3,447 (80.6%)	608 (14.2%)	4 (0.1%)	6 (0.1%)	4 (0.1%)	147 (3.4%)	3.7	1512^th of 1534 public elementary schools	1.4%		4.5	1488^th of 1534 public elementary schools	3.0%	24	6.2	5.8	2.3	2.4	3.2	2.4	3.8	23.4	10.3	17.0	12.4	10.0	10.6	12.0	10.9	13.1	11.5	$20,860	$4,199	$16,660
Edgmont Scholars Academy	Public	PK, KG-8	1450 Edgmont Ave	Chester	19013	Delaware County	Chester-Upland School District	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(610) 872-1358	372	24	15.5	94.6%	14 (3.8%)	343 (92.2%)	12 (3.2%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	6	1444^th of 1534 public elementary schools	5.9%					(n/a)	14.3	0.0	0.0	0.0	2.8	0.0	3.1	52.4	19.2	39.7	27.0	9.1	9.3	15.2	13.5	32.0	16.4
Main Street School	Public	PK, KG-5	704 Main St	Brookhaven	19015	Delaware County	Chester-Upland School District	No	No	No	Yes	(610) 447-3685	296	23	12.8	100.0%	11 (3.7%)	240 (81.1%)	24 (8.1%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (6.4%)	7.9	1399^th of 1534 public elementary schools	8.8%		8.3	1388^th of 1534 public elementary schools	9.5%	11	25.9	2.4	4.8				9.1	45.3		45.3	37.0	9.5	14.6				18.2	$25,826	$2,801	$23,025
Stetser Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	808 E 17th St	Chester	19013	Delaware County	Chester-Upland School District	No	No	No	Yes	(610) 447-3795	245	20	12.2	99.6%	4 (1.6%)	200 (81.6%)	28 (11.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (5.3%)	15.8	1265^th of 1534 public elementary schools	17.5%		10.1	1339^th of 1534 public elementary schools	12.7%	74	13.9	16.7	20.5				17.1	66.7		66.7	37.8	20.0	17.9				25.2	$28,473	$3,088	$25,384
Parkside Elementary School	Public	K-5	2 East Forestview Road	Brookhaven	19015	Delaware County	Penn-Delco School District	No	No	No	Yes	(610) 497-6300	268	19	14.3	51.5%	170 (63.4%)	58 (21.6%)	14 (5.2%)	10 (3.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (6.0%)	62.7	640^th of 1534 public elementary schools	58.3%		52.5	851^st of 1534 public elementary schools	44.5%	211	70.0	43.7	46.9				52.5	79.2		79.2	65.0	47.9	65.3				59.2	$16,304	$597	$15,707
Eddystone Elementary School	Public	K-5	1410 E. 9th Street	Eddystone	19022	Delaware County	Ridley School District	No	No	No	Yes	(610) 534-1900	241	21	11.5	92.1%	89 (36.9%)	87 (36.1%)	29 (12.0%)	9 (3.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (11.2%)	20.2	1224^th of 1534 public elementary schools	20.2%		30.3	1111^th of 1534 public elementary schools	27.6%	113	28.9	27.2	29.7				28.6	56.8		56.8	23.7	25.0	38.9				28.8	$21,543	$500	$21,043
Coebourn Elementary School	Public	K-5	1 Coebourn Boulevard	Brookhaven	19015	Delaware County	Penn-Delco School District	No	No	No	Yes	(610) 497-6300	333	27	12.3	38.4%	257 (77.2%)	24 (7.2%)	16 (4.8%)	10 (3.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (7.5%)	60.3	696^th of 1534 public elementary schools	54.6%		68.5	528^th of 1534 public elementary schools	65.6%	168	50.9	48.1	57.0				52.4	78.8		78.8	50.0	51.9	65.2				56.4	$16,304	$597	$15,707
Nether Providence Elementary School	Public	K-5	410 Moore Rd	Wallingford	19086	Delaware County	Wallingford-Swarthmore School District	No	No	No	Yes	(610) 892-3470	489	36	13.4	23.1%	353 (72.2%)	26 (5.3%)	25 (5.1%)	53 (10.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (6.5%)	90.8	79^th of 1534 public elementary schools	94.9%		88.7	118^th of 1534 public elementary schools	92.3%	39	80.2	78.6	78.3				79.0	92.9		92.9	83.8	88.8	74.4				82.9	$36,614	$18,512	$18,102
Woodlyn Elementary School	Public	K-5	1200 Colson Rd.	Woodlyn	19094	Delaware County	Ridley School District	No	No	No	Yes	(610) 534-1900	296	27	11.0	92.2%	113 (38.2%)	85 (28.7%)	35 (11.8%)	13 (4.4%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.7%)	47 (15.9%)	32.2	1112^th of 1534 public elementary schools	27.5%		47.9	926^th of 1534 public elementary schools	39.6%	186	39.2	30.4	16.3				28.8	65.2		65.2	45.2	40.0	51.0				45.6	$15,710	$465	$15,245

Frequently Asked Questions about Chester Upland School of Arts

What district is Chester Upland School of Arts in?

Chester-Upland School District

How many students attend Chester Upland School of Arts?

In the 2022-23 school year, 424 students attended Chester Upland School of Arts.

What is the racial makeup of Chester Upland School of Arts?

Students at Chester Upland School of Arts are 88% African American, 6% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races, 2% White.

Is Chester Upland School of Arts a good school?

Chester Upland School of Arts ranks in the bottom 1.3% of Pennsylvania elementary schools.

Rate Chester Upland School of Arts!

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