Is Chester Elementary School a good school?

Chester Elementary School ranks 1306 th of 2445 New York elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Chester Elementary School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 389 students attended Chester Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Chester Elementary School?

Students at Chester Elementary School are 43% Hispanic, 38% White, 13% African American, 3% Asian, 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 Academy-Middle/High School

Chester Elementary School

Summary:

Chester Elementary School is a public elementary school serving 387 students in grades PK-5 in the Chester Union Free School District located in Chester, New York. The district as a whole is ranked 480 out of 865 school districts in the state and is rated 2 stars out of 5 by SchoolDigger.

Chester Elementary School has consistently underperformed compared to the state average on the New York State Assessments in English Language Arts (ELA) and Math. For example, in 2023-2024, the school's 3rd grade ELA proficiency rate was 37.5% compared to the state average of 42.6%, and its 5th grade Math proficiency rate was 52.78% compared to the state average of 48.93%. The school also has significant achievement gaps between different student subgroups, with its Hispanic students ranking 481 out of 1,531 New York elementary schools in ELA, while its White students ranked 963 out of 1,392 schools. Additionally, the percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch at Chester Elementary School has been increasing, from 31.59% in 2020-2021 to 41.09% in 2022-2023, indicating a growing population of economically disadvantaged students.

When compared to nearby schools, Chester Elementary School generally underperforms on academic measures. For example, in 2023-2024, the school's 5th grade ELA proficiency rate of 47.89% was lower than the rates at Pine Tree Elementary (41.04%) and Golden Hill Elementary (55.1%), which are both within a 7-mile radius. Additionally, Chester Elementary School's statewide ranking has been declining over the past several years, from 743 out of 2,352 New York elementary schools in 2014-2015 to 1,306 out of 2,445 in 2023-2024, suggesting that the school is struggling to keep pace with other schools in the state.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

2 Herbert Dr
Chester, NY 10918-1140

(845) 469-2178

District: Chester Union Free School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
1306^th of 2,445 New York Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $19,330

Students who attend Chester Elementary School usually attend:

High:

Chester Academy-Middle/High School

Student/teacher ratio: 10.3

Number of students: 389

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

43.2%

White:

37.5%

African American:

12.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 40.4%

See top rated New York elementary schools

Compare Chester Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Chester Elementary School ranks worse than 53.4% of elementary schools in New York. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 44.45. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Student population at Chester Elementary School is diverse. Racial makeup is: Hispanic (43.2%), White (37.5%), African American (12.9%). (See more...)

Compare Details 40.4% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Chester Elementary School is 10.3. (See more...)

Compare Chester Elementary School employs 37.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Chester Elementary School is $19,330.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Chester Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Chester Elementary School 1306^th of 2445 New York public elementary schools. (See Chester 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:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Chester Union Free School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Chester Union Free School District 480^th of 865 New York school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Chester Elementary School.

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Rank History for Chester Elementary School

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Rank History for all students at Chester Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NY State Percentile
2006	77.24	437^th	2206	80.2%
2007	81.92	258^th	2219	88.4%
2008	78.59	374^th	2227	83.2%
2009	78.81	337^th	2257	85.1%
2010	69.38	714^th	2263	68.4%
2011	65.98	816^th	2286	64.3%
2012	61.27	982^nd	2320	57.7%
2013	47.74	1183^rd	2325	49.1%
2014	52.68	1094^th	2345	53.3%
2015	66.01	743^rd	2352	68.4%
2016	59.56	914^th	2366	61.4%
2017	55.13	1047^th	2386	56.1%
2018	39.64	1487^th	2395	37.9%
2019	25.87	1832^nd	2413	24.1%
2021	40.29	1358^th	2201	38.3%
2022	53.61	1086^th	2434	55.4%
2023	41.45	1404^th	2439	42.4%
2024	44.45	1306^th	2445	46.6%

See the entire list of New York Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Chester Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NY State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	45.08	464^th	938	50.5%
2024	19.67	1030^th	1066	3.4%

See the entire list of Best New York Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Chester Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NY State Percentile
2018	32.89	1373^rd	1941	29.3%
2019	25.88	1546^th	1859	16.8%
2021	65.56	239^th	1044	77.1%
2022	38.62	1178^th	2031	42.0%
2023	29.62	1467^th	2016	27.2%
2024	40.67	1120^th	2110	46.9%

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

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

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NY State Percentile
2018	25.00	1695^th	2045	17.1%
2019	23.40	1672^nd	2032	17.7%
2021	37.28	1088^th	1678	35.2%
2022	49.34	925^th	2099	55.9%
2023	38.18	1226^th	2041	39.9%
2024	39.31	1217^th	2078	41.4%

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

Rank History for Female students at Chester Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NY State Percentile
2018	41.95	1431^st	2338	38.8%
2019	19.23	2022^nd	2357	14.2%
2021	41.07	1183^rd	1955	39.5%
2022	63.29	815^th	2401	66.1%
2023	46.88	1244^th	2403	48.2%
2024	49.57	1158^th	2413	52.0%

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

Rank History for Male students at Chester Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NY State Percentile
2018	36.67	1538^th	2340	34.3%
2019	33.44	1606^th	2358	31.9%
2021	37.41	1282^nd	1961	34.6%
2022	45.04	1303^rd	2400	45.7%
2023	37.45	1509^th	2400	37.1%
2024	40.28	1432^nd	2411	40.6%

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

Rank History for African American students at Chester Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NY State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	38.66	582^nd	948	38.6%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Chester Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NY State Percentile
2018	27.49	1090^th	1392	21.7%
2019	25.52	1049^th	1315	20.2%
2021	42.52	459^th	818	43.9%
2022	49.80	681^st	1503	54.7%
2023	48.96	678^th	1429	52.6%
2024	59.88	481^st	1531	68.6%

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

Rank History for White students at Chester Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NY State Percentile
2018	45.24	821^st	1408	41.7%
2019	30.02	1007^th	1338	24.7%
2021	38.32	809^th	1224	33.9%
2022	54.26	637^th	1399	54.5%
2023	37.95	869^th	1337	35.0%
2024	34.39	963^rd	1392	30.8%

See the entire list of Best New York Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: NY State Education Department, 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: NY State Education Department

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Friday, November 9, 2012

Chester is a small school where children get individualized instruction. The staff and principal are dedicated and caring. Although, the new curriculum is challenging, we are very pleased with how much our children are learning! Close Quote

Enrollment information for Chester Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1989	394	15	2	0	0	n/a	n/a	411
1990	385	16	2	0	0	n/a	n/a	403
1991	418	23	2	0	0	n/a	n/a	443
1992	409	23	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	432
1993	437	20	5	0	0	n/a	n/a	462
1994	451	40	0	27	0	n/a	n/a	518
1995	489	34	5	14	0	n/a	n/a	542
1996	489	34	5	14	0	n/a	n/a	542
1997	484	38	8	0	0	n/a	n/a	530
1998	463	20	7	25	0	n/a	n/a	515
1999	485	41	14	3	0	n/a	n/a	543
2000	468	43	7	42	0	n/a	n/a	560
2001	433	50	9	42	0	n/a	n/a	534
2002	446	53	16	34	0	n/a	n/a	549
2003	446	53	16	34	0	n/a	n/a	549
2004	389	63	10	78	9	n/a	n/a	549
2005	301	55	16	69	2	n/a	n/a	443
2006	356	31	12	42	0	n/a	n/a	441
2007	304	51	23	71	0	n/a	n/a	449
2008	277	52	21	82	0	n/a	n/a	432
2009	284	61	18	84	0	n/a	n/a	447
2010	283	66	24	96	0	n/a	n/a	469
2011	282	64	24	83	1	0	20	474
2012	242	37	30	122	0	2	17	450
2013	236	44	28	129	0	0	17	454
2014	244	43	28	138	0	0	23	476
2015	251	32	29	133	0	0	24	469
2016	234	29	22	124	0	0	22	431
2017	213	38	18	138	0	0	22	429
2018	196	34	17	133	0	0	23	403
2019	177	35	17	144	0	0	15	388
2020	168	39	16	146	0	0	13	382
2021	158	40	13	140	0	2	11	364
2022	167	43	18	153	0	2	9	392
2023	164	44	16	152	0	2	9	387
2024	146	50	13	168	0	2	10	389

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	411	31.7	12.9	n/a
1990	403	30.4	13.2	n/a
1991	443	31.7	13.9	n/a
1992	432	30.6	14.1	n/a
1993	462	29.8	15.5	n/a
1994	518	32.8	15.8	11.8
1995	542	34.3	15.8	10.9
1996	542	34.3	15.8	10.9
1997	530	35.7	14.8	10.9
1998	515	35.7	14.4	13.8
1999	543	36.8	14.8	10.3
2000	560	37.8	14.8	17.5
2001	534	41.2	13.0	15.9
2002	549	41.2	13.3	16.6
2003	549	41.2	13.3	16.6
2004	549	n/a	n/a	n/a
2005	443	32.4	13.7	14.4
2006	441	31.0	14.2	17
2007	449	33.0	13.6	14.9
2008	432	33.0	13.1	20.6
2009	447	34.0	13.1	22.1
2010	469	35.0	13.4	24.7
2011	474	36.7	12.8	25.9
2012	450	30.1	14.9	29.6
2013	454	32.0	14.1	31.3
2014	476	32.0	14.8	31.3
2015	469	32.0	14.6	36
2016	431	32.0	13.4	38.5
2017	429	30.0	14.2	39.6
2018	403	27.4	14.7	37
2019	388	30.0	12.9	35.1
2020	382	31.0	12.3	34.3
2021	364	32.8	11.0	31.6
2022	392	36.5	10.7	37.5
2023	387	33.5	11.5	41.1
2024	389	37.5	10.3	40.4

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	411	31.7	12.9	n/a
1990	403	30.4	13.2	n/a
1991	443	31.7	13.9	n/a
1992	432	30.6	14.1	n/a
1993	462	29.8	15.5	n/a
1994	518	32.8	15.8	11.8
1995	542	34.3	15.8	10.9
1996	542	34.3	15.8	10.9
1997	530	35.7	14.8	10.9
1998	515	35.7	14.4	13.8
1999	543	36.8	14.8	10.3
2000	560	37.8	14.8	17.5
2001	534	41.2	13.0	15.9
2002	549	41.2	13.3	16.6
2003	549	41.2	13.3	16.6
2004	549	n/a	n/a	n/a
2005	443	32.4	13.7	14.4
2006	441	31.0	14.2	17
2007	449	33.0	13.6	14.9
2008	432	33.0	13.1	20.6
2009	447	34.0	13.1	22.1
2010	469	35.0	13.4	24.7
2011	474	36.7	12.8	25.9
2012	450	30.1	14.9	29.6
2013	454	32.0	14.1	31.3
2014	476	32.0	14.8	31.3
2015	469	32.0	14.6	36
2016	431	32.0	13.4	38.5
2017	429	30.0	14.2	39.6
2018	403	27.4	14.7	37
2019	388	30.0	12.9	35.1
2020	382	31.0	12.3	34.3
2021	364	32.8	11.0	31.6
2022	392	36.5	10.7	37.5
2023	387	33.5	11.5	41.1
2024	389	37.5	10.3	40.4

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.

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