Enrollment
154
Elementary
DISTRICT 73 · STATE 204
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·CHESTER AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT 39-1·NCES 461230000131
Chester Elementary -02
102 2nd Ave, Chester, SD 57016 · (605) 489-2411 · Lake County
GRADES PK–05ELEMENTARY42-RURALREGULAR SCHOOL154 STUDENTS
C+
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 44% of South Dakota public elementary schools
- B-Test scores Share of students meeting the state standard in reading, math, and other tested subjects, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
- CBeats expectations How far test scores land above or below what the share of low-income students predicts for a school in this state.
- ·Three-year trend Not available for this school, so the grade uses the other parts.
Grades compare a school only with schools in the same state, because every state gives its own test. How grades work · Top-graded South Dakota public elementary schools
Student : Teacher
15.4:1
10 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 13.5:1 · STATE 15.4:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
20%
31 students
DISTRICT 16% · STATE 42%
Community
0
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other elementary schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-K | 33 | 21% |
| Kindergarten | 22 | 14% |
| Grade 1 | 18 | 12% |
| Grade 2 | 18 | 12% |
| Grade 3 | 21 | 14% |
| Grade 4 | 20 | 13% |
| Grade 5 | 22 | 14% |
This year's kindergarten class (22) is about the same size as its 5th grade class (22).
Student demographics
10%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 8% · STATE 53% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
School pathway
Students here typically continue to
Based on grade levels within Chester Area School District 39-1. Attendance zones can vary; confirm enrollment with the district.
Test scores
SD Smarter Balanced 2024-25 . % ProficientEnglish Language Arts
54.8%
SD avg 50.3% . +5.6pp since 2022
Math
56.5%
SD avg 47.5% . +13.6pp since 2022
What this means: On the SD Smarter Balanced, South Dakota's statewide test, about 55 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 57 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all South Dakota schools, those numbers are about 50 and 47. Reading and writing scores are up about 6 points since 2022, while math scores are up about 14 points.
SD Smarter Balanced results by year
| School year | English Language Arts | Math |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 54.8% | 56.5% |
| 2023-24 | 45.2% | 56.5% |
| 2022-23 | 49.2% | 42.9% |
% Proficient, all students and all tested grades.
Source: SD Smarter Balanced. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
BeatsExpectations
Demographically-adjusted score · methodologyTier
AS EXPECTED
Performing as predicted given the school's student profile
Actual proficiency
49.8%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
54.8%
based on SD schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
-5.0pp
below demographic expectation
What this means: About 50% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 55% typical for South Dakota schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations measures results against demographically similar schools rather than by raw scores, and this school falls within the typical range, neither among South Dakota's top nor bottom 10%.
BeatsExpectations runs a per-state regression of proficiency on free/reduced-lunch share, then scores each school by residual. How this is calculated →
Schools most like Chester Elementary -02
Chester Elementary -02's state test result (49.8% proficient) is higher than 1 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chester Elementary -02 this school | 154 | 20.1% | 49.8% |
| Arlington Elementary - 02 Arlington | 152 | 20.4% | 63.9% |
| Northwestern Elementary - 04 Mellette | 135 | 19.3% | 52.8% |
| Corsica-Stickney Elementary - 02 Stickney | 150 | 20.7% | 67.0% |
| Britton-Hecla Elementary - 02 Britton | 166 | 22.9% | 47.4% |
| Ipswich Elementary - 02 Ipswich | 182 | 22.5% | 66.2% |
Matched among South Dakota elementary schools on enrollment, the share of students from low-income families (eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), and racial and ethnic makeup. Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across all of the school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25, the same combined score our test-score rankings use. Online schools and schools serving specialized populations are not matched.
Where Chester Elementary -02 ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In South Dakota | In Lake County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 49.8% | #98 of 193 | N/A |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 56.5% | #78 of 199 ▲ 1 | N/A |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 54.8% | #79 of 202 ▲ 46 | N/A |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 154 | #160 of 331 | #2 of 6 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 20.1% | #178 of 209 | N/A |
Ranked against other public elementary schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
154
-9 (-6%) vs 2020
-4% since 1990-91, when it was 161
Student : Teacher
15.4:1
was 16.3:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 154 | 10 | 15.4:1 | 20% (31) |
| 2023-24 | 148 | 10 | 14.8:1 | 17% (25) |
| 2022-23 | 159 | 10 | 15.8:1 | 21% (33) |
| 2020-21 | 163 | 10 | 16.3:1 | 21% (35) |
| 2017-18 | 182 | 10.4 | 17.5:1 | 19% (35) |
| 2015-16 | 196 | 12 | 16.3:1 | 31% (61) |
| 2010-11 | 183 | 11 | 16.6:1 | 33% (61) |
| 2000-01 | 179 | 11 | 16.3:1 | 30% (53) |
| 1990-91 | 161 | 9 | 17.9:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Chester Elementary -02.
Since 2017-18: students down 15% (182 to 154); teachers down 4% (10.4 to 10).
About Chester Elementary -02
In Chester, South Dakota, part of Lake County, Chester Elementary -02 is an elementary school. There are 154 students enrolled, covering pre-K through 5. On average, elementary schools in South Dakota enroll around 204, and this school is 25% below that mark.
The Chester Area School District 39-1 system has 7 schools and 582 students.
By race and ethnicity, Chester Elementary -02 is 95% White. Next come 3% Hispanic. In Lake County overall, the White share is about 91%. On a 0 to 100 scale, the school's diversity index is 10, compared with 70 nationally.
The school lists 10 full-time-equivalent teachers and a student-to-teacher ratio of 15.4:1. The average for elementary schools in South Dakota is about 15.4:1. A total of 31 students, or 20%, are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. That is in line with the 23% average for public schools in Lake County.
Chester Elementary -02 earns a C+ on the allk12 Grade, which blends test scores, results against poverty-based expectations, and the three-year trend. It scored higher than 44% of South Dakota public elementary schools.
When test results are adjusted for free or reduced-price lunch eligibility, Chester Elementary -02 is 5.0 points below its prediction. Actual: 49.8%. Predicted: 54.8%.
For the population of Lake County, median household income comes to about $76,808, roughly 35% of adults have a four-year degree or more, and about 5% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Lake County's 21 public schools enroll about 2,009 students and include Chester Elementary -02.
Of the public schools around it, Chester Elementary -02 is closest to Chester Middle School - 03, less than a tenth of a mile away. Chester Elementary -02 has 4 other public schools within five miles. Ranking the closest schools with test data puts Chester Elementary -02 at 2nd of 4.
Locale data from NCES put Chester Elementary -02 in rural territory some distance from an urban area (Rural: Distant).
Enrollment fell by 6% across 4 years, from 163 in 2020-21 to 154 in 2024-25.
The allk12 page for Chester Elementary -02 lets the school community talk about pickup and drop-off, after-school programs, and teacher feedback. Current and former families are welcome to add their experience.
Lake County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
10,972
Census ACS
Median income
$76,808
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
35%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
5%
Below federal line
Schools in county
21
2,009 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Chester Area School District 39-1
- Chester High School - 01High · 107 students
- Chester Area Cyber School - 92High · 106 students
- High Plains - 06High · 84 students
- Chester Middle School - 03Middle · 67 students
- Rustic Acres Elementary - 04Elementary · 41 students
- Graceville Colony - 07Elementary · 23 students
Other schools in Chester
- Chester High School - 01High · 107 students
- Chester Area Cyber School - 92High · 106 students
- High Plains - 06High · 84 students
- Chester Middle School - 03Middle · 67 students
Other Chester Elementary schools
7 other US public schools in 8 states are named Chester Elementary. Chester Elementary -02 is the 6th largest of the 8.
- Chester Elementary SchoolChester, IL · 640 students
- Chester Elementary SchoolSpokane Valley, WA · 410 students
- CHESTER ELEMENTARY SCHOOLCHESTER, NY · 393 students
- Chester Elementary SchoolChester, CT · 198 students
- Chester ElementaryChester, CA · 171 students
Nearby schools
- Chester Middle School - 030.0 mi · 67
- Chester High School - 010.0 mi · 107
- High Plains - 060.5 mi · 84
- Chester Area Cyber School - 920.5 mi · 106
- Colman-Egan High School - 018.2 mi · 100
- Colman-Egan Jr. High - 028.2 mi · 36
Frequently asked questions
About Chester Elementary -02How many students attend Chester Elementary -02?
Chester Elementary -02 enrolls approximately 154 students in grades PK-05.
Is Chester Elementary -02 an elementary, middle, or high school?
Chester Elementary -02 is an elementary school covering grades PK-05.
How many teachers does Chester Elementary -02 have?
Chester Elementary -02 employs 10 FTE teachers, for a student-to-teacher ratio of 15.4:1.
What is the racial breakdown of students at Chester Elementary -02?
At Chester Elementary -02, the student body is approximately 95% White, 3% Hispanic, 1% Two or more.
Who oversees Chester Elementary -02?
Chester Elementary -02 is overseen by Chester Area School District 39-1 in Lake County.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.