Chester High School - 01

Chester High School - 01 is a four-year high school of close-knit scale in Chester, South Dakota, run under Chester Area School District 39-1, educateing 107 students in grades 9 through 12. That puts it 52% smaller than the typical public school in South Dakota, which averages around 225 students.

Chester High School - 01 is one of 7 schools operated by Chester Area School District 39-1, a district that educates 582 students overall.

In terms of who attends, Chester High School - 01 reports that the student body is overwhelmingly White (95%). The remainder consists of 5% multiracial.

In terms of school funding signals, Chester High School - 01 lists 10 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 10.7:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 20.6:1, putting Chester High School - 01 tighter than the state norm the norm. Around 14% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal. Set against Lake County (around 23%), the school's rate is meaningfully below typical.

Zooming out to the county, ACS estimates for Lake County put median household income runs about $76,808, 35% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and roughly 5% of residents live below the federal poverty line. In all, Lake County runs 21 public schools (combined enrollment of about 2,009 students), of which Chester High School - 01 is one.

Nearest neighbor: Chester Elementary -02, around 0.0 miles off. 4 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius.

The campus sits in an outlying setting.

Five-year trend. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Chester High School - 01 has increased 4%, going from 103 students in 2018 to 107 in 2025. Over the same period, the White share ticked down from 100% to 95%.

On the community side, recent activity here tends to focus on fundraisers, lost-and-found posts, and report-card season. Posting is open to anyone connected to the school.