Chester CUSD 139
Public school district · Randolph County · Illinois · NCES district ID 1709810
Chester CUSD 139 spent $14,256 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, below the middle: 76% of the other Illinois districts with fewer than 1,000 students in fall 2022 spent more (median $16,409). Its 2 schools enrolled 975 students in 2024-25; 55.7% of its revenue came from the state. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $15,112 per student, up 6.0% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year). Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 85-89% (Illinois: 87.6%).
NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 · Census Bureau school finances 2023-24 · NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 · method
Spending per student among Illinois districts of similar size
Current spending per student excludes construction and debt. The 9 districts closest to Chester CUSD 139 in enrollment (931 to 947 students) and Chester CUSD 139 itself.
Where the money came from
$16,779,000 in revenue: 55.7% state, 33.5% local and 10.8% federal. Total spending including $398,000 of capital outlay was $14,883,000, or $15,850 per student; the figure above leaves capital out.
- State$9,348,000 56%
- Local$5,617,000 33%
- Federal$1,814,000 11%
Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23: current expenditures for elementary and secondary education divided by fall membership; the state median covers 468 districts with fewer than 1,000 students in fall 2022. Revenue by source (TOTALREV, TFEDREV, TSTREV, TLOCREV).
Enrollment rose from 2022-23 to 2024-25
939 students in 2022-23, 968 students in 2023-24, 975 students in 2024-25, counted across the schools that reported each year.
Teachers and students per teacher
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-23 | 939 | 68.8 | 13.6 |
| 2023-24 | 968 | 69.8 | 13.9 |
| 2024-25 | 975 | 70.6 | 13.8 |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25; sums over the schools reporting each year.
State test results, 2021-22
In 2021-22, the students tested in Chester CUSD 139 scored proficient or above: 30% in reading, against 29.9% in reading across Illinois. Each state writes its own test and sets its own proficiency bar, so compare these within Illinois, not across states.
| Subject | This district | Illinois | Students tested |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading and language arts | 30% | 29.9% | 463 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results 2021-22, all students, from ED Data Express (the Data Rescue Project archive; ED has no 2022-23 result for this district): ED shows district results as ranges (for example 20-24%) to protect small groups.
Graduation rate, class of 2023
85-89% of the 81 students in Chester CUSD 139's class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 87.6% across Illinois. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out, and counts those who earned a regular diploma by 2023. Every state computes it the same way under federal law, though each sets its own diploma requirements.
| This district | Illinois | |
|---|---|---|
| Four-year graduation rate | 85‑89% | 87.6% |
| Students in the class | 81 | 149,998 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates 2022-23, all students, from ED Data Express: ED shows district rates as ranges (for example 90-94%) and leaves out small classes.
1 elementary school, 640 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chester Elementary School | 640 | 13.0 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
1 high school, 335 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chester High School | 335 | 15.5 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
Contact Chester CUSD 139
- Website: chester139.com
- Phone: (618) 826-4509
- Office: 1940 Swanwick St, Chester, IL 62233
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, local education agency directory 2024-25. Enrollment, boundaries and school assignment are the district's to confirm.
What to look at next about Chester CUSD 139
- Illinois districts by spending per studentChester CUSD 139 ranks 356 of 468 Illinois districts with fewer than 1,000 students in fall 2022 on current spending per student in fiscal year 2022-23 ($14,256).#356 of 468
- Every school district in IllinoisChester CUSD 139 is the number 401 by size of 865 Illinois districts, with 939 students in fall 2022 (F-33).#401 of 865
- River Bend School DistrictThe next larger Illinois district: 942 students in fall 2022, $13,837 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$13,837
- Schuyler-Industry CUSD 5The next smaller Illinois district: 937 students in fall 2022, $14,433 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$14,433
- Compare Chester CUSD 139 with River Bend School DistrictEnrollment, spending, revenue sources and schools, side by side.
- Chester High School, its largest high school335 students in 2024-25, 15.5 per teacher.335
- Find the school district for an addressA home's district decides which public schools it can enroll in.
Source: NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 (spending per student and fall 2022 membership; ranks among the state's districts that reported them); NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (schools).
Questions about Chester CUSD 139
How many schools and students are in Chester CUSD 139?
2 schools were open in 2024-25 (1 elementary, 1 high), enrolling 975 students, according to the NCES Common Core of Data.How much does Chester CUSD 139 spend per student?
$14,256 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), which leaves out construction and debt; the Illinois median for districts with fewer than 1,000 students in fall 2022 is $16,409 and the U.S. figure is $16,260. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $15,112 per student, up 6.0% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).Where does Chester CUSD 139's money come from?
$16,779,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2022-23: 55.7% state, 33.5% local and 10.8% federal (NCES F-33).How many children in Chester CUSD 139 live in poverty?
The Census Bureau estimates that 170 of the 1,074 children aged 5 to 17 living within the district's boundaries in 2024, 15.8%, were in families in poverty (Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). It is a model-based estimate for everyone living in the district, not a count of its students; the free-meal shares in the school tables are counts of enrolled students.How do students in Chester CUSD 139 do on state tests?
In 2021-22, the students tested in Chester CUSD 139 scored proficient or above: 30% in reading, against 29.9% in reading across Illinois. Illinois's own test sets what proficient means, so results compare within the state, not across states. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22.What is the graduation rate in Chester CUSD 139?
85-89% of the 81 students in Chester CUSD 139's class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 87.6% across Illinois. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23.What is Chester CUSD 139's NCES district ID?
1709810. Each of its schools' 12-digit NCES IDs begins with these seven digits.
Reading these figures: how to choose a school district, what Title I means and what an absenteeism rate means. They are for information and are not a substitute for the school's or district's own records.
Sources
Every federal file behind this record
- NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25: directory, membership, staff and lunch files. nces.ed.gov
- NCES Common Core of Data, 2021-22 school characteristics: Title I status. nces.ed.gov
- Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021-22: AP courses, gifted programs, counselors, discipline. civilrightsdata.ed.gov
- EDFacts, 2022-23: chronic absenteeism. ed.gov
- EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23: the class of 2023 for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
- EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22: reading and math proficiency for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024: children aged 5 to 17 and those in families in poverty, by school district. census.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2023-24: per pupil current spending for 2023-24 and 2022-23. census.gov
- NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, fiscal year 2022-23: district spending and revenue. nces.ed.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau geocoder and TIGER school districts: the district boundary used by the district finder. census.gov
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances Per pupil current spending by school system · FY 2023-24
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey Revenue and expenditures by district · FY 2022-23
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School directory, membership, staff and lunch files · 2024-25