Chester Union Free School District

Public school district · Orange County · New York · NCES district ID 3607380

Chester Union Free School District spent $29,851 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, more than 68% of the other New York districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 (median $26,567). Its 2 schools enrolled 931 students in 2024-25; 34.0% of its revenue came from the state. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $33,546 per student, up 12.4% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year). Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 90-94% (New York: 87.2%).

Spending per student among New York districts of similar size

Current spending per student excludes construction and debt. The 9 districts closest to Chester Union Free in enrollment (1,002 to 1,019 students) and Chester Union Free itself.

Current spending per student, New York districts closest in size to Chester Union Free, FY23Mattituck-Cutchogue Union Free $38,932; Chester Union Free $29,851; Harlem Children's Zone Promise Academy II Charter School $29,409; Trumansburg Central $27,860; East Rochester Schools $26,424; Wilson Central $25,693; Silver Creek Central $25,040; Democracy Prep Harlem Charter School $21,621; Success Academy Charter School - Rosedale $15,573; Syracuse Academy of Science Charter School $14,712; State median, 1,000+ students $26,567.10k20k30k40kMattituck-Cutchogue Union Free$38,932Chester Union Free$29,851Harlem Children's Zone Promise…$29,409Trumansburg Central$27,860East Rochester Schools$26,424Wilson Central$25,693Silver Creek Central$25,040Democracy Prep Harlem Charter …$21,621Success Academy Charter School…$15,573Syracuse Academy of Science Ch…$14,712State median, 1,000+ students $26,567
Current spending per student, New York districts closest in size to Chester Union Free, FY23Mattituck-Cutchogue Union Free $38,932; Chester Union Free $29,851; Harlem Children's Zone Promise Academy II Charter School $29,409; Trumansburg Central $27,860; East Rochester Schools $26,424; Wilson Central $25,693; Silver Creek Central $25,040; Democracy Prep Harlem Charter School $21,621; Success Academy Charter School - Rosedale $15,573; Syracuse Academy of Science Charter School $14,712; State median, 1,000+ students $26,567.10k20k30k40kMattituck-Cutchogue Union Free$38,932Chester Union Free$29,851Harlem Children's Zone Promise Acad…$29,409Trumansburg Central$27,860East Rochester Schools$26,424Wilson Central$25,693Silver Creek Central$25,040Democracy Prep Harlem Charter School$21,621Success Academy Charter School - Ro…$15,573Syracuse Academy of Science Charter…$14,712State median, 1,000+ students $26,567
Current spending per student, New York districts closest in size to Chester Union Free, FY23Mattituck-Cutchogue Union Free $38,932; Chester Union Free $29,851; Harlem Children's Zone Promise Academy II Charter School $29,409; Trumansburg Central $27,860; East Rochester Schools $26,424; Wilson Central $25,693; Silver Creek Central $25,040; Democracy Prep Harlem Charter School $21,621; Success Academy Charter School - Rosedale $15,573; Syracuse Academy of Science Charter School $14,712; State median, 1,000+ students $26,567.10k20k30k40kMattituck-Cutchogue Union Free$38,932Chester Union Free$29,851Harlem Children's Zone Promise Academy II C…$29,409Trumansburg Central$27,860East Rochester Schools$26,424Wilson Central$25,693Silver Creek Central$25,040Democracy Prep Harlem Charter School$21,621Success Academy Charter School - Rosedale$15,573Syracuse Academy of Science Charter School$14,712State median, 1,000+ students $26,567
Current spending per student, New York districts closest in size to Chester Union Free, FY23Mattituck-Cutchogue Union Free $38,932; Chester Union Free $29,851; Harlem Children's Zone Promise Academy II Charter School $29,409; Trumansburg Central $27,860; East Rochester Schools $26,424; Wilson Central $25,693; Silver Creek Central $25,040; Democracy Prep Harlem Charter School $21,621; Success Academy Charter School - Rosedale $15,573; Syracuse Academy of Science Charter School $14,712; State median, 1,000+ students $26,567.10k20k30k40kMattituck-Cutchogue Union Free$38,932Chester Union Free$29,851Harlem Children's Zone Promise Academy…$29,409Trumansburg Central$27,860East Rochester Schools$26,424Wilson Central$25,693Silver Creek Central$25,040Democracy Prep Harlem Charter School$21,621Success Academy Charter School - Roseda…$15,573Syracuse Academy of Science Charter Sch…$14,712State median, 1,000+ students $26,567

Where the money came from

$34,595,000 in revenue: 34.0% state, 58.7% local and 7.3% federal. Total spending including $1,402,000 of capital outlay was $33,126,000, or $32,766 per student; the figure above leaves capital out.

Chester Union Free School District revenue by source, fiscal year 2022-23State $11,778,000; Local $20,291,000; Federal $2,526,000; total $34,595,000.
  • State$11,778,000 34%
  • Local$20,291,000 59%
  • Federal$2,526,000 7%

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 440 districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022. Revenue by source (TOTALREV, TFEDREV, TSTREV, TLOCREV).

Enrollment fell from 2022-23 to 2024-25

957 students in 2022-23, 925 students in 2023-24, 931 students in 2024-25, counted across the schools that reported each year.

Chester Union Free School District enrollment by school year2022-23: 957, 2023-24: 925, 2024-25: 93102505007501k2022-239572023-249252024-25931
Chester Union Free School District enrollment by school year2022-23: 957, 2023-24: 925, 2024-25: 93102505007501k2022-239572023-249252024-25931
Chester Union Free School District enrollment by school year2022-23: 957, 2023-24: 925, 2024-25: 93102505007501k2022-239572023-249252024-25931
Chester Union Free School District enrollment by school year2022-23: 957, 2023-24: 925, 2024-25: 93102505007501k2022-239572023-249252024-25931

Teachers and students per teacher

School yearStudentsTeachers (FTE)Per teacher
2022-2395783.811.4
2023-2492589.810.3
2024-2593189.110.5

Source: NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25; sums over the schools reporting each year.

$7,982,000 in teacher salaries in fiscal year 2022-23, $7,895 per student

Chester Union Free School District booked $7,982,000 of teacher salaries in its 2022-23 finance report and counted 84 full-time teachers in its Common Core of Data district staff file for 2022-23 (the school files behind the staffing figures on this page count teachers separately, so the two can differ), or $95,251 of salary spending per teacher. That is more than 66 in 100 New York districts with a figure (state median $80,291, 622 districts). It is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, so the result can differ widely from the average salary the district publishes (its salary schedule gives pay); benefits are left out, and states book salaries differently, so compare districts within one state. For pay, the National Education Association put the average New York teacher salary at $92,222 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).

ProgramTeacher salariesShare
Regular programs$6,093,00076.3%
Special education$1,422,00017.8%
Vocational$161,0002.0%
Other programs$306,0003.8%

Teacher salaries per student, fiscal years 2018-19 to 2022-23

The district's teacher salary bill divided by its fall enrollment each year: $6,955 in 2018-19, $7,472 in 2019-20, $7,589 in 2020-21, $8,018 in 2021-22, $7,895 in 2022-23.

Chester Union Free School District teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $6,955, 2019-20: $7,472, 2020-21: $7,589, 2021-22: $8,018, 2022-23: $7,89502.5k5k7.5k10k2018-19$6,9552019-20$7,4722020-21$7,5892021-22$8,0182022-23$7,895
Chester Union Free School District teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $6,955, 2019-20: $7,472, 2020-21: $7,589, 2021-22: $8,018, 2022-23: $7,89502.5k5k7.5k10k2018-19$6,9552019-20$7,4722020-21$7,5892021-22$8,0182022-23$7,895
Chester Union Free School District teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $6,955, 2019-20: $7,472, 2020-21: $7,589, 2021-22: $8,018, 2022-23: $7,89502.5k5k7.5k10k2018-19$6,9552019-20$7,4722020-21$7,5892021-22$8,0182022-23$7,895
Chester Union Free School District teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $6,955, 2019-20: $7,472, 2020-21: $7,589, 2021-22: $8,018, 2022-23: $7,89502.5k5k7.5k10k2018-19$6,9552019-20$7,4722020-21$7,5892021-22$8,0182022-23$7,895

Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal years 2019 to 2023: teacher salaries in regular, special, vocational and other programs (Z35 to Z38) and fall membership (V33); NCES Common Core of Data LEA staff file 2022-23, teachers (full-time equivalent).

State test results, 2021-22

In 2021-22, the students tested in Chester Union Free School District scored proficient or above: 42-51% in reading and 40-48% in math, against 47% in reading and 40% in math across New York. Each state writes its own test and sets its own proficiency bar, so compare these within New York, not across states. Where a state published results by grade only, the grades tested are combined, weighted by the students tested in each.

Students proficient or above, 2021-22
SubjectThis districtNew YorkStudents tested
Reading and language arts42-51%47%339
Math40-48%40%335

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

90-94% of the 98 students in Chester Union Free School District's class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 87.2% across New York. 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.

Four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rate, class of 2023
This districtNew York
Four-year graduation rate90‑94%87.2%
Students in the class98202,009

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, 393 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Chester Elementary School39310.237.9%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, 538 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Chester Academy-Middle/High School53810.637.7%Not Title I

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 Union Free School District

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 Union Free School District

  1. New York districts by spending per studentChester Union Free School District ranks 141 of 440 New York districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 on current spending per student in fiscal year 2022-23 ($29,851).#141 of 440
  2. Every school district in New YorkChester Union Free School District is the number 473 by size of 1,104 New York districts, with 1,011 students in fall 2022 (F-33).#473 of 1,104
  3. Silver Creek Central School DistrictThe next larger New York district: 1,014 students in fall 2022, $25,040 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$25,040
  4. East Rochester SchoolsThe next smaller New York district: 1,008 students in fall 2022, $26,424 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$26,424
  5. Compare Chester Union Free School District with Silver Creek Central School DistrictEnrollment, spending, revenue sources and schools, side by side.
  6. Chester Academy-Middle/High School, its largest high school538 students in 2024-25, 10.6 per teacher.538
  7. Teacher salary spending across New YorkChester Union Free School District spent $95,251 in salaries per full-time teacher in fiscal year 2022-23 (state median $80,291); spending, not a salary.$95,251
  8. 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 Union Free School District

  1. How many schools and students are in Chester Union Free School District?
    2 schools were open in 2024-25 (1 elementary, 1 high), enrolling 931 students, according to the NCES Common Core of Data.
  2. How much does Chester Union Free School District spend per student?
    $29,851 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), which leaves out construction and debt; the New York median for districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 is $26,567 and the U.S. figure is $16,260. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $33,546 per student, up 12.4% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).
  3. Where does Chester Union Free School District's money come from?
    $34,595,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2022-23: 34.0% state, 58.7% local and 7.3% federal (NCES F-33).
  4. How many children in Chester Union Free School District live in poverty?
    The Census Bureau estimates that 79 of the 1,025 children aged 5 to 17 living within the district's boundaries in 2024, 7.7%, 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.
  5. How much does Chester Union Free School District spend on teacher salaries?
    $7,982,000 in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), or $7,895 per student. Divided by the 84 full-time teachers in the NCES Common Core of Data for 2022-23 that is $95,251 per teacher, more than 66 in 100 New York districts (state median $80,291). That is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, and the result can differ widely from the average salary a district publishes. The district's salary schedule gives pay. For pay, the National Education Association put the average New York teacher salary at $92,222 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).
  6. How do students in Chester Union Free School District do on state tests?
    In 2021-22, the students tested in Chester Union Free School District scored proficient or above: 42-51% in reading and 40-48% in math, against 47% in reading and 40% in math across New York. New York'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.
  7. What is the graduation rate in Chester Union Free School District?
    90-94% of the 98 students in Chester Union Free School District's class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 87.2% across New York. 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.
  8. What is Chester Union Free School District's NCES district ID?
    3607380. 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
  • NCES Digest of Education Statistics, table 211.60 (2021-22): the state's average teacher salary, from the National Education Association. nces.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