Chester-Upland SD operates 7 public schools serving 3,100 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Pennsylvania. The school portfolio breaks down into 4 other, 2 elementary, 1 high schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. Aggregated across those campuses, enrollment totals 3,039 pupils using the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 release, and the district is geographically located in Delaware County County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $53,180 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, which aggregates every revenue and spending line reported under federal accounting standards. The funding mix is 18.3% local, 74.2% state, and 7.6% federal — a breakdown that matters because districts leaning heavily on local revenue are more exposed to property-tax swings, while higher federal shares typically track Title I concentration. Average teacher compensation clocks in at $87,455 per NCES F-33, a signal of the district's ability to recruit and retain staff against neighbouring districts. The district's equity score — 87/100, ranked #16 of 659 in Pennsylvania against a state average of 49 — measures how evenly funding reaches schools within its boundaries.
Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 7 schools offering Advanced Placement (4 AP courses district-wide), a 260.7:1 student-counselor ratio, above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 54.0% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 81.9% African American, 11.4% Hispanic or Latino, 2.4% White across the district's schools.
Chester Hs accounts for 26.5% of all Chester-Upland SD student enrollment
That concentration — well above the 8.4% national median for largest-entity share — means Chester-Upland SD-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: high. A single dominant campus often anchors a district's program offerings and staffing patterns; the share helps explain why district-wide averages may not reflect the typical neighbourhood-school experience. When one entity dominates a region's footprint, its programmatic and budget decisions effectively set policy for a majority of the affected population.
Chester-Upland SD school enrollment varies 3.2× across entities
Chester-Upland SD school enrollment ranges from 251 students (lowest) to 806 students (highest), a spread of 555 students. That relatively narrow ratio reflects an unusually homogeneous campus portfolio — most districts have a wider mix of school sizes. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.
Chester-Upland SD has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 97.5% of the population qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch
free or reduced-price lunch eligibility is the federal threshold for Title I funding allocations, established under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015). Areas above 75% eligibility — including this one — receive concentration grants on top of the basic Title I formula. Regions with eligibility this high typically draw a substantially larger federal funding share relative to their local tax base, which can either offset or reinforce existing gaps depending on allocation policy.
Chester-Upland SD student-counselor ratio is 261:1 — near the typical range (US average ~408) — within the typical range for U.S. public districts
student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment — districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Variation between sub-units within Chester-Upland SD is typically wider than the Chester-Upland SD-aggregate figure suggests.
Chester-Upland SD chronic absenteeism rate is 54.0% — high (typically associated with higher-than-average disruption; recent CRDC data showed elevated rates persisting after pandemic-era schooling changes)
chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason — illness, family obligations, or disengagement Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.
Chester-Upland SD has 7 schools, including 1 high, 4 other, 2 elementary. Total enrollment is 3,100 students.
How much does Chester-Upland SD spend per student?
Chester-Upland SD spends $53,180 per student. The district has an equity score of 87/100, ranking #16 in Pennsylvania.
What is the average teacher salary in Chester-Upland SD?
The average teacher salary in Chester-Upland SD is $87,455 per year, according to the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.
What is the average rent near Chester-Upland SD?
The HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Delaware County County is $N/A/month (2026). This affects housing affordability for families in the district.
What is the demographic composition of Chester-Upland SD?
Chester-Upland SD students are 81.9% African American, 11.4% Hispanic or Latino, 2.4% White, 0.5% Asian, averaged across 7 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Chester-Upland SD?
Chester-Upland SD has an equity score of 87/100, ranking #16 out of 659 districts in Pennsylvania. This score measures resource distribution fairness across schools in the district.