Enrollment
701
Pennsylvania · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Chester, PA
Chester Charter Scholars Academy Cs
Federal NCES profile for Chester Charter Scholars Academy Cs, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 35/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 420085707437Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 50
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 53
📋 Attendance 5
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Chester Charter Scholars Academy Cs earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Pennsylvania median.
- #1 of 4
- schools in Chester · Resource Index
- 35
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.5:1
- students per teacher
- 98.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Chester Charter Scholars Academy Cs has class sizes near the Pennsylvania median. Computed live against every Pennsylvania school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Chester Charter Scholars Academy Cs ranks #1 of 4 schools in Chester, PA.
School address
District: Chester Charter Scholars Academy Cs · Pennsylvania
NCES ID 420085707437 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
56.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.5:1
vs 13.6:1 Pennsylvania avg
-8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
98.6%
vs 58.1% Pennsylvania avg
+70% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Chester Charter Scholars Academy Cs compares with Pennsylvania and U.S. medians
What stands out at Chester Charter Scholars Academy Cs
Chester Charter Scholars Academy Cs is a high-poverty, mid-sized charter combined-grade school in Chester, Pennsylvania, enrolling 701 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.5:1 puts it in the smaller third of Pennsylvania schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 98.6% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 701 puts it in the larger third of Pennsylvania schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,889 scored Pennsylvania schools.
Against 433 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #250.
Its student body is predominantly African American (91% of enrollment) (diversity index 17/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 234 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 37.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Chester Charter Scholars Academy Cs spends $14,205 per pupil, 21% below the Pennsylvania average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 24.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 567 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 701 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Chester's public schools, it stands alongside Stem at Showalter (477 students): Chester Charter Scholars Academy Cs is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (12.5:1 vs 11.9:1).
Chester Charter Scholars Academy Cs is a single-school charter district, so Chester Charter Scholars Academy Cs operates independently rather than alongside district-mates.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Chester Charter Scholars Academy Cs compares
Chester Charter Scholars Academy Cs on the metrics families compare, against Pennsylvania and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 12.5:1 | ▼ 8% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 98.6% | ▲ 70% | 58.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 701 | top 21% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.5:1
Leaner classes than 71% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
701
Bigger than 80% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
98.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 70% above the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
12.5:1
students per teacher
- 8% below state mean
Top 36% in Pennsylvania - lower ratio than 64% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
37.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$14,205
per pupil, district-wide
- below Pennsylvania avg of $17,970
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 234 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
13
in-school suspensions + 554 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 80.9 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
African American 90.9%
Hispanic or Latino 6.0%
Two or More 1.7%
White 0.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Asian 0.3%
Largest group: African American at 90.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 17.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 17.0, Chester Charter Scholars Academy Cs is less mixed than the Pennsylvania school average of 37.3.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Chester Charter Scholars Academy Cs, which includes Chester Charter Scholars Academy Cs.
$14,205
Per student
-21%
vs Pennsylvania
Avg $17,970
-14%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 74.7%
State 1.1%
Federal 24.1%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
Similar other schools in Chester
3 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Pennsylvania, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~701 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Chester Charter Scholars Academy Cs's federal record.
- Compare Chester Charter Scholars Academy Cs against another school. Compare schools
- Chester Charter Scholars Academy Cs's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Chester Charter Scholars Academy Cs
How many students attend Chester Charter Scholars Academy Cs?
Chester Charter Scholars Academy Cs has 701 students enrolled. It is a public school in Chester, PA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Chester Charter Scholars Academy Cs?
The student-teacher ratio at Chester Charter Scholars Academy Cs is 12.5:1, which is 8% lower than the Pennsylvania average of 13.6:1 and 20% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Chester Charter Scholars Academy Cs?
98.6% of students at Chester Charter Scholars Academy Cs are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Chester Charter Scholars Academy Cs?
The largest demographic group at Chester Charter Scholars Academy Cs is African American at 90.9% of enrollment, in Chester, PA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Chester Charter Scholars Academy Cs?
Chester Charter Scholars Academy Cs has a Resource Investment Index of 35/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Chester Charter Scholars Academy Cs rank among schools in Chester?
By Resource Investment Index, Chester Charter Scholars Academy Cs ranks #1 of 4 schools in Chester, PA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Chester on the city page.
Is Chester Charter Scholars Academy Cs a good school?
Chester Charter Scholars Academy Cs earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Pennsylvania median. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Chester Charter Scholars Academy Cs?
None; Chester Charter Scholars Academy Cs is a single-school charter district, and Chester Charter Scholars Academy Cs is its only campus.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.