Enrollment
326
Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Chester, VA
Chester Early Childhood Learning Academy
Federal NCES profile for Chester Early Childhood Learning Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 50/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 510084003085
👥 S:T ratio 65
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 57
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Chester Early Childhood Learning Academy earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 98% of Virginia schools.
- #7 of 7
- schools in Chester · Resource Index
- 50
- Resource Index · Higher
- 8.8:1
- small classes for Virginia
- 75.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Chester Early Childhood Learning Academy has class sizes smaller than 98% of Virginia schools. Computed live against every Virginia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Chester Early Childhood Learning Academy ranks #7 of 7 schools in Chester, VA.
School address
District: Chesterfield County Public Schools · Virginia
NCES ID 510084003085 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
37.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
8.8:1
vs 13.9:1 Virginia avg
-37% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
75.5%
vs 57.6% Virginia avg
+31% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Chester Early Childhood Learning Academy compares with Virginia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Chester Early Childhood Learning Academy
Chester Early Childhood Learning Academy is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Chester, Virginia, enrolling 326 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 8.8:1, Chester Early Childhood Learning Academy is leaner than roughly 98% of Virginia schools and 37% under the state's 13.9:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 75.5% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 326 puts it in the smaller third of Virginia schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,868 scored Virginia schools.
Against 254 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #143.
Its student body is led by African American (45%) and Hispanic or Latino (35%) (diversity index 65/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 217 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Among Chester's public schools, it stands alongside C.E. Curtis Elementary (767 students): Chester Early Childhood Learning Academy is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (8.8:1 vs 15.3:1).
Chesterfield County Public Schools also operates Thomas Dale High (2,582 students) and Cosby High (2,507 students) alongside Chester Early Childhood Learning Academy.
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 Early Childhood Learning Academy compares
Chester Early Childhood Learning Academy on the metrics families compare, against Virginia and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Virginia | Virginia avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 8.8:1 | ▼ 37% | 13.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 75.5% | ▲ 31% | 57.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 326 | top 82% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
8.8:1
Leaner classes than 93% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
326
Bigger than 36% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
75.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 31% above the Virginia average of 57.6%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
8.8:1
students per teacher
- 37% below state mean
Top 2% in Virginia - lower ratio than 98% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Funding equity
$12,207
per pupil, district-wide
- below Virginia avg of $14,649
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.5 FTE
Per 217 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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 44.8%
Hispanic or Latino 35.3%
White 13.5%
Two or More 4.3%
Asian 1.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: African American at 44.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 65.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 65.4, Chester Early Childhood Learning Academy is more mixed than the Virginia school average of 53.7.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Chesterfield County Public Schools, which includes Chester Early Childhood Learning Academy.
$12,207
Per student
-17%
vs Virginia
Avg $14,649
-26%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 42.8%
State 47.1%
Federal 10.1%
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.
How Chester Early Childhood Learning Academy Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thomas Dale High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Cosby High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Manchester High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lloyd C. Bird High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Midlothian High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Chester Early Childhood Learning Academy's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,582
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 2,507
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 2,236
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 2,131
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 2,048
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
Similar other schools in Chester
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
C.E. Curtis Elementary
Standard public school
767 students 15.3:1 students per teacher
Ecoff Elementary
Standard public school
764 students 15.3:1 students per teacher
Elizabeth Scott Elementary
Standard public school
729 students 12.4:1 students per teacher
Enon Elementary
Standard public school
691 students 14.4:1 students per teacher
C.C. Wells Elementary
Standard public school
606 students 15.5:1 students per teacher
Harrowgate Elementary
Standard public school
486 students 13.5:1 students per teacher
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Virginia, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~326 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~8.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Chester Early Childhood Learning Academy's federal record.
- Compare Chester Early Childhood Learning Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Chesterfield County Public Schools'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 Early Childhood Learning Academy
How many students attend Chester Early Childhood Learning Academy?
Chester Early Childhood Learning Academy has 326 students enrolled. It is a public school in Chester, VA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Chester Early Childhood Learning Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Chester Early Childhood Learning Academy is 8.8:1, which is 37% lower than the Virginia average of 13.9:1 and 44% 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 Early Childhood Learning Academy?
75.5% of students at Chester Early Childhood Learning Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Virginia average of 57.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Chester Early Childhood Learning Academy?
The largest demographic group at Chester Early Childhood Learning Academy is African American at 44.8% of enrollment, in Chester, VA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 65.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Chester Early Childhood Learning Academy?
Chester Early Childhood Learning Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 50/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Chester Early Childhood Learning Academy rank among schools in Chester?
By Resource Investment Index, Chester Early Childhood Learning Academy ranks #7 of 7 schools in Chester, VA. 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 Early Childhood Learning Academy a good school?
Chester Early Childhood Learning Academy earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 98% of Virginia schools. 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 Chesterfield County Public Schools?
Besides Chester Early Childhood Learning Academy, Chesterfield County Public Schools also operates Thomas Dale High (2,582 students), Cosby High (2,507 students), and Manchester High (2,236 students). See the Chesterfield County Public Schools district page for the complete list.
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.