Enrollment
154
South Dakota · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Chester, SD
Chester Elementary -02
Federal NCES profile for Chester Elementary -02, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 56/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 461230000131
👥 S:T ratio 38
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 69
📋 Attendance 86
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Chester Elementary -02 earns 56/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 72% of South Dakota schools.
- #2 of 5
- public schools in Chester · Resource Index
- 56
- Resource Index · Higher
- 15.4:1
- large classes for South Dakota
- 9.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Chester Elementary -02 has class sizes larger than 72% of South Dakota schools. Computed live against every South Dakota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Chester Elementary -02 ranks #2 of 5 public schools in Chester, SD.
School address
District: Chester Area School District 39-1 · South Dakota
NCES ID 461230000131 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
10.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.4:1
vs 13.6:1 South Dakota avg
+13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
9.4%
vs 28.8% South Dakota avg
-67% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Chester Elementary -02 compares with South Dakota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Chester Elementary -02
Chester Elementary -02 is a lower-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Chester, South Dakota, enrolling 154 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.4:1 puts it in the larger third of South Dakota schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 9.4% of students eligible for free meals.
With 154 students, its enrollment sits close to the South Dakota median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 691 scored South Dakota schools.
Against 125 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #20.
Its student body is predominantly White (95% of enrollment) (diversity index 10/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 154 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance holds up well here: only 5.8% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
The surrounding Chester Area School District 39-1 spends $9,721 per pupil, 28% below the South Dakota average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Chester Area School District 39-1 also operates Chester High School - 01 (107 students) and Chester Area Cyber School - 92 (106 students) alongside Chester Elementary -02.
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 Elementary -02 compares
Chester Elementary -02 on the metrics families compare, against South Dakota and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs South Dakota | South Dakota avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.4:1 | ▲ 13% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 9.4% | ▼ 67% | 28.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 154 | top 36% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.4:1
Leaner classes than 43% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
154
Bigger than 15% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
9.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 67% below the South Dakota average of 28.8%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
15.4:1
students per teacher
- 13% above state mean
Top 72% in South Dakota - lower ratio than 28% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
5.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$9,721
per pupil, district-wide
- below South Dakota avg of $13,477
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 154 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
White 94.8%
Hispanic or Latino 3.2%
Two or More 1.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.6%
Largest group: White at 94.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 10.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 10.0, Chester Elementary -02 is less mixed than the South Dakota school average of 27.6.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Chester Area School District 39-1, which includes Chester Elementary -02.
$9,721
Per student
-28%
vs South Dakota
Avg $13,477
-41%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 55.3%
State 32.0%
Federal 12.7%
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 Elementary -02 Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chester High School - 01 | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Chester Area Cyber School - 92 | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| High Plains - 06 | Smaller | Similar economic need | No ratio data |
| Chester Middle School - 03 | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Rustic Acres Elementary - 04 | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Chester Elementary -02's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 107
- Students per teacher
- 11.9:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
- Enrollment
- 106
- Students per teacher
- 21.2:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 84
- Students per teacher
- -
- Resource Index
- 57/100
- Enrollment
- 67
- Students per teacher
- 13.4:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 41
- Students per teacher
- 20.5:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of South Dakota, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~154 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Chester Elementary -02's federal record.
- Compare Chester Elementary -02 against another school. Compare schools
- Chester Area School District 39-1'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 Elementary -02
How many students attend Chester Elementary -02?
Chester Elementary -02 has 154 students enrolled. It is a public school in Chester, SD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Chester Elementary -02?
The student-teacher ratio at Chester Elementary -02 is 15.4:1, which is 13% higher than the South Dakota average of 13.6:1 and 2% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Chester Elementary -02?
9.4% of students at Chester Elementary -02 are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Dakota average of 28.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Chester Elementary -02?
The largest demographic group at Chester Elementary -02 is White at 94.8% of enrollment, in Chester, SD.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Chester Elementary -02?
Chester Elementary -02 has a Resource Investment Index of 56/100 (higher 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 Elementary -02 rank among public schools in Chester?
By Resource Investment Index, Chester Elementary -02 ranks #2 of 5 public schools in Chester, SD. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Chester on the city page.
Is Chester Elementary -02 a good school?
Chester Elementary -02 earns 56/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 72% of South Dakota 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 Chester Area School District 39-1?
Besides Chester Elementary -02, Chester Area School District 39-1 also operates Chester High School - 01 (107 students), Chester Area Cyber School - 92 (106 students), and High Plains - 06 (84 students). See the Chester Area School District 39-1 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.