Enrollment
171
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Chester, CA
Chester Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Chester Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 18/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 063117004818
👥 S:T ratio 24
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Chester Elementary earns 18/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 73% of California schools.
- #3 of 3
- public schools in Chester · Resource Index
- 18
- Resource Index · Lower
- 19:1
- small classes for California
- 42.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Chester Elementary has class sizes smaller than 73% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Chester Elementary ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Chester, CA.
School address
District: Plumas Unified · California
NCES ID 063117004818 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
9.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
42.1%
vs 55.5% California avg
-24% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Chester Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Chester Elementary
Chester Elementary is a small elementary school in Chester, California, enrolling 171 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 19:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 42.1% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 171 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Among 341 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #306, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (67%) and Hispanic or Latino (17%) (diversity index 51/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 70.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Plumas Unified also operates C. Roy Carmichael Elementary (344 students) and Quincy Elementary (342 students) alongside Chester Elementary.
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 compares
Chester Elementary on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 19:1 | ▼ 12% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 42.1% | ▼ 24% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 171 | top 85% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19:1
Leaner classes than 20% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
171
Bigger than 17% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
42.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 24% below the California average of 55.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
19:1
students per teacher
- 12% below state mean
Top 27% in California - lower ratio than 73% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
70.8%
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
$17,371
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 6 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.3 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 66.7%
Hispanic or Latino 17.0%
Two or More 12.3%
Asian 2.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.8%
Largest group: White at 66.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 51.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 51.0, Chester Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Plumas Unified, which includes Chester Elementary.
$17,371
Per student
+5%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+5%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 66.4%
State 19.5%
Federal 14.1%
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 Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| C. Roy Carmichael Elementary | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Quincy Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Quincy Junior/Senior High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Portola Junior/Senior High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Chester Junior/Senior High | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Chester Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 344
- Students per teacher
- 22.9:1
- Resource Index
- 13/100
- Enrollment
- 342
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 19/100
- Enrollment
- 310
- Students per teacher
- 19.4:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 256
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 124
- Students per teacher
- 12.4:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of California, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~171 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Chester Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Chester Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Plumas Unified'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
How many students attend Chester Elementary?
Chester Elementary has 171 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Chester, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Chester Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Chester Elementary is 19:1, which is 12% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 21% higher 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 Elementary?
42.1% of students at Chester Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Chester Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Chester Elementary is White at 66.7% of enrollment, in Chester, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 51.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Chester Elementary?
Chester Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 18/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Chester Elementary rank among public schools in Chester?
By Resource Investment Index, Chester Elementary ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Chester, CA. 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 a good school?
Chester Elementary earns 18/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 73% of California 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 Plumas Unified?
Besides Chester Elementary, Plumas Unified also operates C. Roy Carmichael Elementary (344 students), Quincy Elementary (342 students), and Quincy Junior/Senior High (310 students). See the Plumas Unified 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.