Enrollment
67
South Dakota · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Chester, SD
Chester Middle School - 03
Federal NCES profile for Chester Middle School - 03, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 52/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 461230000832
👥 S:T ratio 46
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 87
📋 Attendance 44
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Chester Middle School - 03 earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the South Dakota median.
- #4 of 5
- public schools in Chester · Resource Index
- 52
- Resource Index · Higher
- 13.4:1
- students per teacher
- 12.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Chester Middle School - 03 has class sizes near the South Dakota median. Computed live against every South Dakota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Chester Middle School - 03 ranks #4 of 5 public schools in Chester, SD.
School address
District: Chester Area School District 39-1 · South Dakota
NCES ID 461230000832 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
5.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.4:1
vs 13.6:1 South Dakota avg
-1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
12.0%
vs 28.8% South Dakota avg
-58% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Chester Middle School - 03 compares with South Dakota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Chester Middle School - 03
Chester Middle School - 03 is a lower-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Chester, South Dakota, enrolling 67 students.
At 13.4:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the South Dakota median, within a few percentage points of the 13.6:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 12.0% of students eligible for free meals.
With 67 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 107 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #51.
Its student body is predominantly White (93% of enrollment) (diversity index 14/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 67 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 22.4% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
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 Elementary -02 (154 students) and Chester High School - 01 (107 students) alongside Chester Middle School - 03.
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 Middle School - 03 compares
Chester Middle School - 03 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 | 13.4:1 | ▼ 1% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 12.0% | ▼ 58% | 28.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 67 | top 63% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.4:1
Leaner classes than 63% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
67
Bigger than 7% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
12.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 58% 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
13.4:1
students per teacher
- 1% below state mean
Top 50% in South Dakota - lower ratio than 50% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
22.4%
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
$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 67 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 92.5%
Two or More 4.5%
Hispanic or Latino 3.0%
Largest group: White at 92.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 14.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 14.1, Chester Middle School - 03 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 Middle School - 03.
$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 Middle School - 03 Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chester Elementary -02 | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Chester High School - 01 | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Chester Area Cyber School - 92 | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| High Plains - 06 | Larger | Similar economic need | No ratio data |
| Rustic Acres Elementary - 04 | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Chester Middle School - 03's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 154
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
- 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
- 41
- Students per teacher
- 20.5:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
Similar middle 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 (~67 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Chester Middle School - 03's federal record.
- Compare Chester Middle School - 03 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 Middle School - 03
How many students attend Chester Middle School - 03?
Chester Middle School - 03 has 67 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Chester, SD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Chester Middle School - 03?
The student-teacher ratio at Chester Middle School - 03 is 13.4:1, which is 1% lower than the South Dakota average of 13.6:1 and 15% 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 Middle School - 03?
12.0% of students at Chester Middle School - 03 are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Dakota average of 28.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Chester Middle School - 03?
The largest demographic group at Chester Middle School - 03 is White at 92.5% of enrollment, in Chester, SD.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Chester Middle School - 03?
Chester Middle School - 03 has a Resource Investment Index of 52/100 (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 Middle School - 03 rank among public schools in Chester?
By Resource Investment Index, Chester Middle School - 03 ranks #4 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 Middle School - 03 a good school?
Chester Middle School - 03 earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the South Dakota 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 Area School District 39-1?
Besides Chester Middle School - 03, Chester Area School District 39-1 also operates Chester Elementary -02 (154 students), Chester High School - 01 (107 students), and Chester Area Cyber School - 92 (106 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.