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Chester Elementary School

Q: Is Chester Elementary School a good school?

Chester Elementary School ranks 91 st of 493 Connecticut elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-6

91^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 493 Connecticut Elementary Schools

Better than 82% of Connecticut elementary schools

Summary

Chester Elementary School is a public elementary school serving grades PK-6 in Chester, Connecticut. With just 207 students, the school consistently outperforms the state average in academic achievement, ranking 91 out of 493 elementary schools in the state and earning a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

One of the key factors contributing to Chester Elementary's success is its low student-teacher ratio, which ranges from 9.6 to 11.5 students per teacher - significantly lower than nearby schools. The school also spends more per student, ranging from $22,420 to $23,501 per year, compared to the state average. While Chester Elementary's academic performance is impressive, it is not the highest-performing school in the immediate area - Center School and Lyme Consolidated School, which are part of the Regional School District 18, have even higher test scores and rankings.

Another interesting finding is that Chester Elementary School has a relatively low percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 24.88% to 27.05%, compared to the nearby schools, which have rates ranging from 12.27% to 39.38%. This suggests that the school may benefit from a more affluent student population, which could contribute to its strong academic performance. However, it's important to note that the school's success is not solely dependent on its demographic composition, but rather a combination of factors, including its small size, low student-teacher ratio, and higher spending per student.

198

Students ?

9.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$30,591

Per pupil spending ?

28.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

23 Ridge Rd.
Chester, CT 06412

(860) 526-5797

District: Chester School District

Students who attend Chester Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	John Winthrop Middle School
High:	Valley Regional High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

87.4%

Hispanic:

8.6%

Two or more races:

3.0%

See top rated Connecticut elementary schools

Compare Chester Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 90th percentile in 2015 → 82nd in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Connecticut average (74% vs 52% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 18% of Connecticut elementary schools

✓Small classes — about 10 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 8 percentile points since 2015

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school74%

District avg74%

Connecticut avg52%

91^st of 493

Connecticut public elementary schools ?

Top 18%▼ down 8 pts since 2015

From top 10% (2015) to top 18% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Connecticut Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

28^th of 156Chester School District among Connecticut districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Connecticut percentile	Rating
2025	81.7	91 of 493	81.5%	★★★★☆
2024	90.2	34 of 497	93.2%	★★★★★
2023	88.5	49 of 491	90.0%	★★★★★
2022	90.2	35 of 490	92.9%	★★★★★
2021	86.5	77 of 538	85.7%	★★★★☆
2019	82.8	97 of 522	81.4%	★★★★☆
2018	81.4	109 of 532	79.5%	★★★★☆
2017	85.1	74 of 519	85.7%	★★★★☆
2016	80.0	117 of 518	77.4%	★★★★☆
2015	87.7	55 of 551	90.0%	★★★★★
2013	83.3	39 of 557	93.0%	★★★★★
2012	76.4	133 of 564	76.4%	★★★★☆
2011	78.3	116 of 565	79.5%	★★★★☆
2010	72.0	196 of 579	66.1%	★★★☆☆
2009	77.3	127 of 566	77.6%	★★★★☆
2008	73.3	180 of 565	68.1%	★★★☆☆
2007	74.8	158 of 568	72.2%	★★★★☆
2006	74.7	163 of 570	71.4%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Connecticut percentile	Rating
2025	47.7	155 of 248	37.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	70.6	73 of 250	70.8%	★★★★☆
2023	71.8	74 of 262	71.8%	★★★★☆
2022	74.5	63 of 252	75.0%	★★★★☆
2021	75.6	76 of 327	76.8%	★★★★☆
2019	66.0	101 of 295	65.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	62.2	120 of 296	59.5%	★★★☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

White (2025)38th percentile-44 vs school

By subject vs Connecticut (2024-2025) ?

Mathematics77%+25 vs state

Science74%+21 vs state

English Language Arts71%+18 vs state

5.0

1 rating

5★1

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★0

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Schools Near Chester Elementary School

School	Students/Teachers	Ranking (2025)	Ranking (2024)	NGSS Science (2025)	SBAC English Language Arts (2025)	SBAC Mathematics (2025)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
Chester Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	23 Ridge Rd.	Chester	06412	Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region	Chester School District	No	No	No	Yes	(860) 526-5797	198	0	9.6	28.3%	173 (87.4%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (8.6%)	2 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (3.0%)	81.7	91^st of 493 public elementary schools	81.5%	90.2	34^th of 497 public elementary schools	93.2%	57	73.5			70.6		77.1				$30,591
Deep River Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	12 River St.	Deep River	06417	Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region	Deep River School District	No	No	No	Yes	(860) 526-5319	189	0	9.8	32.3%	165 (87.3%)	1 (0.5%)	19 (10.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.1%)	2 (1.1%)	77.2	129^th of 493 public elementary schools	73.8%	82.8	92^nd of 497 public elementary schools	81.5%	37	78.6	56.3				65.6		75.0		$32,856
Essex Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	108 Main St.	Centerbrook	06409	Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region	Essex School District	No	No	No	Yes	(860) 767-8215	307	0	10.3	21.2%	254 (82.7%)	3 (1.0%)	37 (12.1%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	11 (3.6%)	78.4	121^st of 493 public elementary schools	75.5%	79.5	115^th of 497 public elementary schools	76.9%	6	73.2	70.6	65.6	70.7	61.0	73.5		65.9	61.0	$27,228
Haddam-Killingworth Intermediate School	Public	4-5	451 Route 81	Killingworth	06419	Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region	Regional School District 17	No	No	No	No	(860) 663-1241	280	22	12.7	18.6%	250 (89.3%)	4 (1.4%)	13 (4.6%)	2 (0.7%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (3.6%)	73.4	154^th of 493 public elementary schools	68.8%	76.5	135^th of 497 public elementary schools	72.8%	19	70.3		68.9	67.6			60.6	61.0		$20,736
Burr District Elementary School	Public	K-3	792 Killingworth Road	Higganum	06441	Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region	Regional School District 17	No	No	No	No	(860) 345-4584	278	26	10.9	20.1%	262 (94.2%)	2 (0.7%)	10 (3.6%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.7%)							(n/a)		69.1				84.0				$26,619
Killingworth Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-3	340 Route 81	Higganum	06419	Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region	Regional School District 17	No	No	No	No	(860) 663-1121	257	23	11.1	15.6%	226 (87.9%)	1 (0.4%)	15 (5.8%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (5.1%)							(n/a)		77.4				79.0				$27,528
Lyme Consolidated School	Public	K-5	478 Hamburg Road	Lyme	06371	Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region	Regional School District 18	No	No	No	Yes	(860) 434-1233	226	18	12.6	23.0%	196 (86.7%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (8.8%)	3 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (3.1%)	86.4	56^th of 493 public elementary schools	88.6%	81.8	98^th of 497 public elementary schools	80.3%	42		79.5		73.2		82.1	75.0			$24,089
East Haddam Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-3	45 Joe Williams Rd.	Moodus	06469	Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region	East Haddam School District	No	No	No	Yes	(860) 873-5076	340	28	12.1	28.5%	307 (90.3%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (6.2%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.9%)							(n/a)		66.2				69.1				$21,196
Lewin G. Joel Junior School	Public	PK, KG-4	137A Glenwood Rd.	Clinton	06413	Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region	Clinton School District	No	No	No	Yes	(860) 664-6501	532	53	10.0	38.5%	364 (68.4%)	4 (0.8%)	133 (25.0%)	13 (2.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (3.4%)	59.4	217^th of 493 public elementary schools	56.0%	59.2	213^th of 497 public elementary schools	57.1%	4		58.3	49.5			68.0	56.2			$21,758
Daisy Ingraham School	Public	PK, KG-5	105 Goodspeed Dr.	Westbrook	06498	Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region	Westbrook School District	No	No	No	Yes	(860) 399-7925	292	33	8.7	37.3%	204 (69.9%)	2 (0.7%)	73 (25.0%)	6 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.4%)	66.3	194^th of 493 public elementary schools	60.6%	62.7	200^th of 497 public elementary schools	59.8%	6	61.5	47.5	62.5			65.0	66.7	61.5		$28,991

Frequently Asked Questions about Chester Elementary School

What schools do graduates of Chester Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Chester Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : John Winthrop Middle School
High : Valley Regional High School

What district is Chester Elementary School in?

Chester School District

What is the racial makeup of Chester Elementary School?

Students at Chester Elementary School are 87% White, 9% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

Is Chester Elementary School a good school?

Chester Elementary School ranks 91^st of 493 Connecticut elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Chester Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 198 students attended Chester Elementary School.

Rate Chester Elementary School!

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CTConnecticut Elementary School Rankings

CTConnecticut District Rankings

Schools in Chester, CT

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Connecticut Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				NGSS Science (2025)	SBAC English Language Arts (2025)				SBAC Mathematics (2025)				Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	NGSS Science 5th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 3rd Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 4th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 5th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 6th Grade	SBAC Mathematics 3rd Grade	SBAC Mathematics 4th Grade	SBAC Mathematics 5th Grade	SBAC Mathematics 6th Grade	Total
Chester Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	23 Ridge Rd.	Chester	06412	Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region	Chester School District	No	No	No	Yes	(860) 526-5797	198	0	9.6	28.3%	173 (87.4%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (8.6%)	2 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (3.0%)	81.7	91^st of 493 public elementary schools	81.5%		90.2	34^th of 497 public elementary schools	93.2%	57	73.5			70.6		77.1				$30,591
Deep River Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	12 River St.	Deep River	06417	Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region	Deep River School District	No	No	No	Yes	(860) 526-5319	189	0	9.8	32.3%	165 (87.3%)	1 (0.5%)	19 (10.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.1%)	2 (1.1%)	77.2	129^th of 493 public elementary schools	73.8%		82.8	92^nd of 497 public elementary schools	81.5%	37	78.6	56.3				65.6		75.0		$32,856
Essex Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	108 Main St.	Centerbrook	06409	Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region	Essex School District	No	No	No	Yes	(860) 767-8215	307	0	10.3	21.2%	254 (82.7%)	3 (1.0%)	37 (12.1%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	11 (3.6%)	78.4	121^st of 493 public elementary schools	75.5%		79.5	115^th of 497 public elementary schools	76.9%	6	73.2	70.6	65.6	70.7	61.0	73.5		65.9	61.0	$27,228
Haddam-Killingworth Intermediate School	Public	4-5	451 Route 81	Killingworth	06419	Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region	Regional School District 17	No	No	No	No	(860) 663-1241	280	22	12.7	18.6%	250 (89.3%)	4 (1.4%)	13 (4.6%)	2 (0.7%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (3.6%)	73.4	154^th of 493 public elementary schools	68.8%		76.5	135^th of 497 public elementary schools	72.8%	19	70.3		68.9	67.6			60.6	61.0		$20,736
Burr District Elementary School	Public	K-3	792 Killingworth Road	Higganum	06441	Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region	Regional School District 17	No	No	No	No	(860) 345-4584	278	26	10.9	20.1%	262 (94.2%)	2 (0.7%)	10 (3.6%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.7%)								(n/a)		69.1				84.0				$26,619
Killingworth Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-3	340 Route 81	Higganum	06419	Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region	Regional School District 17	No	No	No	No	(860) 663-1121	257	23	11.1	15.6%	226 (87.9%)	1 (0.4%)	15 (5.8%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (5.1%)								(n/a)		77.4				79.0				$27,528
Lyme Consolidated School	Public	K-5	478 Hamburg Road	Lyme	06371	Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region	Regional School District 18	No	No	No	Yes	(860) 434-1233	226	18	12.6	23.0%	196 (86.7%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (8.8%)	3 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (3.1%)	86.4	56^th of 493 public elementary schools	88.6%		81.8	98^th of 497 public elementary schools	80.3%	42		79.5		73.2		82.1	75.0			$24,089
East Haddam Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-3	45 Joe Williams Rd.	Moodus	06469	Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region	East Haddam School District	No	No	No	Yes	(860) 873-5076	340	28	12.1	28.5%	307 (90.3%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (6.2%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.9%)								(n/a)		66.2				69.1				$21,196
Lewin G. Joel Junior School	Public	PK, KG-4	137A Glenwood Rd.	Clinton	06413	Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region	Clinton School District	No	No	No	Yes	(860) 664-6501	532	53	10.0	38.5%	364 (68.4%)	4 (0.8%)	133 (25.0%)	13 (2.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (3.4%)	59.4	217^th of 493 public elementary schools	56.0%		59.2	213^th of 497 public elementary schools	57.1%	4		58.3	49.5			68.0	56.2			$21,758
Daisy Ingraham School	Public	PK, KG-5	105 Goodspeed Dr.	Westbrook	06498	Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region	Westbrook School District	No	No	No	Yes	(860) 399-7925	292	33	8.7	37.3%	204 (69.9%)	2 (0.7%)	73 (25.0%)	6 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.4%)	66.3	194^th of 493 public elementary schools	60.6%		62.7	200^th of 497 public elementary schools	59.8%	6	61.5	47.5	62.5			65.0	66.7	61.5		$28,991