Chester School District

The Chester School District in Chester, Connecticut, is served by a single school: Chester Elementary School, a PK–6 elementary school with 198 students. With only one school, the district-level and school-level results are identical, making this small district's story entirely defined by the performance of this one school.

Chester Elementary School is a consistently high-performing school. It earned a 4-star rating in both 2025-2026 and 2024-2025, and a 5-star rating in 2023-2024. In 2025-2026, it ranked 91st out of 491 elementary schools statewide, placing it in the 81st percentile. Academic results are well above state averages in almost every subject and grade. For example, 5th grade math proficiency was 83.3% compared to the state average of 45.8%, and 5th grade ELA proficiency reached 70.8% versus a 53.5% state average. Science scores followed the same pattern at 73.5% proficiency versus the state's 52.2%. Chronic absenteeism is remarkably low at 4.1% compared to the state's 16.4%.

The standout takeaway is the exceptional math performance, with Chester students nearly twice as likely to be proficient as their peers statewide. The school also shows balanced strength across reading, math, and science. Strong attendance and consistent year-over-year ELA scores suggest a stable and effective learning environment. Notably, the school achieves these results while serving a moderate share of students eligible for free/reduced lunch (28.28%), indicating strong support for all learners. Per-student spending is reported at $23,501 (2018-2019), and while the ranking has dipped from the top 7% to the top 19% in recent years, there is no evidence of a meaningful decline in academic performance. For parents, Chester Elementary School represents a high-quality, well-rounded option with excellent outcomes and strong community engagement.