Summary:
The city of Chester, Illinois is home to a single elementary school, Chester Elementary School, which serves students from kindergarten through 8th grade. The school's performance has seen a steady decline in recent years, dropping from a statewide ranking of 897 out of 2,077 Illinois elementary schools in 2022-2023 to 1,276 out of 2,056 in 2024-2025.
Chester Elementary School's academic performance is mixed, with some grade levels performing better than others on standardized tests. In 2024-2025, the percentage of students proficient or better in ELA ranged from 29.6% (6th grade) to 60% (7th grade), while in math, the proficiency rates ranged from 18.4% (5th grade) to 35% (3rd grade). These scores are generally lower than the state averages. The school also struggles with a high chronic absenteeism rate of 25.4% in 2024-2025, significantly higher than the state average.
Socioeconomic factors may be contributing to the school's challenges, as 54.79% of its students were eligible for free or reduced-price lunch in 2023-2024. The school's per-student spending in 2023-2024 was $12,588, and its student-teacher ratio of 13.4 is slightly lower than the state average. To address these issues, Chester CUSD 139 may need to implement targeted interventions and support to improve academic achievement and attendance at Chester Elementary School.
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