Best Elementary Schools in Zip Code 62233

The 62233 zip code area is home to a single elementary school, Chester Elementary School, which serves students from pre-kindergarten through 8th grade. While the school has a relatively small student-teacher ratio, it faces some academic challenges, including lower-than-average proficiency rates in math and science, as well as a high chronic absenteeism rate.

Chester CUSD 139, the district that oversees Chester Elementary School, has seen the school's ranking drop from 897 out of 2,077 Illinois elementary schools in 2022-2023 to 1,276 out of 2,056 in 2024-2025, indicating a relative decline in performance compared to other schools in the state. Additionally, the school's proficiency rates in math (25.1%) and science (35.4% in 5th grade and 27.9% in 8th grade) are significantly lower than the state averages of 38.5% and 40.6% (5th grade) and 45.4% (8th grade), respectively.

Despite these academic challenges, Chester Elementary School has a relatively small student-teacher ratio of 13.4 students per teacher, which could be an advantage in providing more individualized attention to students. However, the school also faces socioeconomic challenges, with over 54% of its students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, which may contribute to the high chronic absenteeism rate of 25.4%. The district may want to explore strategies to address these areas of concern and improve the academic performance of Chester Elementary School.