Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

Chester Park Elementary School for the Arts

Public Grades PK, KG-5

537^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 661 South Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 19% of South Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Chester Park Elementary School for the Arts is a public elementary school in Chester, SC, serving 331 students in grades PK-5 within the Chester 01 school district.

This school has faced significant academic challenges for over a decade, consistently ranking in the bottom fifth of South Carolina elementary schools. In the most recent school year, only 35-46% of students met state standards in English Language Arts, compared to state averages of 64-65%. The gaps are even wider in science, where just 24% of 4th graders were proficient versus 52% statewide. Perhaps most concerning is the school's chronic absenteeism rate of 30.3%—roughly 36% higher than the state average—which has persisted for years and is likely a major factor in the low academic outcomes. While the school spends above the district average at $15,915 per student and maintains a favorable 11.4:1 student-teacher ratio, these resources have not translated into improved results.

For parents considering this school, it's helpful to know how it compares to nearby options. The school shares a campus with Chester Park Elementary School of Literacy and Technology, which ranks even lower at the 2nd percentile statewide. However, just 1.92 miles away, Academy for Teaching and Learning achieves proficiency rates 20-30 percentage points higher in most subjects. Schools in the nearby York 03 district, such as Oakdale Elementary, show even starker contrasts—with 78% of 4th graders proficient in ELA compared to 35% here, despite similar per-student spending. There are some modest bright spots: the school's effectiveness with African American students has improved from the 8th to 20th percentile over three years, and 4th grade math showed a dramatic one-year jump to 60.5% proficiency before falling back. Still, the school's arts-focused identity hasn't improved attendance or engagement, and without fundamental changes around absenteeism and instructional effectiveness, the school appears likely to remain in the bottom quintile of South Carolina elementary schools.

331

Students ?

11.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$15,915

Per pupil spending ?

93.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

835-A Lancaster Highway
Chester, SC 29706

(803) 581-7279

District: Chester 01

Students who attend Chester Park Elementary School for the Arts usually attend:

Middle:	Chester Middle
High:	Chester Senior High

Racial breakdown:

African American:

49.2%

White:

28.7%

Hispanic:

12.4%

See top rated South Carolina elementary schools

Compare Chester Park Elementary School for the Arts to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 14th percentile in 2016 → 19th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 5 percentile points since 2016

✓Small classes — about 11 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the South Carolina average (40% vs 58% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (19th percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (30% vs 22% South Carolina)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school40%

District avg44%

South Carolina avg58%

537^th of 661

South Carolina public elementary schools ?

Bottom 19%▲ up 4 pts since 2016

From bottom 14% (2016) to bottom 19% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of South Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

4^th of 6Elementary Schools in the Chester 01

54^th of 75Chester 01 among South Carolina 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	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	19.9	537 of 661	18.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	18.9	535 of 639	16.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	21.3	511 of 643	20.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	21.0	524 of 644	18.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	23.4	477 of 625	23.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	18.7	503 of 622	19.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	18.4	537 of 643	16.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	19.0	524 of 624	16.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	19.0	552 of 639	13.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	19.6	530 of 619	14.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	23.7	537 of 638	15.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	28.3	496 of 630	21.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	24.2	508 of 599	15.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	17.9	531 of 594	10.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	19.6	528 of 597	11.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	34.3	435 of 589	26.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	28.5	459 of 580	20.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	29.4	461 of 577	20.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	22.2	490 of 566	13.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	26.7	454 of 559	18.8%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	28.0	310 of 384	19.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	25.3	316 of 380	16.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	17.3	364 of 394	7.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	11.8	385 of 393	2.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	13.7	403 of 421	4.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	18.4	379 of 412	8.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	20.8	503 of 599	16.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	16.5	509 of 580	12.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	19.9	475 of 568	16.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	22.3	466 of 580	19.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	21.6	452 of 573	21.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	14.4	481 of 554	13.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	18.3	502 of 588	14.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	22.3	463 of 570	18.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	23.2	516 of 634	18.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	19.6	530 of 612	13.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	24.3	475 of 602	21.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	26.1	482 of 608	20.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	26.7	457 of 600	23.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	23.4	463 of 580	20.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	25.1	479 of 600	20.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	21.7	503 of 588	14.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	13.4	533 of 591	9.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	12.1	530 of 585	9.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	19.7	481 of 582	17.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	26.7	429 of 579	25.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	21.9	435 of 561	22.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	17.8	503 of 590	14.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	13.9	522 of 571	8.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2023	20.1	392 of 463	15.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	16.1	400 of 455	12.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	8.4	419 of 439	4.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	15.5	423 of 472	10.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	14.8	414 of 457	9.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)

African American (2026)19th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)19th percentile~ school

Female (2026)16th percentile-3 vs school

White (2023)15th percentile-3 vs school

Male (2026)10th percentile-9 vs school

By subject vs South Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Mathematics44%-9 vs state

English Language Arts41%-24 vs state

Science24%-28 vs state

5.0

2 ratings · 1 written review

5★2

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★0

Rate Chester Park Elementary School for the Arts

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

What people are saying

by a parent
Thursday, August 20, 2015

Great teachers! Close Quote

Schools Near Chester Park Elementary School for the Arts

Load more schools when map is moved

Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				SC READY English Language Arts (2026)						SC READY Mathematics (2026)						SC READY Science (2026)		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 (2024)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	SC READY English Language Arts 3rd Grade	SC READY English Language Arts 4th Grade	SC READY English Language Arts 5th Grade	SC READY English Language Arts 6th Grade	SC READY English Language Arts 7th Grade	SC READY English Language Arts 8th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 3rd Grade	SC READY Mathematics 4th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 5th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 6th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 7th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 8th Grade	SC READY Science 4th Grade	SC READY Science 6th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures: Total	Personnel Spending from Federal Funds	Non-Personnel Spending from Federal Funds	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Personnel Spending from State and Local Funds	Non-Personnel from State and Local Funds	Sub-total Spending from State and Local Funds
Chester Park School Elementary of Inquiry	Public	PK, KG-5	835-C Lancaster Highway	Chester	29706	Chester County	Chester 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 581-7282	355	29	12.2	100.0%	41 (11.5%)	260 (73.2%)	25 (7.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (8.2%)	12.9	605^th of 661 public elementary schools	8.5%		15.9	558^th of 639 public elementary schools	12.7%	47	54.5	46.5	41.5				31.8	27.9	20.8				18.6		$16,377	$2,625	$1,211	$3,836	$10,258	$2,283	$12,541
Chester Park Elementary School for the Arts	Public	PK, KG-5	835-A Lancaster Highway	Chester	29706	Chester County	Chester 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 581-7279	331	29	11.4	93.3%	95 (28.7%)	163 (49.2%)	41 (12.4%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	30 (9.1%)	19.9	537^th of 661 public elementary schools	18.8%		18.9	535^th of 639 public elementary schools	16.3%	2	40.9	35.4	46.1				50.0	38.3	41.1				23.9		$15,915	$2,229	$815	$3,043	$10,498	$2,374	$12,872
Chester Park Elementary School of Literacy and Technology	Public	PK, KG-5	835-B Lancaster Highway	Chester	29706	Chester County	Chester 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 581-7275	300	22	13.6	95.7%	54 (18.0%)	171 (57.0%)	44 (14.7%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (9.7%)	6.9	645^th of 661 public elementary schools	2.4%		6.6	623^rd of 639 public elementary schools	2.5%	22	30.9	45.2	26.0				40.4	26.2	8.7				11.9		$16,772	$3,164	$831	$3,995	$10,322	$2,456	$12,778
Academy for Teaching and Learning	Public, Charter	K-8	109 Hinton Street	Chester	29706	Chester County	Chester 01	Yes	No	No	No	(803) 385-6334	329	28	11.7	100.0%	263 (79.9%)	54 (16.4%)	3 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.4%)	36.5	421^st of 661 public elementary schools	36.3%		40.5	372^nd of 639 public elementary schools	41.8%	49	67.5	61.2	52.6	51.3	59.2	58.3	56.7	47.2	42.1	24.3	29.6		25.0	29.7	$14,498	$698	$591	$1,289	$10,454	$2,755	$13,209
Lewisville Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4006 Lewisville High School Ro	Richburg	29729	Chester County	Chester 01	No	No	No	No	(803) 789-5164	594	41	14.6	100.0%	323 (54.4%)	151 (25.4%)	56 (9.4%)	9 (1.5%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	52 (8.8%)	46.3	342^nd of 661 public elementary schools	48.3%		44	347^th of 639 public elementary schools	45.7%	5	62.5	58.3	63.3				58.4	37.4	53.1				40.7		$13,880	$1,538	$726	$2,264	$9,531	$2,084	$11,615
Oakdale Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1129 Oakdale Road	Rock Hill	29730	York County	York 03	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 981-1585	487	36	13.5	100.0%	106 (21.8%)	296 (60.8%)	37 (7.6%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	45 (9.2%)	69.5	197^th of 661 public elementary schools	70.2%		58.7	264^th of 639 public elementary schools	58.7%	67	73.8	77.9	57.3				66.2	70.6	46.7				67.7		$15,312	$1,111	$968	$2,079	$11,875	$1,357	$13,232
Mount Holly Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1800 Porter Road	Rock Hill	29730	York County	York 03	No	No	No	No	(803) 985-1650	514	36	14.2	100.0%	237 (46.1%)	172 (33.5%)	57 (11.1%)	4 (0.8%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	41 (8.0%)	61.6	244^th of 661 public elementary schools	63.1%		53.7	283^rd of 639 public elementary schools	55.7%	39	77.7	64.8	73.9				65.3	50.0	46.4				47.3		$14,991	$840	$863	$1,703	$11,767	$1,521	$13,288
Sunset Park Center for Accelerated Studies	Public	PK, KG-5	1036 Ogden Road	Rock Hill	29730	York County	York 03	No	No	No	No	(803) 981-1260	431	32	13.4	100.0%	64 (14.8%)	307 (71.2%)	33 (7.7%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	24 (5.6%)	43.3	373^rd of 661 public elementary schools	43.6%		43.2	355^th of 639 public elementary schools	44.4%	18	71.5	55.7	65.9				54.0	38.5	35.3				44.3		$15,207	$1,134	$1,017	$2,152	$11,473	$1,582	$13,056
The Palmetto School	Public, Charter	PK, KG-8	386 East Black Street	Rock Hill	29732	York County	York 03	Yes	No	No	Yes	(803) 328-6555	63	8	8.4	27.6%	18 (28.6%)	36 (57.1%)	3 (4.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (9.5%)								(n/a)															$24,274	$2,165	$2,152	$4,317	$15,967	$3,989	$19,957
York Road Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2254 West Main Street	Rock Hill	29732	York County	York 03	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 981-1950	431	34	12.6	100.0%	131 (30.4%)	206 (47.8%)	58 (13.5%)	4 (0.9%)	3 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	28 (6.5%)	22.1	523^rd of 661 public elementary schools	20.9%		14.8	564^th of 639 public elementary schools	11.7%	41	63.7	48.7	42.0				40.6	31.6	30.4				31.6		$15,904	$642	$1,002	$1,645	$12,384	$1,876	$14,260

Frequently Asked Questions about Chester Park Elementary School for the Arts

What district is Chester Park Elementary School for the Arts in?

Chester 01

Is Chester Park Elementary School for the Arts a good school?

Chester Park Elementary School for the Arts ranks in the bottom 18.8% of South Carolina elementary schools.

What schools do graduates of Chester Park Elementary School for the Arts attend?

Students who attend Chester Park Elementary School for the Arts usually go on to attend:

Middle : Chester Middle
High : Chester Senior High

What is the racial makeup of Chester Park Elementary School for the Arts?

Students at Chester Park Elementary School for the Arts are 49% African American, 29% White, 12% Hispanic, 9% Two or more races.

How many students attend Chester Park Elementary School for the Arts?

In the 2024-25 school year, 331 students attended Chester Park Elementary School for the Arts.

Rate Chester Park Elementary School for the Arts!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

SCSouth Carolina Elementary School Rankings

SCSouth Carolina District Rankings

Schools in Chester, SC

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Chester Park Elementary School for the Arts!

Latest South Carolina data All new data »

2025–26 EOCEP & SC READY test scoresAug 10, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataNov 3, 2025

2024–25 attendance data, dropout rates & graduation ratesNov 3, 2025

2024–25 EOCEP & SC READY test scoresSep 2, 2025

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