Chester Area School District 39-1

The Chester Area School District 39-1 in South Dakota consists of 7 schools, including 3 elementary schools, 1 middle school, and 3 high schools (2 of which are virtual). The district as a whole is ranked 108 out of 147 school districts in the state and has a 1-out-of-5-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Within the district, Chester High School - 01 stands out as a consistent top performer, ranking in the top 20 high schools in the state in 2024-2025 and earning a 5-star rating in 2023-2024. It has high proficiency rates in English Language Arts (70.27%), Mathematics (62.16%), and Science (64.86%) for 11th-grade students, as well as a high 4-year graduation rate of 86.4% and a low dropout rate of 2.6%. In contrast, the district's two virtual high schools, Chester Area Cyber School - 92 and High Plains - 06, perform significantly worse than the traditional high school.

The smaller, more rural schools in the district, such as Rustic Acres Elementary - 04 and Graceville Colony - 07, struggle the most, with Graceville Colony - 07 ranking 272 out of 300 elementary schools in the state in 2024-2025. Overall, the district's performance is mixed, with some standout schools like Chester High School - 01 but also several low-performing schools, particularly the virtual and small rural ones.