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Chester Middle School - 03

Q: Is Chester Middle School - 03 a good school?

Chester Middle School - 03 ranks 54 th of 246 South Dakota middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

54^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 246 South Dakota Middle Schools

Better than 78% of South Dakota middle schools

Summary

Chester Middle School - 03 is a public middle school serving grades 6-8 in Chester, South Dakota, with a total enrollment of 69 students. The school is part of the Chester Area School District 39-1, which is ranked 108 out of 147 school districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Chester Middle School - 03 consistently performs above the state and district averages in Smarter Balanced Assessments for English Language Arts and Mathematics across all grades. In the 2024-2025 school year, the school had 64.18% of students proficient or better in ELA, compared to 53.31% for the district and 50.93% for the state. In Mathematics, the school had 50.74% proficiency, compared to 41.32% for the district and 43.49% for the state. The school's performance in Science for 8th grade is also above the district and state averages. Additionally, the school has strong performance across different student subgroups, often ranking in the top quartile or top half of South Dakota middle schools.

Interestingly, a nearby school, Montrose Middle School - 03 in the Montrose School District 43-2, also performs very well academically, matching or exceeding Chester Middle School - 03's performance in many areas. Other nearby schools, such as West Central Middle School - 04 and Flandreau Middle School - 03, have more mixed academic results. Overall, Chester Middle School - 03 stands out as a high-performing middle school, with consistently strong academic results, low chronic absenteeism, and a stable, well-resourced learning environment.

Students ?

11.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$13,142

Per pupil spending ?

19.4%

Free/discounted lunch ?

102 2nd Ave
Chester, SD 57016

(605) 489-2411

District: Chester Area School District 39-1

Students who attend Chester Middle School - 03 usually attend:

High:

Chester High School - 01

Feeder schools for Chester Middle School - 03:

Elementary:	Chester Elementary -02
	Rustic Acres Elementary - 04

Racial breakdown:

White:

92.5%

Two or more races:

4.5%

Hispanic:

3.0%

See top rated South Dakota middle schools

Compare Chester Middle School - 03 to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 46th percentile in 2024 → 78th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the South Dakota average (55% vs 47% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 22% of South Dakota middle schools

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 78th (2025) from a 46th-percentile low (2024)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school55%

District avg47%

South Dakota avg47%

54^th of 246

South Dakota public middle schools ?

Top 22%▼ down 19 pts since 2015

From top 3% (2015) to top 22% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of South Dakota Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

108^th of 147Chester Area School District 39-1 among South Dakota 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 Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	69.4	54 of 246	78.0%	★★★★☆
2024	49.0	80 of 147	45.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	59.8	52 of 150	65.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	62.3	47 of 143	67.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	72.0	27 of 145	81.4%	★★★★☆
2019	57.3	61 of 149	59.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	82.2	12 of 147	91.8%	★★★★★
2017	76.2	25 of 146	82.9%	★★★★☆
2016	81.9	11 of 147	92.5%	★★★★★
2015	90.7	4 of 145	97.2%	★★★★★
2013	53.7	80 of 145	44.8%	★★☆☆☆
2012	42.4	101 of 146	30.8%	★★☆☆☆
2011	42.7	101 of 140	27.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	58.5	64 of 139	54.0%	★★★☆☆
2009	53.3	78 of 139	43.9%	★★☆☆☆
2008	63.8	44 of 136	67.6%	★★★☆☆
2007	43.3	105 of 136	22.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	49.6	89 of 141	36.9%	★★☆☆☆
2005	66.2	38 of 136	72.1%	★★★★☆
2004	64.1	39 of 134	70.9%	★★★★☆
2003	39.7	102 of 133	23.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	69.3	42 of 229	81.7%	★★★★☆
2024	68.7	23 of 107	78.5%	★★★★☆
2023	67.9	25 of 112	77.7%	★★★★☆
2022	73.7	16 of 102	84.3%	★★★★☆
2021	65.7	26 of 113	77.0%	★★★★☆
2019	75.6	14 of 107	86.9%	★★★★☆
2018	88.8	2 of 99	98.0%	★★★★★

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	56.2	29 of 117	75.2%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	58.0	58 of 187	69.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	65.1	19 of 79	75.9%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	64.9	63 of 233	73.0%	★★★★☆
2024	38.6	78 of 115	32.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	50.3	57 of 116	50.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	45.7	61 of 104	41.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	74.3	17 of 115	85.2%	★★★★☆
2019	28.8	83 of 110	24.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	66.5	28 of 111	74.8%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	83.1	6 of 115	94.8%	★★★★★

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	62.5	32 of 181	82.3%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	61.9	82 of 230	64.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	39.6	92 of 132	30.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	46.3	78 of 136	42.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	51.0	63 of 132	52.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	65.5	32 of 136	76.5%	★★★★☆
2019	47.1	75 of 136	44.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	75.5	19 of 131	85.5%	★★★★☆

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)

Multi-racial (2025)95th percentile+17 vs school

Special Education (2025)82nd percentile+4 vs school

Female (2025)82nd percentile+4 vs school

Hispanic (2025)75th percentile-3 vs school

Male (2025)73rd percentile-5 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)69th percentile-9 vs school

White (2025)64th percentile-14 vs school

By subject vs South Dakota (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts64%+13 vs state

Mathematics51%+7 vs state

Science42%~ state avg

★

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Schools Near Chester Middle School - 03

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts (2025)					Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2025)					Smarter Balanced Assessments Science (2025)			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	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts 5th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 5th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments Science 5th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Science 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Science All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Chester Middle School - 03	Public	6-8	102 2nd Ave	Chester	57016	Lake County	Chester Area School District 39-1	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(605) 489-2411	67	6	11.2	19.4%	62 (92.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (3.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (4.5%)	69.4	54^th of 246 public middle schools	78.0%		49	80^th of 147 public middle schools	45.6%	26		58.3	57.9	75.0	64.2		50.0	31.6	66.7	50.7		41.7		$13,142	$417	$12,725
Colman-Egan Junior High - 02	Public	7-8	200 S Loban Ave	Colman	57017	Moody County	Colman-Egan School District 50-5	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(605) 534-3534	36	3	10.9	33.3%	30 (83.3%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (8.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (8.3%)	20.9	206^th of 246 public middle schools	16.3%		27.1	114^th of 147 public middle schools	22.4%	92			16.7	33.3	24.2			11.1	13.3	12.1		20.0		$11,886	$355	$11,531
Tri-Valley Intermediate School - 03	Public	5-8	46450 252nd St	Colton	57018	Minnehaha County	Tri-Valley School District 49-6	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(605) 446-3538	296	20	14.9	22.6%	237 (80.1%)	20 (6.8%)	20 (6.8%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.0%)	1 (0.3%)	15 (5.1%)	55.5	111^th of 246 public middle schools	54.9%		53	69^th of 147 public middle schools	53.1%	42	65.7	43.3	50.0	41.8	50.0	40.0	44.8	38.1	51.9	43.7	50.0	40.5	45.0	$11,483	$232	$11,251
Madison Middle School - 02	Public	6-8	830 NE 9th St	Madison	57042	Lake County	Madison Central School District 39-2	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(605) 256-7717	270	22	12.2	23.3%	223 (82.6%)	3 (1.1%)	28 (10.4%)	3 (1.1%)	4 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (3.3%)	64.4	78^th of 246 public middle schools	68.3%		62	50^th of 147 public middle schools	66.0%	28		48.9	72.5	55.6	59.5		41.1	51.0	37.0	43.5		45.7		$11,507	$300	$11,207
Dell Rapids Middle School - 03	Public	5-8	1216 N Garfield Ave	Dell Rapids	57022	Minnehaha County	Dell Rapids School District 49-3	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(605) 428-5473	295	18	16.1	15.6%	273 (92.5%)	2 (0.7%)	6 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.0%)	1 (0.3%)	10 (3.4%)	86.8	8^th of 246 public middle schools	96.7%		92	4^th of 147 public middle schools	97.3%	4	70.9	69.8	63.8	75.9	70.3	59.5	76.2	71.0	69.6	68.6	58.2	65.8	62.0	$10,900	$427	$10,473
Oldham-Ramona-Rutland Junior High	Public	6-8	102 School St	Rutland	57054	Lake County	Oldham-Ramona-Rutland School District 39-6	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(605) 586-4352	41	5	8.1	19.5%	39 (95.1%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (4.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	36.6	173^rd of 246 public middle schools	29.7%					(n/a)		33.3	35.3	58.3	41.5		25.0	11.8	16.7	17.1		41.7		$15,910	$1,194	$14,717
Baltic Middle School - 03	Public	6-8	1 Bulldog Ave	Baltic	57003	Minnehaha County	Baltic School District 49-1	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(605) 529-5461	110	8	13.4	19.1%	100 (90.9%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (3.6%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (2.7%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (2.7%)	68.5	60^th of 246 public middle schools	75.6%		57.1	60^th of 147 public middle schools	59.2%			65.7	60.0	54.8	60.4		60.0	46.7	29.0	46.0		58.1		$10,459	$361	$10,099
Montrose Middle School - 03	Public	6-8	309 S Church Ave	Montrose	57048	McCook County	Montrose School District 43-2	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(605) 363-5025	53	4	12.2	22.6%	49 (92.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (5.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	80.6	23^rd of 246 public middle schools	90.7%		86.6	11^th of 147 public middle schools	92.5%	12		60.0	75.0	65.0	65.4		40.0	91.7	75.0	65.4		75.0		$14,480	$132	$14,348
West Central Middle School - 04	Public	6-8	705 E 2nd St	Hartford	57033	Minnehaha County	West Central School District 49-7	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(605) 528-3799	297	20	15.0	13.8%	269 (90.6%)	3 (1.0%)	8 (2.7%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (3.7%)	56.2	109^th of 246 public middle schools	55.7%		51.3	74^th of 147 public middle schools	49.7%	35		37.0	54.7	50.6	46.9		44.4	41.1	48.3	44.5		39.3		$11,327	$259	$11,068
Flandreau Middle School - 03	Public	5-8	700 W Community Dr	Flandreau	57028	Moody County	Flandreau School District 50-3	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(605) 997-2705	193	19	10.1	52.3%	80 (41.5%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (13.0%)	2 (1.0%)	63 (32.6%)	2 (1.0%)	21 (10.9%)	42	162^nd of 246 public middle schools	34.1%		20.4	127^th of 147 public middle schools	13.6%	35	32.0	34.0	55.9	38.6	38.9	18.0	38.3	29.4	11.4	24.0	18.0	38.6	27.7	$14,765	$995	$13,770

Frequently Asked Questions about Chester Middle School - 03

What high school do graduates of Chester Middle School - 03 attend?

Students who attend Chester Middle School - 03 usually go on to attend Chester High School - 01

Is Chester Middle School - 03 a good school?

Chester Middle School - 03 ranks 54^th of 246 South Dakota middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Chester Middle School - 03?

Students at Chester Middle School - 03 are 93% White, 4% Two or more races, 3% Hispanic.

What district is Chester Middle School - 03 in?

Chester Area School District 39-1

How many students attend Chester Middle School - 03?

In the 2024-25 school year, 67 students attended Chester Middle School - 03.

Rate Chester Middle School - 03!

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