Chester Area School District 39-1

102 2nd Ave
Chester, SD 57016
(District boundaries shown in map)
6/
10
Top 50%
For the 2026 school year, there is 1 public preschool serving 148 students in Chester Area School District 39-1. This district's average pre testing ranking is 6/10, which is in the top 50% of public pre schools in South Dakota.
Public Preschool in Chester Area School District 39-1 have an average math proficiency score of 42% (versus the South Dakota public pre school average of 44%), and reading proficiency score of 57% (versus the 45% statewide average).
Minority enrollment is 3% of the student body (majority Hispanic), which is less than the South Dakota public preschool average of 34% (majority American Indian and Hispanic).

Overview

This School District
This State (SD)
# Schools
7 Schools
145 Schools
# Students
542 Students
30,673 Students
# Teachers
38 Teachers
2,364 Teachers
Student-Teacher Ratio
14:1
14:1

Student By Grade

District Rank

Chester Area School District 39-1, which is ranked within the top 50% of all 146 school districts in South Dakota (based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data) for the 2022-2023 school year.
The school district's graduation rate of 15% has decreased from 30-34% over five school years.
This School District
State Average (SD)
#65 out of 148 school districts
(Top 50%)
45%
42%
54%
51%
45-49%
42%
15%
82%

Students by Ethnicity:

0.05
0.54
% American Indian
n/a
13%
% Asian
n/a
1%
% Hispanic
1%
9%
% Black
n/a
5%
% White
97%
66%
% Hawaiian
n/a
n/a
% Two or more races
2%
6%
All Ethnic Groups

District Revenue and Spending

The revenue/student of $12,376 in this school district is less than the state median of $13,146. The school district revenue/student has grown by 21% over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $10,550 is less than the state median of $12,647. The school district spending/student has grown by 13% over four school years.
This School District
This State (SD)
Total Revenue
$7 MM
$1,916 MM
Spending
$6 MM
$1,844 MM
Revenue / Student
$12,376
$13,146
Spending / Student
$10,550
$12,647

Best Chester Area School District 39-1 Public Preschools (2026)

School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Quick Facts
Rank: #11.
Chester Elementary -02
(Math: 40-44% | Reading: 55-59%)
Rank:
6/
10
Top 50%
102 2nd Ave
Chester, SD 57016
(605) 489-2411
Gr: PK-5 | 148 students Student-teacher ratio: 15:1 Minority enrollment: 4%

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Quick Facts (2026)

  • District size: 7 schools
  • Grades: PK-12
  • Enrollment: 542 students
  • Student-Teacher Ratio: 14:1
  • Minority Enrollment: 3%
  • : 15% (Top 30% in SD)
  • : Top 50%
  • : 45% (Top 50%)
  • : 54% (Top 50%)
  • : 45-49% (Top 30%)
  • Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), SD Dept. of Education

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