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Chester Station ReplicaPhoto: James Shelton32 · CC BY-SA 4.0
B
Schools in Chester · Chesterfield County Public Schools

Chester’s public schools outscore 58% of Virginia districts

The grade covers the public school district serving Chester, from kindergarten through graduation, on state tests and graduation. Each state writes its own tests, so this is the one TownRatings grade compared within Virginia, not nationally.

#171of 250 Virginia townsK–12Where will my kid go?

From Virginia state tests taken in spring 2021, when about 7 in 10 of students in the tested grades sat them, and the class of 2023’s four-year graduation rate, as reported to the U.S. Department of Education.

Math proficiency
52%
▼ 2 pts vs VA 54%
2020–21
Graduate on time
89%
▲ 0 pts vs VA 89%
class of 2023
Spent per student
$14.0K
▼ 19% vs VA $17.2K
FY2024
Students per teacher
13.9
VA 13.9
Schools in town
4
19,026 students on the public path
In brief

Chester’s schools, in brief

Against towns with similar incomes

Among the 169 Virginia towns with household incomes within a quarter of Chester’s, its schools beat 37%, lower than their 58% against all the state’s districts. The grade ↓

Spending and class size

The district spends $13,976 per student, against $17,169 across Virginia (FY2024). Spending doesn’t count toward the grade. Districts ↓

Three elementary schools, then 12 middle and one high school

Which school depends on the address at every step. Enrollment is up 6% since 2020–21. See the path ↓

Written from the figures on this page. Tests are from 2020–21, graduation from the class of 2023; each school’s own letter uses 2020–21 results.

The School Grade

What’s behind Chester’s grade

B− Test scoresB Graduation

B: better than 58% of Virginia school districts, #171 of 250 Virginia towns. Graduation is above the Virginia average; test scores are below it.

Virginia school districts we grade (133)Better than 58%
Lower resultsHigher results
Virginia towns with similar household incomes (169)Better than 37%
B−B+A fairly firm grade. Ordinary sampling error in 23,283 test results and a graduating class of 5,082 could put Chester anywhere from B− to B+. The tests are from spring 2021, when about 7 in 10 of Chester’s students in the tested grades sat them (23,283 students).

How TownRatings grades schools →

Where will my kid go?

Pick a grade. These are the public schools that serve Chester, with each school’s own grade.

The path, start to finish
PK–53 elementary schoolsDepends on your addressD to C
6–812 middle schoolsDepends on your addressD to B+
9–12Thomas Dale HighChesterfield County Public SchoolsB−

Chester’s public schools are run by Chesterfield County Public Schools. To confirm the school for a specific address, ask the district.

The district

Spending and class size are shown but don’t count toward the grade. Each district’s own page has every school.

Chesterfield County Public SchoolsGrades PK–12 · 65 schools · 64,194 students, up 6% since 2020–21 · 13.9 per teacher (VA 13.9)
$13,976VA $17,169 · FY2024
B
Test scores · 2020–21

How students score

Math52%
State average 54.4% · 23283 students tested

Chester vs. its neighbors

Schools grades for the Virginia towns that share Chester’s borders.

Schools next door
TownSchoolsMain districts
ChesterBChesterfield County

Every school in Chester

16 schools. Each public school’s letter compares its own 2020–21 reading and math results with Virginia’s other public schools (the newest school-level results we have).

District schools in Chesterby address
C.E. Curtis Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–5
D
767 students12:1Rate it →
Ecoff Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–5
C
764 students15:1Rate it →
C.C. Wells Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–5
C−
606 students14:1Rate it →
Thomas Dale High
High · Grades 9–12
B−
2,582 students14:1Rate it →
Also serving Chesterin other towns
Tomahawk Creek Middle
Middle · Grades 6–8 · Midlothian
B−
1,650 students15:1Rate it →
Bailey Bridge Middle
Middle · Grades 6–8 · Midlothian
C
1,496 students15:1Rate it →
Falling Creek Middle
Middle · Grades 6–8 · North Chesterfield
D
1,443 students13:1Rate it →
Elizabeth Davis Middle
Middle · Grades 6–8
C−
1,364 students15:1Rate it →
Midlothian Middle
Middle · Grades 6–8 · Midlothian
B+
1,330 students15:1Rate it →
Swift Creek Middle
Middle · Grades 6–8 · Midlothian
B−
1,180 students15:1Rate it →
Manchester Middle
Middle · Grades 6–8 · North Chesterfield
C
1,109 students15:1Rate it →
Robious Middle
Middle · Grades 6–8 · Midlothian
B+
1,081 students15:1Rate it →
Providence Middle
Middle · Grades 6–8 · North Chesterfield
C−
1,033 students14:1Rate it →
Carver Middle
Middle · Grades 6–8
D
970 students13:1Rate it →
Salem Church Middle
Middle · Grades 6–8 · North Chesterfield
D
876 students14:1Rate it →
Matoaca Middle
Middle · Grades 6–8 · Matoaca
C−
775 students15:1Rate it →

Questions about Chester’s schools

Are Chester’s schools good?

They sit near the middle of Virginia: the public schools Chester children attend outscore 58% of Virginia’s school districts on tests and graduation, a B Schools grade, #171 of 250 Virginia towns. Among towns with similar incomes they beat 37%. Tests are from 2020–21, graduation from the class of 2023.

What school district is Chester in?

Chesterfield County Public Schools, which runs grades PK–12 and enrolls 64,194 students in 65 schools (2024–25).

Where do Chester kids go to high school?

Thomas Dale High, with 2,582 students; its own test results earn a B−.

What is Chester’s graduation rate?

89% of the class of 2023 in Chesterfield County Public Schools graduated in four years, against 89% across Virginia.

How much does Chester spend per student?

$13,976 in Chesterfield County Public Schools (FY2024), against $17,169 across Virginia. Spending doesn’t count toward the grade.

Parents talk

What Chester families are saying about school.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

Looking for colleges? Colleges near Chester → They have their own page.

School data: state test results (2020–21, with participation) and four-year graduation rates (class of 2023) reported to the U.S. Department of Education (EDFacts via ED Data Express); each school’s own letter uses its 2020–21 results (EDFacts via the Urban Institute); schools and enrollment from NCES (2024–25; private schools 2023–24); spending from the Census Bureau’s school finance survey (FY2024). The School Grade is our own summary, graded within Virginia. Stars are from neighbors.