Chester Elementary

www.grsd.org/chester

125 Students

Elementary School Pre-K - 5th

School Overview

Chester Elementary School is a public primary school located in the small, rural community of Chester, Massachusetts. It serves as a member of the Gateway Regional School District, an educational system designed to pool resources and provide comprehensive academic opportunities for students across several hilltowns in the region. The school is committed to fostering a supportive, small-town learning environment where students receive individualized attention while working toward meeting state curriculum standards.

As a part of the Gateway Regional community, Chester Elementary emphasizes the importance of community connection and student engagement. The school’s curriculum is designed to balance core academic subjects—such as literacy, mathematics, and science—with enrichment activities that promote social-emotional growth and collaboration. By maintaining a close-knit atmosphere, the school strives to prepare its students for a smooth transition into the broader district’s middle and high school programs, ensuring that learners are well-equipped with both the academic foundation and personal skills necessary for future success.

125

Total Students

11.7

Full-Time Teachers

10.7

Student/Teacher Ratio

N/A

Free/Reduced Lunch

Student Demographics

Student Demographics Data Table

Student Demographics for Chester Elementary
Demographic	Student Count
White	119
Hispanic	3
Asian	1
Two or More	2

White
119 (95.2 %)
Hispanic
3 (2.4 %)
Two or More
2 (1.6 %)
Asian
1 (0.8 %)

School Location

School Details

Status:	Open
School Level:	Elementary School
School Type:	Regular School
Charter Status:*	Public Non-Charter
Virtual Instruction:	No virtual instruction
Shared Time Status:	No
District:	Gateway
Phone:	(413)685-1360
Website:	http://www.grsd.org/chester
Grade Range:	Pre-K - 5th
Total Students:	125
Full-Time Teachers (FTE):	11.7
Pupil/Teacher Ratio:	10.7
NSLP Participation:¹	Yes under Community Eligibility Option (CEO)
Qualified Free Lunch:	0
Qualified Reduced Lunch:	0

* Charter Schools: A public charter school is a publicly funded school that operates independently under a legislative contract (or "charter") with a state, school district, or designated authorizing entity. Charters grant these schools greater operational flexibility over curriculum, staffing, and budgeting in exchange for strict accountability to achieve performance standards established in their charter agreement.

¹ National School Lunch Program (NSLP): The National School Lunch Program is a federally assisted meal program operating in public and nonprofit private schools. It provides nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free lunches to eligible children each school day based on household income thresholds or community eligibility options (CEO).

Title I Program Overview: Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) allocates federal financial assistance to local educational agencies and public schools with high percentages of children from low-income families to help ensure that all children meet challenging state academic standards.

Grades Taught

Pre-Kindergarten 31

Kindergarten 18

Grade 1 15

Grade 2 12

Grade 3 17

Grade 4 19

Grade 5 13