Ridgefield Public Schools

Listed by NCES as Ridgefield School District (district ID 0903810)

Public school district · Western Connecticut Planning Region · Connecticut · NCES district ID 0903810

Ridgefield Public Schools spent $26,472 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, more than 77% of the other Connecticut districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 (median $23,805). Its 9 schools enrolled 4,378 students in 2024-25; 14.7% of its revenue came from the state. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $28,304 per student, up 6.9% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year). Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 96% (Connecticut: 88.2%).

NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 · Census Bureau school finances 2023-24 · NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 · method

Spending per student among Connecticut districts of similar size

Current spending per student excludes construction and debt. The 9 districts closest to Ridgefield Public Schools in enrollment (4,147 to 4,913 students) and Ridgefield Public Schools itself.

Current spending per student, Connecticut districts closest in size to Ridgefield Public Schools, FY23New Canaan $27,979; Middletown Public Schools $27,702; Darien Public Schools $26,998; Ridgefield Public Schools $26,472; Farmington $23,030; Cheshire $22,860; Enfield Public Schools $21,843; South Windsor Public Schools $20,629; Naugatuck $20,600; Shelton Public Schools $20,407; State median, 1,000+ students $23,805.15k20k25k30kNew Canaan$27,979Middletown Public Schools$27,702Darien Public Schools$26,998Ridgefield Public Schools$26,472Farmington$23,030Cheshire$22,860Enfield Public Schools$21,843South Windsor Public Schools$20,629Naugatuck$20,600Shelton Public Schools$20,407State median, 1,000+ students $23,805
Current spending per student, Connecticut districts closest in size to Ridgefield Public Schools, FY23New Canaan $27,979; Middletown Public Schools $27,702; Darien Public Schools $26,998; Ridgefield Public Schools $26,472; Farmington $23,030; Cheshire $22,860; Enfield Public Schools $21,843; South Windsor Public Schools $20,629; Naugatuck $20,600; Shelton Public Schools $20,407; State median, 1,000+ students $23,805.15k20k25k30kNew Canaan$27,979Middletown Public Schools$27,702Darien Public Schools$26,998Ridgefield Public Schools$26,472Farmington$23,030Cheshire$22,860Enfield Public Schools$21,843South Windsor Public Schools$20,629Naugatuck$20,600Shelton Public Schools$20,407State median, 1,000+ students $23,805
Current spending per student, Connecticut districts closest in size to Ridgefield Public Schools, FY23New Canaan $27,979; Middletown Public Schools $27,702; Darien Public Schools $26,998; Ridgefield Public Schools $26,472; Farmington $23,030; Cheshire $22,860; Enfield Public Schools $21,843; South Windsor Public Schools $20,629; Naugatuck $20,600; Shelton Public Schools $20,407; State median, 1,000+ students $23,805.15k20k25k30kNew Canaan$27,979Middletown Public Schools$27,702Darien Public Schools$26,998Ridgefield Public Schools$26,472Farmington$23,030Cheshire$22,860Enfield Public Schools$21,843South Windsor Public Schools$20,629Naugatuck$20,600Shelton Public Schools$20,407State median, 1,000+ students $23,805
Current spending per student, Connecticut districts closest in size to Ridgefield Public Schools, FY23New Canaan $27,979; Middletown Public Schools $27,702; Darien Public Schools $26,998; Ridgefield Public Schools $26,472; Farmington $23,030; Cheshire $22,860; Enfield Public Schools $21,843; South Windsor Public Schools $20,629; Naugatuck $20,600; Shelton Public Schools $20,407; State median, 1,000+ students $23,805.15k20k25k30kNew Canaan$27,979Middletown Public Schools$27,702Darien Public Schools$26,998Ridgefield Public Schools$26,472Farmington$23,030Cheshire$22,860Enfield Public Schools$21,843South Windsor Public Schools$20,629Naugatuck$20,600Shelton Public Schools$20,407State median, 1,000+ students $23,805

Where the money came from

$130,929,000 in revenue: 14.7% state, 82.9% local and 2.4% federal. Total spending including $3,170,000 of capital outlay was $131,265,000, or $28,736 per student; the figure above leaves capital out.

Ridgefield Public Schools revenue by source, fiscal year 2022-23State $19,212,000; Local $108,527,000; Federal $3,190,000; total $130,929,000.
  • State$19,212,000 15%
  • Local$108,527,000 83%
  • Federal$3,190,000 2%

Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23: current expenditures for elementary and secondary education divided by fall membership; the state median covers 112 districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022. Revenue by source (TOTALREV, TFEDREV, TSTREV, TLOCREV).

Enrollment fell from 2022-23 to 2024-25

4,465 students in 2022-23, 4,386 students in 2023-24, 4,378 students in 2024-25, counted across the schools that reported each year.

Ridgefield Public Schools enrollment by school year2022-23: 4,465, 2023-24: 4,386, 2024-25: 4,37802k4k6k2022-234,4652023-244,3862024-254,378
Ridgefield Public Schools enrollment by school year2022-23: 4,465, 2023-24: 4,386, 2024-25: 4,37802k4k6k2022-234,4652023-244,3862024-254,378
Ridgefield Public Schools enrollment by school year2022-23: 4,465, 2023-24: 4,386, 2024-25: 4,37802k4k6k2022-234,4652023-244,3862024-254,378
Ridgefield Public Schools enrollment by school year2022-23: 4,465, 2023-24: 4,386, 2024-25: 4,37802k4k6k2022-234,4652023-244,3862024-254,378

Teachers and students per teacher

School yearStudentsTeachers (FTE)Per teacher
2022-234,465362.112.3
2023-244,386364.312.0
2024-254,378373.911.7

Source: NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25; sums over the schools reporting each year.

$38,066,000 in teacher salaries in fiscal year 2022-23, $8,333 per student

Ridgefield Public Schools booked $38,066,000 of teacher salaries in its 2022-23 finance report and counted 370 full-time teachers in its Common Core of Data district staff file for 2022-23 (the school files behind the staffing figures on this page count teachers separately, so the two can differ), or $102,887 of salary spending per teacher. That is more than 92 in 100 Connecticut districts with a figure (state median $84,824, 173 districts). It is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, so the result can differ widely from the average salary the district publishes (its salary schedule gives pay); benefits are left out, and states book salaries differently, so compare districts within one state. For pay, the National Education Association put the average Connecticut teacher salary at $81,185 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).

ProgramTeacher salariesShare
Regular programs$28,313,00074.4%
Special education$7,595,00020.0%
Other programs$2,158,0005.7%

Teacher salaries per student, fiscal years 2018-19 to 2022-23

The district's teacher salary bill divided by its fall enrollment each year: $7,065 in 2018-19, $7,408 in 2019-20, $7,728 in 2020-21, $8,115 in 2021-22, $8,333 in 2022-23.

Ridgefield Public Schools teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $7,065, 2019-20: $7,408, 2020-21: $7,728, 2021-22: $8,115, 2022-23: $8,33302.5k5k7.5k10k2018-19$7,0652019-20$7,4082020-21$7,7282021-22$8,1152022-23$8,333
Ridgefield Public Schools teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $7,065, 2019-20: $7,408, 2020-21: $7,728, 2021-22: $8,115, 2022-23: $8,33302.5k5k7.5k10k2018-19$7,0652019-20$7,4082020-21$7,7282021-22$8,1152022-23$8,333
Ridgefield Public Schools teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $7,065, 2019-20: $7,408, 2020-21: $7,728, 2021-22: $8,115, 2022-23: $8,33302.5k5k7.5k10k2018-19$7,0652019-20$7,4082020-21$7,7282021-22$8,1152022-23$8,333
Ridgefield Public Schools teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $7,065, 2019-20: $7,408, 2020-21: $7,728, 2021-22: $8,115, 2022-23: $8,33302.5k5k7.5k10k2018-19$7,0652019-20$7,4082020-21$7,7282021-22$8,1152022-23$8,333

Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal years 2019 to 2023: teacher salaries in regular, special, vocational and other programs (Z35 to Z38) and fall membership (V33); NCES Common Core of Data LEA staff file 2022-23, teachers (full-time equivalent).

State test results, 2021-22

In 2021-22, the students tested in Ridgefield Public Schools scored proficient or above: 80% in reading and 70% in math, against 50.5% in reading and 39.8% in math across Connecticut. Each state writes its own test and sets its own proficiency bar, so compare these within Connecticut, not across states.

Students proficient or above, 2021-22
SubjectThis districtConnecticutStudents tested
Reading and language arts80%50.5%2,337
Math70%39.8%2,304

Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results 2021-22, all students, from ED Data Express (the Data Rescue Project archive; ED has no 2022-23 result for this district): ED shows district results as ranges (for example 20-24%) to protect small groups.

Graduation rate, class of 2023

96% of the 394 students in Ridgefield Public Schools' class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 88.2% across Connecticut. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out, and counts those who earned a regular diploma by 2023. Every state computes it the same way under federal law, though each sets its own diploma requirements.

Four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rate, class of 2023
This districtConnecticut
Four-year graduation rate96%88.2%
Students in the class39440,732

Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates 2022-23, all students, from ED Data Express: ED shows district rates as ranges (for example 90-94%) and leaves out small classes.

6 elementary schools, 1,930 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Barlow Mountain Elementary School37712.65.8%Targeted program
Branchville Elementary School34012.35.9%Targeted program
Ridgebury Elementary School32212.45.6%Targeted program
Scotland Elementary School31811.43.5%Not Title I
Farmingville Elementary School31112.72.6%Not Title I
Veterans Park Elementary School26213.86.5%Targeted program

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.

2 middle schools, 1,037 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Scotts Ridge Middle School54810.95.1%Targeted program
East Ridge Middle School48910.88.4%Targeted program

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.

1 high school, 1,411 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Ridgefield High School1,41111.46.8%Not Title I

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.

Contact Ridgefield Public Schools

Source: NCES Common Core of Data, local education agency directory 2024-25. Enrollment, boundaries and school assignment are the district's to confirm.

What to look at next about Ridgefield Public Schools

  1. Connecticut districts by spending per studentRidgefield Public Schools ranks 27 of 112 Connecticut districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 on current spending per student in fiscal year 2022-23 ($26,472).#27 of 112
  2. Every school district in ConnecticutRidgefield Public Schools is the number 30 by size of 201 Connecticut districts, with 4,568 students in fall 2022 (F-33).#30 of 201
  3. Darien Public SchoolsThe next larger Connecticut district: 4,700 students in fall 2022, $26,998 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$26,998
  4. Shelton Public SchoolsThe next smaller Connecticut district: 4,512 students in fall 2022, $20,407 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$20,407
  5. Compare Ridgefield Public Schools with Darien Public SchoolsEnrollment, spending, revenue sources and schools, side by side.
  6. Ridgefield High School, its largest high school1,411 students in 2024-25, 11.4 per teacher.1,411
  7. Teacher salary spending across ConnecticutRidgefield Public Schools spent $102,887 in salaries per full-time teacher in fiscal year 2022-23 (state median $84,824); spending, not a salary.$102,887
  8. Find the school district for an addressA home's district decides which public schools it can enroll in.

Source: NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 (spending per student and fall 2022 membership; ranks among the state's districts that reported them); NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (schools).

Questions about Ridgefield Public Schools

  1. How many schools and students are in Ridgefield Public Schools?
    9 schools were open in 2024-25 (6 elementary, 2 middle, 1 high), enrolling 4,378 students, according to the NCES Common Core of Data.
  2. How much does Ridgefield Public Schools spend per student?
    $26,472 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), which leaves out construction and debt; the Connecticut median for districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 is $23,805 and the U.S. figure is $16,260. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $28,304 per student, up 6.9% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).
  3. Where does Ridgefield Public Schools' money come from?
    $130,929,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2022-23: 14.7% state, 82.9% local and 2.4% federal (NCES F-33).
  4. How many children in Ridgefield Public Schools live in poverty?
    The Census Bureau estimates that 109 of the 5,127 children aged 5 to 17 living within the district's boundaries in 2024, 2.1%, were in families in poverty (Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). It is a model-based estimate for everyone living in the district, not a count of its students; the free-meal shares in the school tables are counts of enrolled students.
  5. How much does Ridgefield Public Schools spend on teacher salaries?
    $38,066,000 in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), or $8,333 per student. Divided by the 370 full-time teachers in the NCES Common Core of Data for 2022-23 that is $102,887 per teacher, more than 92 in 100 Connecticut districts (state median $84,824). That is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, and the result can differ widely from the average salary a district publishes. The district's salary schedule gives pay. For pay, the National Education Association put the average Connecticut teacher salary at $81,185 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).
  6. How do students in Ridgefield Public Schools do on state tests?
    In 2021-22, the students tested in Ridgefield Public Schools scored proficient or above: 80% in reading and 70% in math, against 50.5% in reading and 39.8% in math across Connecticut. Connecticut's own test sets what proficient means, so results compare within the state, not across states. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22.
  7. What is the graduation rate in Ridgefield Public Schools?
    96% of the 394 students in Ridgefield Public Schools' class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 88.2% across Connecticut. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23.
  8. What is Ridgefield Public Schools' NCES district ID?
    0903810. Each of its schools' 12-digit NCES IDs begins with these seven digits.

Reading these figures: how to choose a school district, what Title I means and what an absenteeism rate means. They are for information and are not a substitute for the school's or district's own records.

Sources

Every federal file behind this record
  • NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25: directory, membership, staff and lunch files. nces.ed.gov
  • NCES Common Core of Data, 2021-22 school characteristics: Title I status. nces.ed.gov
  • Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021-22: AP courses, gifted programs, counselors, discipline. civilrightsdata.ed.gov
  • EDFacts, 2022-23: chronic absenteeism. ed.gov
  • EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23: the class of 2023 for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
  • EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22: reading and math proficiency for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
  • NCES Digest of Education Statistics, table 211.60 (2021-22): the state's average teacher salary, from the National Education Association. nces.ed.gov
  • U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024: children aged 5 to 17 and those in families in poverty, by school district. census.gov
  • U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2023-24: per pupil current spending for 2023-24 and 2022-23. census.gov
  • NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, fiscal year 2022-23: district spending and revenue. nces.ed.gov
  • U.S. Census Bureau geocoder and TIGER school districts: the district boundary used by the district finder. census.gov

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances Per pupil current spending by school system · FY 2023-24

Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey Revenue and expenditures by district · FY 2022-23

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School directory, membership, staff and lunch files · 2024-25

Compiled from official source data by .