Bethel School District

Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. District totals are aggregated directly from the schools reporting under this district in the source records. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.

Bethel, Connecticut - 5 schools

An equity score of 26/100 ranks Bethel School District #167 of 174 districts in Connecticut (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $20,716 per pupil, Bethel School District ranks #154 of 191 Connecticut districts by per-pupil spending (Connecticut districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

3,223
Total Enrollment
5
Schools
$20,716
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Bethel School District operates 5 public schools serving 3,223 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Connecticut. The school portfolio breaks down into 2 elementary, 1 high, 1 middle, 1 combined schools, a small enough portfolio that most families will interact with nearly every campus in the district at some point. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Western Connecticut Planning Region.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $20,716 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the lower half of 191 Connecticut districts by per-pupil spending. See how Connecticut compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 67.7% local, 26.0% state, and 6.3% federal, a local-revenue-heavy mix that leaves the district more exposed to property-tax swings and local ballot measures than state-funded peers. The district's equity score is 26/100, ranked #167 of 174 in Connecticut against a state average of 50, notably less even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 5 schools offering Advanced Placement (20 AP courses district-wide), a 372:1 student-counselor ratio, well above the ASCA benchmark though still under the roughly 408:1 national average, and 11.5% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 54.0% White, 28.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.3% Asian across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Ralph M. T. Johnson School, with a diversity index of 64.9/100.

Its largest campus is Bethel High School, enrolling 1,097 students (34% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Anna H. Rockwell School, at 303 students, a 4x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Bethel High School accounts for 34.0% of all Bethel School District student enrollment

That dominant concentration means Bethel School District-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: high. A single dominant campus often anchors a district's program offerings and staffing patterns; the share helps explain why district-wide averages may not reflect the typical neighbourhood-school experience. When one entity dominates a region's footprint, its programmatic and budget decisions effectively set policy for a majority of the affected population.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Bethel School District school enrollment varies 3.6× across entities

Bethel School District school enrollment ranges from 303 students (lowest) to 1,097 students (highest), a spread of 794 students. That relatively narrow ratio reflects an unusually homogeneous campus portfolio, most districts have a wider mix of school sizes. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Bethel School District student-counselor ratio is 372:1 — high (typically associated with staffing constraints that limit per-student counselor time; CRDC data shows higher ratios cluster in larger urban systems)

student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment, districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Bethel School District chronic absenteeism rate is 11.5% — low (typically associated with lower-than-average attendance disruption; districts in this range often have attendance interventions, robust transportation, or smaller catchments that reduce barriers)

chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason, illness, family obligations, or disengagement Lower values often correlate with smaller scale and population characteristics rather than higher resource budgets per se.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

6.3%
Federal
26.0%
State
67.7%
Local

Funding Equity

26
Equity Score
167 / 174
State Rank
50
State Average

This district scores below average on funding equity. High reliance on local revenue or lower spending may contribute.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 5 schools in Bethel School District.

White 54.0%
Hispanic or Latino 28.5%
African American 4.5%
Asian 7.3%
Multiracial 4.0%
Other 1.9%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 61.7/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Bethel School District's schools, above the Connecticut average of 50.5.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Ralph M. T. Johnson School 64.9
  2. 2 Bethel Middle School 62.5
  3. 3 Anna H. Rockwell School 62.3
  4. 4 Bethel High School 59.6
  5. 5 Frank a. Berry School 59.4

Programs & Resources

1 / 5
Schools with AP
20 AP courses total
372:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
11.5%
Chronically Absent

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22.

Schools in Bethel School District

School Enrollment
Bethel High School
1,097
Bethel Middle School
758
Ralph M. T. Johnson School
652
Frank a. Berry School
378
Anna H. Rockwell School
303

How Bethel School District Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Connecticut districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Windham School District Similar size Higher spending Less locally funded
North Haven School District Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Guilford School District Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Vernon School District Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded
Windsor School District Similar size Higher spending Similar funding mix

Comparisons are relative to Bethel School District's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data and the F-33 Finance Survey.

Nearby Districts in Connecticut

Top districts in the same state, compare side-by-side for enrollment, spending, and demographics.

Bridgeport School District
19,337 students · 36 schools · $20,908/pupil
Compare vs Bethel School District →
New Haven School District
19,150 students · 37 schools · $21,911/pupil
Compare vs Bethel School District →
Waterbury School District
18,701 students · 29 schools · $18,981/pupil
Compare vs Bethel School District →
Hartford School District
16,774 students · 41 schools · $25,530/pupil
Compare vs Bethel School District →
Stamford School District
16,158 students · 21 schools · $24,510/pupil
Compare vs Bethel School District →

Compare Bethel School District

See how this district compares to others in enrollment, spending, demographics, and academic resources.

Compare vs Bridgeport School District →

Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Bethel School District?

Bethel School District has 5 schools, including 1 high, 1 middle, 2 elementary, 1 combined. Total enrollment is 3,223 students.

How much does Bethel School District spend per student?

Bethel School District spends $20,716 per student. The district has an equity score of 26/100, ranking #167 in Connecticut.

What is the demographic composition of Bethel School District?

Bethel School District students are 54.0% White, 28.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.3% Asian, 4.5% African American, averaged across 5 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Bethel School District?

Bethel School District has an equity score of 26/100, ranking #167 out of 174 districts in Connecticut.