Madison 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.

Madison, Connecticut - 5 schools

An equity score of 48/100 ranks Madison School District #90 of 174 districts in Connecticut (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $26,239 per pupil, Madison School District ranks #53 of 191 Connecticut districts by per-pupil spending (Connecticut districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

2,444
Total Enrollment
5
Schools
$26,239
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Madison School District operates 5 public schools serving 2,444 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Connecticut. The school portfolio breaks down into 3 elementary, 1 high, 1 middle 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 South Central Connecticut Planning Region.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $26,239 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the upper half of 191 Connecticut districts by per-pupil spending. See how Connecticut compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 83.1% local, 14.7% state, and 2.2% 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 48/100, ranked #90 of 174 in Connecticut against a state average of 50, in line with the typical spread seen across the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 5 schools offering Advanced Placement (18 AP courses district-wide), a 421.7:1 student-counselor ratio, above both the ASCA benchmark and the roughly 408:1 national average, and 4.0% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 83.4% White, 7.4% Hispanic or Latino, 3.1% Asian across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Walter C. Polson Middle School, with a diversity index of 34.9/100.

Its largest campus is Daniel Hand High School, enrolling 751 students (32% of the district's total enrollment).

Daniel Hand High School accounts for 30.7% of all Madison School District student enrollment

That dominant concentration means Madison 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

Madison School District school enrollment varies 2.4× across entities

Madison School District school enrollment ranges from 314 students (lowest) to 751 students (highest), a spread of 437 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

Madison School District student-counselor ratio is 422:1 — 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

Madison School District chronic absenteeism rate is 4.0% — well below typical (typically associated with unusually small scale or exceptionally high per-unit investment)

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 Values this far below typical often correlate with unusually small scale or population characteristics rather than higher resource budgets per se — worth checking whether the underlying denominator is itself an outlier.

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

Where does the funding come from?

2.2%
Federal
14.7%
State
83.1%
Local

Funding Equity

48
Equity Score
90 / 174
State Rank
50
State Average

This district has moderate funding equity. There may be room to improve funding diversity or resource allocation.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 5 schools in Madison School District.

White 83.4%
Hispanic or Latino 7.4%
African American 0.7%
Asian 3.1%
Multiracial 5.3%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 29.4/100

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

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Walter C. Polson Middle School 34.9
  2. 2 Daniel Hand High School 30.8
  3. 3 Dr. Robert H. Brown Intermediate School 28.0
  4. 4 J. Milton Jeffrey Elementary School 27.8
  5. 5 Kathleen H. Ryerson Elementary School 25.6

Programs & Resources

1 / 5
Schools with AP
18 AP courses total
421.7:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
4.0%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Madison School District

School Enrollment
Daniel Hand High School
751
Walter C. Polson Middle School
541
J. Milton Jeffrey Elementary School
407
Dr. Robert H. Brown Intermediate School
361
Kathleen H. Ryerson Elementary School
314

How Madison School District Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Connecticut districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Killingly School District Similar size Lower spending Less locally funded
Ledyard School District Similar size Lower spending Less locally funded
Rocky Hill School District Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded
Waterford School District Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Ansonia School District Similar size Lower spending Less locally funded

Comparisons are relative to Madison 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 Madison School District →
New Haven School District
19,150 students · 37 schools · $21,911/pupil
Compare vs Madison School District →
Waterbury School District
18,701 students · 29 schools · $18,981/pupil
Compare vs Madison School District →
Hartford School District
16,774 students · 41 schools · $25,530/pupil
Compare vs Madison School District →
Stamford School District
16,158 students · 21 schools · $24,510/pupil
Compare vs Madison School District →

Compare Madison 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 Madison School District?

Madison School District has 5 schools, including 1 high, 1 middle, 3 elementary. Total enrollment is 2,444 students.

How much does Madison School District spend per student?

Madison School District spends $26,239 per student. The district has an equity score of 48/100, ranking #90 in Connecticut.

What is the demographic composition of Madison School District?

Madison School District students are 83.4% White, 7.4% Hispanic or Latino, 3.1% Asian, 0.7% African American, averaged across 5 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Madison School District?

Madison School District has an equity score of 48/100, ranking #90 out of 174 districts in Connecticut.