Ridgefield 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.

Ridgefield, Connecticut - 9 schools

An equity score of 35/100 ranks Ridgefield School District #136 of 174 districts in Connecticut (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $25,610 per pupil, Ridgefield School District ranks #66 of 191 Connecticut districts by per-pupil spending (Connecticut districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

4,568
Total Enrollment
9
Schools
$25,610
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, Middle
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Ridgefield School District operates 9 public schools serving 4,568 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Connecticut. The school portfolio breaks down into 4 elementary, 2 middle, 2 combined, 1 high schools, a compact enough portfolio that families can compare every campus directly before they move, rent, or enrol. 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 $25,610 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 83.0% local, 14.5% state, and 2.5% 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 35/100, ranked #136 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 9 schools offering Advanced Placement (19 AP courses district-wide), a 167.5:1 student-counselor ratio, that meets the ASCA-recommended benchmark, and 9.4% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 78.8% White, 9.0% Hispanic or Latino, 6.2% Asian across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Barlow Mountain Elementary School, with a diversity index of 44.6/100.

Its largest campus is Ridgefield High School, enrolling 1,411 students (32% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Veterans Park Elementary School, at 262 students, a 5x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Ridgefield High School accounts for 30.9% of all Ridgefield School District student enrollment

That dominant concentration means Ridgefield 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

Ridgefield School District school enrollment varies 5.4× across entities

Ridgefield School District school enrollment ranges from 262 students (lowest) to 1,411 students (highest), a spread of 1,149 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

Ridgefield School District student-counselor ratio is 168:1 — low (typically associated with meeting or exceeding the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) recommended 250:1 benchmark, which correlates with stronger college and career counseling capacity)

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 Lower values often correlate with smaller scale and population characteristics rather than higher resource budgets per se.

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

Ridgefield School District chronic absenteeism rate is 9.4% — 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?

2.5%
Federal
14.5%
State
83.0%
Local

Funding Equity

35
Equity Score
136 / 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 9 schools in Ridgefield School District.

White 78.8%
Hispanic or Latino 9.0%
African American 0.6%
Asian 6.2%
Multiracial 5.1%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 36.3/100

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

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Barlow Mountain Elementary School 44.6
  2. 2 Veterans Park Elementary School 39.9
  3. 3 Ridgefield High School 38.4
  4. 4 East Ridge Middle School 36.8
  5. 5 Scotts Ridge Middle School 36.1

Programs & Resources

1 / 9
Schools with AP
19 AP courses total
167.5:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
9.4%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Ridgefield School District

School Enrollment
Ridgefield High School
1,411
Scotts Ridge Middle School
548
East Ridge Middle School
489
Barlow Mountain Elementary School
377
Branchville Elementary School
340
Ridgebury Elementary School
322
Scotland Elementary School
318
Farmingville Elementary School
311
Veterans Park Elementary School
262

How Ridgefield School District Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Connecticut districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Shelton School District Similar size Lower spending Less locally funded
Darien School District Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Middletown School District Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded
Naugatuck School District Similar size Lower spending Less locally funded
South Windsor School District Similar size Lower spending Less locally funded

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

Compare Ridgefield 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 Ridgefield School District?

Ridgefield School District has 9 schools, including 1 high, 2 middle, 2 combined, 4 elementary. Total enrollment is 4,568 students.

How much does Ridgefield School District spend per student?

Ridgefield School District spends $25,610 per student. The district has an equity score of 35/100, ranking #136 in Connecticut.

What is the demographic composition of Ridgefield School District?

Ridgefield School District students are 78.8% White, 9.0% Hispanic or Latino, 6.2% Asian, 0.6% African American, averaged across 9 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Ridgefield School District?

Ridgefield School District has an equity score of 35/100, ranking #136 out of 174 districts in Connecticut.