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Waterford, Connecticut - 5 schools
An equity score of 54/100 ranks Waterford School District #70 of 174 districts in Connecticut (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $26,145 per pupil, Waterford School District ranks #54 of 191 Connecticut districts by per-pupil spending (Connecticut districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
2,338
Total Enrollment
5
Schools
$26,145
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, High
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Waterford School District operates 5 public schools serving 2,338 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 Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $26,145 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 80.6% local, 13.7% state, and 5.8% 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 54/100, ranked #70 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 (17 AP courses district-wide), a 177.3:1 student-counselor ratio, that meets the ASCA-recommended benchmark, and 10.8% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 69.5% White, 16.5% Hispanic or Latino, 5.1% Asian across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Quaker Hill Elementary School, with a diversity index of 59.1/100.
Its largest campus is Waterford High School, enrolling 713 students (33% of the district's total enrollment).
Waterford High School accounts for 30.5% of all Waterford School District student enrollment
That dominant concentration means Waterford 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.
Waterford School District school enrollment varies 2.4× across entities
Waterford School District school enrollment ranges from 292 students (lowest) to 713 students (highest), a spread of 421 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.
Waterford School District student-counselor ratio is 177:1 — 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.
Waterford School District chronic absenteeism rate is 10.8% — 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.
How many schools are in Waterford School District?
Waterford School District has 5 schools, including 1 high, 1 middle, 3 elementary. Total enrollment is 2,338 students.
How much does Waterford School District spend per student?
Waterford School District spends $26,145 per student. The district has an equity score of 54/100, ranking #70 in Connecticut.
What is the demographic composition of Waterford School District?
Waterford School District students are 69.5% White, 16.5% Hispanic or Latino, 5.1% Asian, 2.4% African American, averaged across 5 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Waterford School District?
Waterford School District has an equity score of 54/100, ranking #70 out of 174 districts in Connecticut.