Enrollment
455
Connecticut · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Suffield, CT
A. Ward Spaulding School
Federal NCES profile for A. Ward Spaulding School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 51/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 090447000903
👥 S:T ratio 50
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 73
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
A. Ward Spaulding School earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Connecticut median.
- #2 of 3
- public schools in Suffield · Resource Index
- 51
- Resource Index · Higher
- 12.6:1
- students per teacher
- 11.7%
- free-lunch eligible
A. Ward Spaulding School has class sizes near the Connecticut median. Computed live against every Connecticut school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, A. Ward Spaulding School ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Suffield, CT.
School address
District: Suffield School District · Connecticut
NCES ID 090447000903 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
36.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.6:1
vs 12.1:1 Connecticut avg
+4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
11.7%
vs 36.4% Connecticut avg
-68% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How A. Ward Spaulding School compares with Connecticut and U.S. medians
What stands out at A. Ward Spaulding School
A. Ward Spaulding School is a lower-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Suffield, Connecticut, enrolling 455 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 12.6:1 puts it in the larger third of Connecticut schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 11.7% of students eligible for free meals.
With 455 students, its enrollment sits close to the Connecticut median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,003 scored Connecticut schools.
Against 265 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #164.
Its student body is predominantly White (85% of enrollment) (diversity index 26/100).
11.0% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Suffield School District also operates Suffield High School (641 students) and Mcalister Intermediate School (472 students) alongside A. Ward Spaulding School.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How A. Ward Spaulding School compares
A. Ward Spaulding School on the metrics families compare, against Connecticut and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Connecticut | Connecticut avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 12.6:1 | ▲ 4% | 12.1:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 11.7% | ▼ 68% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 455 | top 41% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.6:1
Leaner classes than 70% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
455
Bigger than 56% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
11.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 68% below the Connecticut average of 36.4%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
12.6:1
students per teacher
- 4% above state mean
Top 69% in Connecticut - lower ratio than 31% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
11.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$21,868
per pupil, district-wide
- below Connecticut avg of $23,870
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 85.3%
Hispanic or Latino 8.6%
Asian 3.5%
African American 2.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 85.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 26.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 26.3, A. Ward Spaulding School is less mixed than the Connecticut school average of 50.5.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Suffield School District, which includes A. Ward Spaulding School.
$21,868
Per student
-8%
vs Connecticut
Avg $23,870
+32%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 63.1%
State 30.7%
Federal 6.1%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How A. Ward Spaulding School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Suffield High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Mcalister Intermediate School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Suffield Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to A. Ward Spaulding School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 641
- Students per teacher
- 10.3:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 472
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 443
- Students per teacher
- 9.4:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Connecticut, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~455 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on A. Ward Spaulding School's federal record.
- Compare A. Ward Spaulding School against another school. Compare schools
- Suffield School District's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about A. Ward Spaulding School
How many students attend A. Ward Spaulding School?
A. Ward Spaulding School has 455 students enrolled. It is a public school in Suffield, CT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at A. Ward Spaulding School?
The student-teacher ratio at A. Ward Spaulding School is 12.6:1, which is 4% higher than the Connecticut average of 12.1:1 and 20% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at A. Ward Spaulding School?
11.7% of students at A. Ward Spaulding School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Connecticut average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of A. Ward Spaulding School?
The largest demographic group at A. Ward Spaulding School is White at 85.3% of enrollment, in Suffield, CT.
What is the Resource Investment Index for A. Ward Spaulding School?
A. Ward Spaulding School has a Resource Investment Index of 51/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does A. Ward Spaulding School rank among public schools in Suffield?
By Resource Investment Index, A. Ward Spaulding School ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Suffield, CT. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Suffield on the city page.
Is A. Ward Spaulding School a good school?
A. Ward Spaulding School earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Connecticut median. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Suffield School District?
Besides A. Ward Spaulding School, Suffield School District also operates Suffield High School (641 students), Mcalister Intermediate School (472 students), and Suffield Middle School (443 students). See the Suffield School District district page for the complete list.
Related tools
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. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.