Elementary school (grades K-5) · Manchester, CT

Bowers School

Federal NCES profile for Bowers School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 35/100.

2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 090231000417
0/100100/10035/100
👥 S:T ratio
53
🌟 Gifted program
30
📋 Attendance
22
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →

The verdict

Bowers School earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Connecticut median.

#4 of 6
elementary schools in Manchester · Resource Index
35
Resource Index · Typical
11.8:1
students per teacher
44.3%
free-lunch eligible

Bowers School has class sizes near the Connecticut median. Computed live against every Connecticut school reporting to NCES.

By Resource Investment Index, Bowers School ranks #4 of 6 elementary schools in Manchester, CT.

CCD year-over-year · 2022-23 → 2023-24

-20 students YoY

Bowers School shrank from 323 students in 2022-23 to 303 in 2023-24 (-6.2%).

Teacher FTE lost 32.6 → 28.2 across the same CCD years.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data public-school universe (2022-23, 2023-24).

Shrinking CCD campus

-20 students YoY 090231000417 · Manchester, CT Elementary · SMALL · TRAD

376 enr · 11.8:1 · 44.3% lunch · RII 35

Nearest enrollment peer: Manchester High School (1,703 students)

Bowers School shrank from 323 students in 2022-23 to 303 in 2023-24 (-6.2%). Teacher FTE lost 32.6 → 28.2 across the same CCD years. Read with this school → · District book → · Connecticut schools → · Find another →

Bowers School in the enrollment neighbourhood

Fall enrollment among this campus and nearest district peers

students

What this shows Bowers School reports 376 students on the CCD universe file.

Source U.S. Department of Education, NCES Common Core of Data (Public School Universe) As of 2024-25

How Bowers School compares

Bowers School is a shrinking campus on CCD: ratios and free-lunch share vs Connecticut and U.S. means.

Metric This school vs Connecticut Connecticut avg U.S. avg
Students per teacher 11.8:1 ▼ 2% 12.1:1 15.7:1
Free-lunch eligible 44.3% ▲ 22% 36.4% 51.7%
Enrollment 376 top 57% - -

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25

11.8:1
Leaner classes than 77% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
376
Bigger than 44% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.

Equity indicators methodology

Economic need
44.3%
free-lunch eligible - 22% above the Connecticut average of 36.4%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
11.8:1
students per teacher - 2% below state mean
Top 54% in Connecticut - lower ratio than 46% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
31.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$27,280
per pupil, district-wide - above Connecticut avg of $24,680
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
6
in-school suspensions + 6 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.2 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.

Student demographics

Hispanic or Latino 46.8%
White 22.3%
African American 20.7%
Two or More 4.5%
Asian 4.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.5%

Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 46.8% of enrollment.

Student-body diversity index 68.4/100

Simpson diversity index - at 68.4, Bowers School is more mixed than the Connecticut school average of 50.5.

Programs

District finance for Manchester School District reports $27,280 per pupil (NCES F-33) - open the district page for the full revenue mix.

How Bowers School Compares to District-Mates

School Enrollment Economic Profile Student-Teacher Ratio
Manchester High School Larger Similar economic need Lower S:T ratio
Elisabeth M. Bennet Academy Larger Similar economic need Lower S:T ratio
Illing Middle School Larger Similar economic need Lower S:T ratio
Waddell School Larger Similar economic need Similar S:T ratio
Verplanck School Similar size Higher economic need Similar S:T ratio

Comparisons are relative to Bowers School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.

Other Schools in This District

Manchester School District · 5 sibling schools

View district profile

Similar elementary schools in Manchester

5 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.

Nationwide elementary schools with similar size or staffing

Out-of-state peers matched by enrollment and by student-teacher ratio, not the same-city or same-district lists above.

Frequently asked questions about Bowers School

How many students attend Bowers School?

Bowers School has 376 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Manchester, CT. CCD year-over-year: 323 (2022-23) → 303 (2023-24), down 20.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Bowers School?

The student-teacher ratio at Bowers School is 11.8:1, which is 2% lower than the Connecticut average of 12.1:1 and 25% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.

What percentage of students receive free lunch at Bowers School?

44.3% of students at Bowers School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Connecticut average of 36.4%.

What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Bowers School?

The largest demographic group at Bowers School is Hispanic or Latino at 46.8% of enrollment, in Manchester, CT. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 68.4/100.

What is the Resource Investment Index for Bowers School?

Bowers School has a Resource Investment Index of 35/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, gifted-program reporting, chronic absenteeism. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).

How does Bowers School rank among elementary schools in Manchester?

By Resource Investment Index, Bowers School ranks #4 of 6 elementary schools in Manchester, CT. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Manchester on the city page.

What other schools are in Manchester School District?

Besides Bowers School, Manchester School District also operates Manchester High School (1,703 students), Elisabeth M. Bennet Academy (864 students), and Illing Middle School (763 students). See the Manchester School District district page for the complete list.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) CCD + Public School Universe (2024-25), CRDC (2021-22), F-33 District Finance Survey (FY 2022-23) · 2024-25 Data as of the 2024-25 school year. Coverage from U.S. Department of Education NCES Common Core of Data. Varies by entity type; administrative districts and certain charter networks may report only a subset of fields.

All federal data sources used on this page

Full source list and how we compute each figure: methodology page.

View saved