Enrollment
445
Connecticut · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Ellington, CT
Center School
Federal NCES profile for Center School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 51/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 090144000235
👥 S:T ratio 46
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 76
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Center School earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 81% of Connecticut schools.
- #3 of 5
- public schools in Ellington · Resource Index
- 51
- Resource Index · Higher
- 13.5:1
- large classes for Connecticut
- 15.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Center School has class sizes larger than 81% of Connecticut schools. Computed live against every Connecticut school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Center School ranks #3 of 5 public schools in Ellington, CT.
School address
District: Ellington School District · Connecticut
NCES ID 090144000235 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
33.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.5:1
vs 12.1:1 Connecticut avg
+12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
15.7%
vs 36.4% Connecticut avg
-57% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Center School compares with Connecticut and U.S. medians
What stands out at Center School
Center School is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Ellington, Connecticut, enrolling 445 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 13.5:1 puts it in the larger third of Connecticut schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 15.7% of students eligible for free meals.
With 445 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 296 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #182.
Its student body is predominantly White (82% of enrollment) (diversity index 32/100).
Attendance holds up well here: only 9.7% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Ellington School District also operates Ellington High School (701 students) and Windermere School (627 students) alongside Center 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 Center School compares
Center 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 | 13.5:1 | ▲ 12% | 12.1:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 15.7% | ▼ 57% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 445 | top 42% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.5:1
Leaner classes than 62% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
445
Bigger than 54% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
15.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 57% below the Connecticut average of 36.4%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
13.5:1
students per teacher
- 12% above state mean
Top 81% in Connecticut - lower ratio than 19% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
9.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$20,308
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
6
in-school suspensions + 11 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.8 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 82.0%
Hispanic or Latino 8.3%
African American 4.0%
Two or More 3.8%
Asian 1.8%
Largest group: White at 82.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 31.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 31.7, Center School is less mixed than the Connecticut school average of 50.5.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Ellington School District, which includes Center School.
$20,308
Per student
-15%
vs Connecticut
Avg $23,870
+22%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 60.7%
State 35.1%
Federal 4.2%
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 Center School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ellington High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Windermere School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Ellington Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Crystal Lake School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Center School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 701
- Students per teacher
- 10.6:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
- Enrollment
- 627
- Students per teacher
- 12.3:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 393
- Students per teacher
- 11.6:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
- Enrollment
- 308
- Students per teacher
- 13.4:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
Similar elementary 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 (~445 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Center School's federal record.
- Compare Center School against another school. Compare schools
- Ellington 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 Center School
How many students attend Center School?
Center School has 445 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Ellington, CT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Center School?
The student-teacher ratio at Center School is 13.5:1, which is 12% higher than the Connecticut average of 12.1:1 and 14% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Center School?
15.7% of students at Center School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Connecticut average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Center School?
The largest demographic group at Center School is White at 82.0% of enrollment, in Ellington, CT.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Center School?
Center 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 Center School rank among public schools in Ellington?
By Resource Investment Index, Center School ranks #3 of 5 public schools in Ellington, 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 Ellington on the city page.
Is Center School a good school?
Center School earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 81% of Connecticut schools. 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 Ellington School District?
Besides Center School, Ellington School District also operates Ellington High School (701 students), Windermere School (627 students), and Ellington Middle School (393 students). See the Ellington 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.