Enrollment
80
Connecticut · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Old Lyme, CT
Center School
Federal NCES profile for Center School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 090354000761
👥 S:T ratio 47
🌟 Gifted program 30
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Center School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 79% of Connecticut schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in Connecticut.
- #4 of 4
- public schools in Old Lyme · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.3:1
- large classes for Connecticut
- 8.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Center School has class sizes larger than 79% of Connecticut schools. Computed live against every Connecticut school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Center School ranks #4 of 4 public schools in Old Lyme, CT.
School address
District: Regional School District 18 · Connecticut
NCES ID 090354000761 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
6.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.3:1
vs 12.1:1 Connecticut avg
+10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
8.7%
vs 36.4% Connecticut avg
-76% 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, small combined-grade school in Old Lyme, Connecticut, enrolling 80 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 13.3:1 puts it in the larger third of Connecticut schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 8.7% free-meal eligibility runs 76% below the Connecticut average.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 98% of Connecticut schools, with 80 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,003 scored Connecticut schools.
Its student body is predominantly White (91% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 16/100).
Regional School District 18 also operates Lyme-Old Lyme High School (367 students) and Mile Creek School (334 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 | 13.3:1 | ▲ 10% | 12.1:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 8.7% | ▼ 76% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 80 | top 98% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.3:1
Leaner classes than 64% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
80
Bigger than 8% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
8.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 76% 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
13.3:1
students per teacher
- 10% above state mean
Top 79% in Connecticut - lower ratio than 21% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Funding equity
$27,918
per pupil, district-wide
- above 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
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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 91.3%
Hispanic or Latino 6.3%
Two or More 2.5%
Largest group: White at 91.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 16.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 16.2, Center School is less mixed than the Connecticut school average of 50.5.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Regional School District 18, which includes Center School.
$27,918
Per student
+17%
vs Connecticut
Avg $23,870
+68%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 80.9%
State 14.9%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lyme-Old Lyme High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Mile Creek School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Lyme-Old Lyme Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Lyme Consolidated School | Larger | 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
- 367
- Students per teacher
- 8.3:1
- Resource Index
- 62/100
- Enrollment
- 334
- Students per teacher
- 12.8:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 271
- Students per teacher
- 9:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
- Enrollment
- 226
- Students per teacher
- 12.6:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
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 (~80 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Center School's federal record.
- Compare Center School against another school. Compare schools
- Regional School District 18'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 80 students enrolled. It is a special-education school in Old Lyme, CT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Center School?
The student-teacher ratio at Center School is 13.3:1, which is 10% higher than the Connecticut average of 12.1:1 and 15% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Center School?
8.7% 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 91.3% of enrollment, in Old Lyme, CT.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Center School?
Center School has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 2 factors: student-teacher ratio. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology). Limited indicators were available, so the index reflects partial data.
How does Center School rank among public schools in Old Lyme?
By Resource Investment Index, Center School ranks #4 of 4 public schools in Old Lyme, 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 Old Lyme on the city page.
Is Center School a good school?
Center School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 79% of Connecticut schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in Connecticut. 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 Regional School District 18?
Besides Center School, Regional School District 18 also operates Lyme-Old Lyme High School (367 students), Mile Creek School (334 students), and Lyme-Old Lyme Middle School (271 students). See the Regional School District 18 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.