Enrollment
529
Connecticut · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Waterford, CT
Clark Lane Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Clark Lane Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 54/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 090486000994
👥 S:T ratio 50
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 65
📋 Attendance 73
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Clark Lane Middle School earns 54/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Connecticut median.
- #4 of 5
- public schools in Waterford · Resource Index
- 54
- Resource Index · Higher
- 12.6:1
- students per teacher
- 26.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Clark Lane Middle School has class sizes near the Connecticut median. Computed live against every Connecticut school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Clark Lane Middle School ranks #4 of 5 public schools in Waterford, CT.
School address
District: Waterford School District · Connecticut
NCES ID 090486000994 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
42.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.6:1
vs 12.1:1 Connecticut avg
+4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
26.2%
vs 36.4% Connecticut avg
-28% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Clark Lane Middle School compares with Connecticut and U.S. medians
What stands out at Clark Lane Middle School
Clark Lane Middle School is a mid-sized middle school in Waterford, Connecticut, enrolling 529 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 12.6:1 puts it in the larger third of Connecticut schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 26.2% lands close to the Connecticut typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 529 puts it in the larger third of Connecticut schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,003 scored Connecticut schools.
Against 260 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #90.
Its student body is led by White (71%) and Hispanic or Latino (16%) (diversity index 46/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 176 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
10.8% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Waterford School District also operates Waterford High School (713 students) and Quaker Hill Elementary School (331 students) alongside Clark Lane Middle 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 Clark Lane Middle School compares
Clark Lane Middle 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 | 26.2% | ▼ 28% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 529 | top 29% | - | - |
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.
529
Bigger than 65% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
26.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 28% 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
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
10.8%
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
$26,145
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
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 176 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
25
in-school suspensions + 5 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.7 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 71.3%
Hispanic or Latino 15.7%
Two or More 6.4%
Asian 4.2%
African American 2.5%
Largest group: White at 71.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 46.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 46.0, Clark Lane Middle School is less mixed than the Connecticut school average of 50.5.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Waterford School District, which includes Clark Lane Middle School.
$26,145
Per student
+10%
vs Connecticut
Avg $23,870
+58%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 80.6%
State 13.7%
Federal 5.8%
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 Clark Lane Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waterford High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Quaker Hill Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Great Neck Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Oswegatchie Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Clark Lane Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 713
- Students per teacher
- 11:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
- Enrollment
- 331
- Students per teacher
- 11.8:1
- Resource Index
- 64/100
- Enrollment
- 309
- Students per teacher
- 11:1
- Resource Index
- 69/100
- Enrollment
- 292
- Students per teacher
- 10.8:1
- Resource Index
- 67/100
Similar middle 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 (~529 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Clark Lane Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Clark Lane Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Waterford 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 Clark Lane Middle School
How many students attend Clark Lane Middle School?
Clark Lane Middle School has 529 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Waterford, CT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Clark Lane Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Clark Lane Middle 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 Clark Lane Middle School?
26.2% of students at Clark Lane Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Connecticut average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Clark Lane Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Clark Lane Middle School is White at 71.3% of enrollment, in Waterford, CT.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Clark Lane Middle School?
Clark Lane Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 54/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Clark Lane Middle School rank among public schools in Waterford?
By Resource Investment Index, Clark Lane Middle School ranks #4 of 5 public schools in Waterford, 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 Waterford on the city page.
Is Clark Lane Middle School a good school?
Clark Lane Middle School earns 54/100 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 Waterford School District?
Besides Clark Lane Middle School, Waterford School District also operates Waterford High School (713 students), Quaker Hill Elementary School (331 students), and Great Neck Elementary School (309 students). See the Waterford 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.