Enrollment
462
Connecticut · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Elementary school (grades K-5) NCES 090444000898
Eli Whitney School — Stratford, CT
Federal NCES profile for Eli Whitney School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 34/100.
👥 Class size 42
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 65
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Stratford School District · Connecticut
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
32.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.4:1
vs 12.1:1 Connecticut avg
+19% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
25.2%
vs 36.4% Connecticut avg
-31% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Eli Whitney School compares with Connecticut and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Eli Whitney School reports 462 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 32.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 14.4:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 19% above the Connecticut state mean of 12.1:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 9% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 25.2% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 31% below the Connecticut average and 51% below the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 1540 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 14.1% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Stratford School District spends $25,804 per pupil district-wide, below the Connecticut average of $28,239 and above the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 62.8% from local sources (property taxes), 28.1% from the state, and 9.1% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (F), calculated from 4 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Eli Whitney School compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Connecticut state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Connecticut | Connecticut avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.4:1 | ▲ 19% | 12.1:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 25.2% | ▼ 31% | 36.4% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 462 | top 61% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
25.2%
free-lunch eligible
— 31% 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
14.4:1
students per teacher
— 19% above state mean
Top 88% in Connecticut — lower ratio than 12% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
14.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Between 10–20% — above the pre-pandemic baseline of ~15% nationally but within the current U.S. range.
Funding equity
$25,804
per pupil, district-wide
— below Connecticut avg of $28,239
Above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors0.3 FTE
Per 1540 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
9
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.9 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 462 Top 61% in Connecticut — larger than 39% of 1,005 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 32.0
Students per teacher 14.4:1 +19% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 25.2% -31% vs state
NCES ID 090444000898
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 37.4%
White 34.8%
African American 20.3%
Two or More 5.8%
Asian 1.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 37.4% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 0.3
Students per counselor 1540:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 14.1%
In-school suspensions 9
Out-of-school suspensions 0
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Stratford School District, which includes Eli Whitney School.
$25,804
Per student
-9%
vs Connecticut
Avg $28,239
+32%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 62.8%
State 28.1%
Federal 9.1%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,150
- Students per teacher
- 12.5:1
- Enrollment
- 982
- Students per teacher
- 12.3:1
- Enrollment
- 610
- Students per teacher
- 12.6:1
- Enrollment
- 538
- Students per teacher
- 11.5:1
- Enrollment
- 537
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
Similar elementary schools in Stratford
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Second Hill Lane School
Standard public school
610 students 12.6:1 students per teacher
Stratford Academy - Johnson House
Standard public school
537 students 13.3:1 students per teacher
Nichols School
Standard public school
418 students 17:1 students per teacher
Wilcoxson School
Standard public school
318 students 14:1 students per teacher
Chapel School
Standard public school
290 students 13.1:1 students per teacher
Franklin School
Standard public school
246 students 11.9:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Eli Whitney School
How many students attend Eli Whitney School?
Eli Whitney School has 462 students enrolled. It is a elementary school in Stratford, CT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Eli Whitney School?
The student-teacher ratio at Eli Whitney School is 14.4:1, which is 19% higher than the Connecticut average of 12.1:1 and 9% lower than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Eli Whitney School?
25.2% of students at Eli Whitney School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Connecticut average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Eli Whitney School?
The largest demographic group at Eli Whitney School is Hispanic or Latino at 37.4%. The school serves a diverse student body in Stratford, CT.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Eli Whitney School?
Eli Whitney School has a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (F) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.