Enrollment
307
Connecticut · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 090150000255
Essex Elementary School — Centerbrook, CT
Federal NCES profile for Essex Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 68/100.
👥 Class size 52
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 81
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: Essex 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)
25.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12:1
vs 12.1:1 Connecticut avg
-1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
18.3%
vs 36.4% Connecticut avg
-50% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Essex Elementary 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
Essex Elementary School reports 307 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 25.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 12:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 1% below the Connecticut state mean of 12.1:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 25% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 18.3% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 50% below the Connecticut average and 65% below the national baseline. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 7.5% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Essex School District spends $31,677 per pupil district-wide, above the Connecticut average of $28,239 and above the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 83.5% from local sources (property taxes), 14.2% from the state, and 2.3% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 68/100 (B-), calculated from 3 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 Essex Elementary 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 | 12:1 | ▼ 1% | 12.1:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 18.3% | ▼ 50% | 36.4% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 307 | top 26% | — | — |
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
18.3%
free-lunch eligible
— 50% 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
12:1
students per teacher
— 1% below state mean
Top 57% in Connecticut — lower ratio than 43% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
7.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 10% — strong attendance relative to the post-pandemic national landscape.
Funding equity
$31,677
per pupil, district-wide
— above Connecticut avg of $28,239
Above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting 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
Enrollment 307 Top 26% in Connecticut — larger than 74% of 1,005 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 25.0
Students per teacher 12:1 -1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 18.3% -50% vs state
NCES ID 090150000255
Student demographics
White 82.7%
Hispanic or Latino 12.1%
Two or More 3.6%
African American 1.0%
Asian 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: White at 82.7% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 0.0
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 7.5%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 0
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Essex School District, which includes Essex Elementary School.
$31,677
Per student
+12%
vs Connecticut
Avg $28,239
+63%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 83.5%
State 14.2%
Federal 2.3%
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.
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 Essex Elementary School
How many students attend Essex Elementary School?
Essex Elementary School has 307 students enrolled. It is a other school in Centerbrook, CT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Essex Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Essex Elementary School is 12:1, which is 1% lower than the Connecticut average of 12.1:1 and 25% lower than the national average of 15.9:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Essex Elementary School?
18.3% of students at Essex Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Connecticut average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Essex Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Essex Elementary School is White at 82.7%. The school serves a diverse student body in Centerbrook, CT.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Essex Elementary School?
Essex Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 68/100 (B-) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.