Enrollment
319
Connecticut · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Durham, CT
Frank Ward Strong School
Federal NCES profile for Frank Ward Strong School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 49/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 090353500739
👥 S:T ratio 58
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 36
📋 Attendance 70
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Frank Ward Strong School earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 70% of Connecticut schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Connecticut schools.
- #3 of 3
- public schools in Durham · Resource Index
- 49
- Resource Index · Higher
- 10.6:1
- small classes for Connecticut
- 10.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Frank Ward Strong School has class sizes smaller than 70% of Connecticut schools. Computed live against every Connecticut school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Frank Ward Strong School ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Durham, CT.
School address
District: Regional School District 13 · Connecticut
NCES ID 090353500739 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
30.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.6:1
vs 12.1:1 Connecticut avg
-12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
10.4%
vs 36.4% Connecticut avg
-71% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Frank Ward Strong School compares with Connecticut and U.S. medians
What stands out at Frank Ward Strong School
Frank Ward Strong School is a lower-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Durham, Connecticut, enrolling 319 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 10.6:1 puts it in the smaller third of Connecticut schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 10.4% free-meal eligibility runs 71% below the Connecticut average.
Enrollment of 319 puts it in the smaller third of Connecticut schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,003 scored Connecticut schools.
Among 221 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Connecticut schools statewide, it ranks #176, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (86% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 25/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 319 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
11.9% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Regional School District 13 spends $30,638 per pupil, 28% above the Connecticut average, a better-resourced district than most.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 3 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Regional School District 13 also operates Coginchaug Regional High School (356 students) and Frederick Brewster School (214 students) alongside Frank Ward Strong 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 Frank Ward Strong School compares
Frank Ward Strong 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 | 10.6:1 | ▼ 12% | 12.1:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 10.4% | ▼ 71% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 319 | top 71% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
10.6:1
Leaner classes than 85% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
319
Bigger than 35% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
10.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 71% 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
10.6:1
students per teacher
- 12% below state mean
Top 30% in Connecticut - lower ratio than 70% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
11.9%
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
$30,638
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 319 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
6
in-school suspensions + 11 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.3 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 3 expulsions.
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 86.2%
Hispanic or Latino 8.2%
Two or More 3.8%
Asian 0.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
African American 0.3%
Largest group: White at 86.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 24.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 24.9, Frank Ward Strong School is less mixed than the Connecticut school average of 50.5.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Regional School District 13, which includes Frank Ward Strong School.
$30,638
Per student
+28%
vs Connecticut
Avg $23,870
+85%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 71.3%
State 25.1%
Federal 3.5%
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 Frank Ward Strong School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coginchaug Regional High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Frederick Brewster School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| John Lyman School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Middlefield Memorial School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Frank Ward Strong School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 356
- Students per teacher
- 8.9:1
- Resource Index
- 63/100
- Enrollment
- 214
- Students per teacher
- 9.3:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 207
- Students per teacher
- 10.9:1
- Resource Index
- 60/100
- Enrollment
- 206
- Students per teacher
- 9.4:1
- Resource Index
- 65/100
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 (~319 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Frank Ward Strong School's federal record.
- Compare Frank Ward Strong School against another school. Compare schools
- Regional School District 13'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 Frank Ward Strong School
How many students attend Frank Ward Strong School?
Frank Ward Strong School has 319 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Durham, CT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Frank Ward Strong School?
The student-teacher ratio at Frank Ward Strong School is 10.6:1, which is 12% lower than the Connecticut average of 12.1:1 and 32% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Frank Ward Strong School?
10.4% of students at Frank Ward Strong School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Connecticut average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Frank Ward Strong School?
The largest demographic group at Frank Ward Strong School is White at 86.2% of enrollment, in Durham, CT.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Frank Ward Strong School?
Frank Ward Strong School has a Resource Investment Index of 49/100 (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 Frank Ward Strong School rank among public schools in Durham?
By Resource Investment Index, Frank Ward Strong School ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Durham, 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 Durham on the city page.
Is Frank Ward Strong School a good school?
Frank Ward Strong School earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 70% of Connecticut schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Regional School District 13?
Besides Frank Ward Strong School, Regional School District 13 also operates Coginchaug Regional High School (356 students), Frederick Brewster School (214 students), and John Lyman School (207 students). See the Regional School District 13 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.