Enrollment
195
Connecticut · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Gales Ferry, CT
Gales Ferry School
Federal NCES profile for Gales Ferry School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 53/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 090216000397
👥 S:T ratio 57
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 72
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Gales Ferry School earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Connecticut median.
- #1 of 3
- public schools in Gales Ferry · Resource Index
- 53
- Resource Index · Higher
- 10.8:1
- students per teacher
- 10.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Gales Ferry School has class sizes near the Connecticut median. Computed live against every Connecticut school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Gales Ferry School ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Gales Ferry, CT.
School address
District: Ledyard School District · Connecticut
NCES ID 090216000397 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
18.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.8:1
vs 12.1:1 Connecticut avg
-11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
10.8%
vs 36.4% Connecticut avg
-70% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Gales Ferry School compares with Connecticut and U.S. medians
What stands out at Gales Ferry School
Gales Ferry School is a lower-poverty, small elementary school in Gales Ferry, Connecticut, enrolling 195 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 10.8:1 puts it in the smaller third of Connecticut schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 10.8% free-meal eligibility runs 70% below the Connecticut average.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 93% of Connecticut schools, with 195 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,003 scored Connecticut schools.
Against 61 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #34.
Its student body is led by White (76%) and Hispanic or Latino (15%) (diversity index 40/100).
11.3% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Gales Ferry's elementary schools, it stands alongside Juliet W. Long School (265 students): Gales Ferry School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (10.8:1 vs 14.7:1).
Ledyard School District also operates Ledyard High School (731 students) and Gallup Hill School (592 students) alongside Gales Ferry 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 Gales Ferry School compares
Gales Ferry 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 | 10.8:1 | ▼ 11% | 12.1:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 10.8% | ▼ 70% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 195 | top 93% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
10.8:1
Leaner classes than 84% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
195
Bigger than 19% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
10.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 70% 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
10.8:1
students per teacher
- 11% below state mean
Top 33% in Connecticut - lower ratio than 67% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
11.3%
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
$19,710
per pupil, district-wide
- below Connecticut avg of $23,870
Somewhat 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
- 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 75.9%
Hispanic or Latino 14.9%
Two or More 5.1%
African American 2.6%
Asian 1.5%
Largest group: White at 75.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 39.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 39.8, Gales Ferry School is less mixed than the Connecticut school average of 50.5.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Ledyard School District, which includes Gales Ferry School.
$19,710
Per student
-17%
vs Connecticut
Avg $23,870
+19%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 54.0%
State 38.6%
Federal 7.4%
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 Gales Ferry School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ledyard High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Gallup Hill School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ledyard Middle School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Juliet W. Long School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Gales Ferry School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 731
- Students per teacher
- 11.6:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 592
- Students per teacher
- 12.9:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 535
- Students per teacher
- 12.7:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 265
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
Similar elementary schools in Gales Ferry
1 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Similar elementary 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 (~195 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~10.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Gales Ferry School's federal record.
- Compare Gales Ferry School against another school. Compare schools
- Ledyard 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 Gales Ferry School
How many students attend Gales Ferry School?
Gales Ferry School has 195 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Gales Ferry, CT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Gales Ferry School?
The student-teacher ratio at Gales Ferry School is 10.8:1, which is 11% lower than the Connecticut average of 12.1:1 and 31% 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 Gales Ferry School?
10.8% of students at Gales Ferry School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Connecticut average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Gales Ferry School?
The largest demographic group at Gales Ferry School is White at 75.9% of enrollment, in Gales Ferry, CT.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Gales Ferry School?
Gales Ferry School has a Resource Investment Index of 53/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Gales Ferry School rank among public schools in Gales Ferry?
By Resource Investment Index, Gales Ferry School ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Gales Ferry, 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 Gales Ferry on the city page.
Is Gales Ferry School a good school?
Gales Ferry School earns 53/100 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 Ledyard School District?
Besides Gales Ferry School, Ledyard School District also operates Ledyard High School (731 students), Gallup Hill School (592 students), and Ledyard Middle School (535 students). See the Ledyard 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.