Enrollment
280
Connecticut · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Hamden, CT
Helen Street School
Federal NCES profile for Helen Street School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 29/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 090186000341
👥 S:T ratio 57
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Helen Street School earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Connecticut median.
- #4 of 4
- schools in Hamden · Resource Index
- 29
- Resource Index · Lower
- 10.8:1
- students per teacher
- 50.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Helen Street School has class sizes near the Connecticut median. Computed live against every Connecticut school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Helen Street School ranks #4 of 4 schools in Hamden, CT.
School address
District: Hamden School District · Connecticut
NCES ID 090186000341 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
26.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.8:1
vs 12.1:1 Connecticut avg
-11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
50.5%
vs 36.4% Connecticut avg
+39% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Helen Street School compares with Connecticut and U.S. medians
What stands out at Helen Street School
Helen Street School is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Hamden, Connecticut, enrolling 280 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.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 50.5% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 280 puts it in the smaller third of Connecticut schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 93% of the 1,003 Connecticut schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 123 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Connecticut schools statewide, it ranks #114, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (41%) and African American (37%) (diversity index 68/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 42.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Hamden's public schools, it stands alongside Church Street School (334 students): Helen Street School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (10.8:1 vs 13.9:1).
Hamden School District also operates Hamden High School (1,609 students) and Hamden Middle School (845 students) alongside Helen Street 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 Helen Street School compares
Helen Street 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 | 50.5% | ▲ 39% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 280 | top 80% | - | - |
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.
280
Bigger than 29% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
50.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 39% above the Connecticut average of 36.4%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
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
42.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$26,766
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
5
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.8 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
Hispanic or Latino 40.7%
African American 36.8%
White 10.0%
Asian 6.1%
Two or More 6.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 40.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 68.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 68.1, Helen Street School is more mixed than the Connecticut school average of 50.5.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Hamden School District, which includes Helen Street School.
$26,766
Per student
+12%
vs Connecticut
Avg $23,870
+61%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 61.6%
State 31.5%
Federal 6.8%
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 Helen Street School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hamden High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hamden Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Bear Path School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Spring Glen School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Church Street School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Helen Street School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,609
- Students per teacher
- 12.8:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 845
- Students per teacher
- 11.3:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 385
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 347
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 334
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
Similar other schools in Hamden
3 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Similar other 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 (~280 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~10.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Helen Street School's federal record.
- Compare Helen Street School against another school. Compare schools
- Hamden 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 Helen Street School
How many students attend Helen Street School?
Helen Street School has 280 students enrolled. It is a public school in Hamden, CT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Helen Street School?
The student-teacher ratio at Helen Street 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 Helen Street School?
50.5% of students at Helen Street School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Connecticut average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Helen Street School?
The largest demographic group at Helen Street School is Hispanic or Latino at 40.7% of enrollment, in Hamden, CT. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 68.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Helen Street School?
Helen Street School has a Resource Investment Index of 29/100 (lower 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 Helen Street School rank among schools in Hamden?
By Resource Investment Index, Helen Street School ranks #4 of 4 schools in Hamden, CT. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Hamden on the city page.
Is Helen Street School a good school?
Helen Street School earns 29/100 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 Hamden School District?
Besides Helen Street School, Hamden School District also operates Hamden High School (1,609 students), Hamden Middle School (845 students), and Bear Path School (385 students). See the Hamden 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.