Enrollment
1,391
Connecticut · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data High school (grades 9-12) NCES 090483000979
John F. Kennedy High School — Waterbury, CT
Federal NCES profile for John F. Kennedy High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 41/100.
👥 Class size 42
📚 AP courses 60
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 30
📋 Attendance 0
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: Waterbury 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)
90.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.4:1
vs 12.1:1 Connecticut avg
+19% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
77.6%
vs 36.4% Connecticut avg
+113% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How John F. Kennedy High 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
John F. Kennedy High School reports 1,391 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 90.0 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: 77.6% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 113% above the Connecticut average and 50% above the national baseline. The school offers 12 Advanced Placement courses, a stronger academic pipeline indicator than enrollment alone. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 348 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 49.4% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Waterbury School District spends $20,476 per pupil district-wide, below the Connecticut average of $28,239 and above the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 23.5% from local sources (property taxes), 63.9% from the state, and 12.6% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (D), calculated from 5 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 John F. Kennedy High 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 | 77.6% | ▲ 113% | 36.4% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 1,391 | top 98% | — | — |
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
77.6%
free-lunch eligible
— 113% 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
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
49.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$20,476
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
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 348 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
311
in-school suspensions + 187 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 22.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 35.8 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 10 expulsions.
Overview
Enrollment 1,391 Top 98% in Connecticut — larger than 2% of 1,005 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 90.0
Students per teacher 14.4:1 +19% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 77.6% +113% vs state
NCES ID 090483000979
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 63.0%
African American 22.6%
White 9.8%
Two or More 2.7%
Asian 1.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 63.0% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
AP courses offered 12
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 4.0
Students per counselor 348:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 49.4%
In-school suspensions 311
Out-of-school suspensions 187
Expulsions 10
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Waterbury School District, which includes John F. Kennedy High School.
$20,476
Per student
-27%
vs Connecticut
Avg $28,239
+5%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 23.5%
State 63.9%
Federal 12.6%
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
- 1,453
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Enrollment
- 1,196
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Enrollment
- 1,059
- Students per teacher
- 11.5:1
- Enrollment
- 848
- Students per teacher
- 9.8:1
- Enrollment
- 820
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
Similar high schools in Waterbury
4 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Crosby High School
Standard public school
1,453 students 15.9:1 students per teacher
Wilby High School
Standard public school
1,196 students 14.6:1 students per teacher
W. F. Kaynor Technical High School
Vocational / career-technical school
831 students 12.6:1 students per teacher
Waterbury Career Academy
Standard public school
709 students 15:1 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 John F. Kennedy High School
How many students attend John F. Kennedy High School?
John F. Kennedy High School has 1,391 students enrolled. It is a high school in Waterbury, CT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at John F. Kennedy High School?
The student-teacher ratio at John F. Kennedy High 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 John F. Kennedy High School?
77.6% of students at John F. Kennedy High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Connecticut average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of John F. Kennedy High School?
The largest demographic group at John F. Kennedy High School is Hispanic or Latino at 63.0%. The school serves a diverse student body in Waterbury, CT.
What is the Resource Investment Index for John F. Kennedy High School?
John F. Kennedy High School has a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (D) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.