Enrollment
472
Connecticut · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Suffield, CT
Mcalister Intermediate School
Federal NCES profile for Mcalister Intermediate School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 51/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 090447001394
👥 S:T ratio 44
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 78
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Mcalister Intermediate School earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 84% of Connecticut schools.
- #2 of 3
- public schools in Suffield · Resource Index
- 51
- Resource Index · Higher
- 13.9:1
- large classes for Connecticut
- 11.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Mcalister Intermediate School has class sizes larger than 84% of Connecticut schools. Computed live against every Connecticut school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Mcalister Intermediate School ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Suffield, CT.
School address
District: Suffield School District · Connecticut
NCES ID 090447001394 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
34.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.9:1
vs 12.1:1 Connecticut avg
+15% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
11.0%
vs 36.4% Connecticut avg
-70% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Mcalister Intermediate School compares with Connecticut and U.S. medians
What stands out at Mcalister Intermediate School
Mcalister Intermediate School is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Suffield, Connecticut, enrolling 472 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 13.9:1 puts it in the larger third of Connecticut schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 11.0% free-meal eligibility runs 70% below the Connecticut average.
With 472 students, its enrollment sits close to the Connecticut median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,003 scored Connecticut schools.
Against 262 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #163.
Its student body is predominantly White (82% of enrollment) (diversity index 31/100).
Attendance holds up well here: only 8.7% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Suffield School District also operates Suffield High School (641 students) and A. Ward Spaulding School (455 students) alongside Mcalister Intermediate 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 Mcalister Intermediate School compares
Mcalister Intermediate 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 | 13.9:1 | ▲ 15% | 12.1:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 11.0% | ▼ 70% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 472 | top 37% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.9:1
Leaner classes than 58% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
472
Bigger than 58% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
11.0%
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
13.9:1
students per teacher
- 15% above state mean
Top 84% in Connecticut - lower ratio than 16% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
8.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$21,868
per pupil, district-wide
- below 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
3
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.6 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 82.4%
Hispanic or Latino 8.7%
Asian 4.9%
African American 3.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 82.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 31.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 31.0, Mcalister Intermediate School is less mixed than the Connecticut school average of 50.5.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Suffield School District, which includes Mcalister Intermediate School.
$21,868
Per student
-8%
vs Connecticut
Avg $23,870
+32%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 63.1%
State 30.7%
Federal 6.1%
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 Mcalister Intermediate School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Suffield High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| A. Ward Spaulding School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Suffield Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Mcalister Intermediate School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 641
- Students per teacher
- 10.3:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 455
- Students per teacher
- 12.6:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 443
- Students per teacher
- 9.4:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
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 (~472 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Mcalister Intermediate School's federal record.
- Compare Mcalister Intermediate School against another school. Compare schools
- Suffield 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 Mcalister Intermediate School
How many students attend Mcalister Intermediate School?
Mcalister Intermediate School has 472 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Suffield, CT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Mcalister Intermediate School?
The student-teacher ratio at Mcalister Intermediate School is 13.9:1, which is 15% higher than the Connecticut average of 12.1:1 and 11% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Mcalister Intermediate School?
11.0% of students at Mcalister Intermediate School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Connecticut average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Mcalister Intermediate School?
The largest demographic group at Mcalister Intermediate School is White at 82.4% of enrollment, in Suffield, CT.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Mcalister Intermediate School?
Mcalister Intermediate School has a Resource Investment Index of 51/100 (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 Mcalister Intermediate School rank among public schools in Suffield?
By Resource Investment Index, Mcalister Intermediate School ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Suffield, 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 Suffield on the city page.
Is Mcalister Intermediate School a good school?
Mcalister Intermediate School earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 84% of 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 Suffield School District?
Besides Mcalister Intermediate School, Suffield School District also operates Suffield High School (641 students), A. Ward Spaulding School (455 students), and Suffield Middle School (443 students). See the Suffield 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.