Enrollment
1,059
Connecticut · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Elementary school (grades K-5) NCES 090483000983
Michael F. Wallace Middle School — Waterbury, CT
Federal NCES profile for Michael F. Wallace Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 38/100.
👥 Class size 54
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 65
📋 Attendance 3
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)
92.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.5:1
vs 12.1:1 Connecticut avg
-5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
83.9%
vs 36.4% Connecticut avg
+130% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Michael F. Wallace Middle 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
Michael F. Wallace Middle School reports 1,059 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 92.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 11.5:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 5% below the Connecticut state mean of 12.1:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 28% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 83.9% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 130% above the Connecticut average and 62% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 177 students per counselor, meeting the American School Counselor Association recommendation of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 39.0% 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 38/100 (F), calculated from 4 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 Michael F. Wallace Middle 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 | 11.5:1 | ▼ 5% | 12.1:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 83.9% | ▲ 130% | 36.4% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 1,059 | top 94% | — | — |
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
83.9%
free-lunch eligible
— 130% 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
11.5:1
students per teacher
— 5% below state mean
Top 45% in Connecticut — lower ratio than 55% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
39.0%
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
Counselors6.0 FTE
Per 177 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
151
in-school suspensions + 283 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 14.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 41.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 4 expulsions.
Overview
Enrollment 1,059 Top 94% in Connecticut — larger than 6% of 1,005 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 92.0
Students per teacher 11.5:1 -5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 83.9% +130% vs state
NCES ID 090483000983
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 61.1%
African American 22.7%
White 9.8%
Two or More 3.7%
Asian 2.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 61.1% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 6.0
Students per counselor 177:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 39.0%
In-school suspensions 151
Out-of-school suspensions 283
Expulsions 4
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Waterbury School District, which includes Michael F. Wallace Middle 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
- 1,391
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Enrollment
- 1,196
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Enrollment
- 848
- Students per teacher
- 9.8:1
- Enrollment
- 820
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
Similar elementary schools in Waterbury
2 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
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 Michael F. Wallace Middle School
How many students attend Michael F. Wallace Middle School?
Michael F. Wallace Middle School has 1,059 students enrolled. It is a elementary school in Waterbury, CT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Michael F. Wallace Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Michael F. Wallace Middle School is 11.5:1, which is 5% lower than the Connecticut average of 12.1:1 and 28% lower than the national average of 15.9:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Michael F. Wallace Middle School?
83.9% of students at Michael F. Wallace Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Connecticut average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Michael F. Wallace Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Michael F. Wallace Middle School is Hispanic or Latino at 61.1%. The school serves a diverse student body in Waterbury, CT.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Michael F. Wallace Middle School?
Michael F. Wallace Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (F) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.