Enrollment
234
Connecticut · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Elementary school (grades K-5) NCES 090519001083
Natchaug School — Willimantic, CT
Federal NCES profile for Natchaug School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 30/100.
👥 Class size 59
🌟 Gifted program 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: Windham 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)
25.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.2:1
vs 12.1:1 Connecticut avg
-16% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
72.9%
vs 36.4% Connecticut avg
+100% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Natchaug 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
Natchaug School reports 234 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 25.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 10.2:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 16% 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 36% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 72.9% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 100% above the Connecticut average and 41% above the national baseline. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 60.3% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Windham School District spends $36,229 per pupil district-wide, above the Connecticut average of $28,239 and above the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 26.8% from local sources (property taxes), 64.1% from the state, and 9.1% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 30/100 (F), calculated from 3 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 Natchaug 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 | 10.2:1 | ▼ 16% | 12.1:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 72.9% | ▲ 100% | 36.4% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 234 | top 12% | — | — |
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
72.9%
free-lunch eligible
— 100% 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
10.2:1
students per teacher
— 16% below state mean
Top 19% in Connecticut — lower ratio than 81% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
60.3%
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
$36,229
per pupil, district-wide
— above Connecticut avg of $28,239
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
3
in-school suspensions + 12 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 234 Top 12% in Connecticut — larger than 88% of 1,005 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 25.0
Students per teacher 10.2:1 -16% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 72.9% +100% vs state
NCES ID 090519001083
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 79.5%
White 11.1%
African American 5.1%
Asian 2.1%
Two or More 1.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 79.5% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 0.0
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 60.3%
In-school suspensions 3
Out-of-school suspensions 12
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Windham School District, which includes Natchaug School.
$36,229
Per student
+28%
vs Connecticut
Avg $28,239
+86%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 26.8%
State 64.1%
Federal 9.1%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 633
- Students per teacher
- 8.4:1
- Enrollment
- 583
- Students per teacher
- 9.6:1
- Enrollment
- 535
- Students per teacher
- 10.6:1
- Enrollment
- 445
- Students per teacher
- 11.4:1
- Enrollment
- 212
- Students per teacher
- 7.6:1
Similar elementary schools in Willimantic
1 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 Natchaug School
How many students attend Natchaug School?
Natchaug School has 234 students enrolled. It is a elementary school in Willimantic, CT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Natchaug School?
The student-teacher ratio at Natchaug School is 10.2:1, which is 16% lower than the Connecticut average of 12.1:1 and 36% 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 Natchaug School?
72.9% of students at Natchaug School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Connecticut average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Natchaug School?
The largest demographic group at Natchaug School is Hispanic or Latino at 79.5%. The school serves a diverse student body in Willimantic, CT.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Natchaug School?
Natchaug School has a Resource Investment Index of 30/100 (F) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.