Middle school (grades 6-8) · Norwalk, CT

Nathan Hale Middle School

Federal NCES profile for Nathan Hale Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 52/100.

2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 090309000653
0/100100/10052/100
👥 S:T ratio
57
🌟 Gifted program
70
🎓 Counselors
67
📋 Attendance
14
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →

The verdict

Nathan Hale Middle School earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Connecticut median.

#2 of 4
middle schools in Norwalk · Resource Index
52
Resource Index · Higher
10.8:1
students per teacher
43.5%
free-lunch eligible

Nathan Hale Middle School has class sizes near the Connecticut median. Computed live against every Connecticut school reporting to NCES.

By Resource Investment Index, Nathan Hale Middle School ranks #2 of 4 middle schools in Norwalk, CT.

Enrollment

499

Connecticut · 2024-25 NCES data

Teachers (FTE)

46.0

Federal CCD staff survey

Students per teacher

10.8:1

vs 12.1:1 Connecticut avg

-11% vs state

Free-lunch eligible

43.5%

vs 36.4% Connecticut avg

+20% vs state

Student-teacher ratio in context

How Nathan Hale Middle School compares with Connecticut and U.S. medians

At or below state median

Source: NCES Common Core of Data As of 2024-25 federal staff survey Total enrollment ÷ full-time-equivalent classroom teachers

What stands out at Nathan Hale Middle School

Nathan Hale Middle School is a mid-sized middle school in Norwalk, Connecticut, enrolling 499 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 43.5% of students eligible for free meals.

Enrollment of 499 puts it in the larger third of Connecticut schools by headcount.

Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,003 scored Connecticut schools.

Against 206 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #43.

Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (56%) and White (23%) (diversity index 61/100).

Counselor coverage is strong, about 166 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.

Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 34.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).

The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.

Among Norwalk's middle schools, it stands alongside West Rocks Middle School (657 students): Nathan Hale Middle School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (10.8:1 vs 10.6:1).

Norwalk School District also operates Brien Mcmahon High School (1,739 students) and Norwalk High School (1,494 students) alongside Nathan Hale Middle 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 Nathan Hale Middle School compares

Nathan Hale Middle 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 43.5% ▲ 20% 36.4% 51.7%
Enrollment 499 top 33% - -

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.
499
Bigger than 62% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.

Equity indicators (what these measure)

Economic need
43.5%
free-lunch eligible - 20% 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
34.5%
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
$25,610
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
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 166 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
42
in-school suspensions + 41 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 8.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 16.6 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.

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 55.9%
White 23.2%
African American 13.6%
Asian 4.2%
Two or More 3.0%

Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 55.9% of enrollment.

Student-body diversity index 61.3/100

Simpson diversity index - at 61.3, Nathan Hale Middle School is more mixed than the Connecticut school average of 50.5.

Programs

Gifted & talented Yes

Funding & spending

District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Norwalk School District, which includes Nathan Hale Middle School.

$25,610
Per student
+7%
vs Connecticut
Avg $23,870
+54%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 69.3%
State 23.3%
Federal 7.4%

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 Nathan Hale Middle School Compares to District-Mates

School Enrollment Economic Profile Student-Teacher Ratio
Brien Mcmahon High School Larger Similar economic need Higher S:T ratio
Norwalk High School Larger Similar economic need Higher S:T ratio
West Rocks Middle School Larger Similar economic need Similar S:T ratio
Ponus Ridge Steam Academy Larger Similar economic need Similar S:T ratio
Roton Middle School Similar size Similar economic need Similar S:T ratio

Comparisons are relative to Nathan Hale Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.

Other Schools in This District

Norwalk School District · 5 sibling schools

View district profile

Similar middle schools in Norwalk

3 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.

Similar middle 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.

Next steps

Verify locally before acting on Nathan Hale Middle School's federal record.

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 Nathan Hale Middle School

How many students attend Nathan Hale Middle School?

Nathan Hale Middle School has 499 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Norwalk, CT.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Nathan Hale Middle School?

The student-teacher ratio at Nathan Hale Middle 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 Nathan Hale Middle School?

43.5% of students at Nathan Hale Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Connecticut average of 36.4%.

What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Nathan Hale Middle School?

The largest demographic group at Nathan Hale Middle School is Hispanic or Latino at 55.9% of enrollment, in Norwalk, CT. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 61.3/100.

What is the Resource Investment Index for Nathan Hale Middle School?

Nathan Hale Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 52/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).

How does Nathan Hale Middle School rank among middle schools in Norwalk?

By Resource Investment Index, Nathan Hale Middle School ranks #2 of 4 middle schools in Norwalk, CT. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Norwalk on the city page.

Is Nathan Hale Middle School a good school?

Nathan Hale Middle School earns 52/100 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 Norwalk School District?

Besides Nathan Hale Middle School, Norwalk School District also operates Brien Mcmahon High School (1,739 students), Norwalk High School (1,494 students), and West Rocks Middle School (657 students). See the Norwalk School District district page for the complete list.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) CCD + Public School Universe (2024-25), CRDC (2021-22), F-33 District Finance Survey (FY 2021-22) · 2024-25 Data as of the 2024-25 school year. Coverage from U.S. Department of Education NCES Common Core of Data. Varies by entity type; administrative districts and certain charter networks may report only a subset of fields.

All federal data sources used on this page

Full source list and how we compute each figure: methodology page.

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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.