Enrollment
198
Connecticut · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Niantic, CT
Niantic Center School
Federal NCES profile for Niantic Center School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 53/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 090132000227
👥 S:T ratio 58
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 70
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Niantic Center School earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 74% of Connecticut schools.
- #1 of 3
- elementary schools in Niantic · Resource Index
- 53
- Resource Index · Higher
- 10.4:1
- small classes for Connecticut
- 15.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Niantic Center School has class sizes smaller than 74% of Connecticut schools. Computed live against every Connecticut school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Niantic Center School ranks #1 of 3 elementary schools in Niantic, CT.
School address
District: East Lyme School District · Connecticut
NCES ID 090132000227 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
19.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.4:1
vs 12.1:1 Connecticut avg
-14% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
15.2%
vs 36.4% Connecticut avg
-58% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Niantic Center School compares with Connecticut and U.S. medians
What stands out at Niantic Center School
Niantic Center School is a lower-poverty, small elementary school in Niantic, Connecticut, enrolling 198 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 10.4:1 puts it in the smaller third of Connecticut schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 15.2% of students eligible for free meals.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 92% of Connecticut schools, with 198 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,003 scored Connecticut schools.
Against 76 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #40.
Its student body is predominantly White (82% of enrollment) (diversity index 32/100).
12.1% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Niantic's elementary schools, it stands alongside East Lyme Middle School (716 students): Niantic Center School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (10.4:1 vs 11.2:1).
East Lyme School District also operates East Lyme High School (890 students) and East Lyme Middle School (716 students) alongside Niantic Center 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 Niantic Center School compares
Niantic Center 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 | 10.4:1 | ▼ 14% | 12.1:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 15.2% | ▼ 58% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 198 | top 92% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
10.4:1
Leaner classes than 87% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
198
Bigger than 19% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
15.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 58% below the Connecticut average of 36.4%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
10.4:1
students per teacher
- 14% below state mean
Top 26% in Connecticut - lower ratio than 74% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
12.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$24,158
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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 81.8%
Hispanic or Latino 7.6%
Two or More 6.6%
Asian 2.0%
African American 1.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.0%
Largest group: White at 81.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 32.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 32.0, Niantic Center School is less mixed than the Connecticut school average of 50.5.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for East Lyme School District, which includes Niantic Center School.
$24,158
Per student
+1%
vs Connecticut
Avg $23,870
+46%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 70.7%
State 22.6%
Federal 6.7%
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 Niantic Center School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Lyme High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| East Lyme Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Lillie B. Haynes School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Flanders School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Niantic Center School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 890
- Students per teacher
- 9.8:1
- Resource Index
- 59/100
- Enrollment
- 716
- Students per teacher
- 11.2:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 365
- Students per teacher
- 11.4:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 242
- Students per teacher
- 9:1
- Resource Index
- 59/100
Similar elementary schools in Niantic
2 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
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 (~198 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~10.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Niantic Center School's federal record.
- Compare Niantic Center School against another school. Compare schools
- East Lyme 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 Niantic Center School
How many students attend Niantic Center School?
Niantic Center School has 198 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Niantic, CT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Niantic Center School?
The student-teacher ratio at Niantic Center School is 10.4:1, which is 14% lower than the Connecticut average of 12.1:1 and 34% 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 Niantic Center School?
15.2% of students at Niantic Center School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Connecticut average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Niantic Center School?
The largest demographic group at Niantic Center School is White at 81.8% of enrollment, in Niantic, CT.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Niantic Center School?
Niantic Center School has a Resource Investment Index of 53/100 (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 Niantic Center School rank among elementary schools in Niantic?
By Resource Investment Index, Niantic Center School ranks #1 of 3 elementary schools in Niantic, CT. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Niantic on the city page.
Is Niantic Center School a good school?
Niantic Center School earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 74% 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 East Lyme School District?
Besides Niantic Center School, East Lyme School District also operates East Lyme High School (890 students), East Lyme Middle School (716 students), and Lillie B. Haynes School (365 students). See the East Lyme 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.