Enrollment
412
Connecticut · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Cheshire, CT
Norton School
Federal NCES profile for Norton School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 55/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 090075000129
👥 S:T ratio 48
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 18
📋 Attendance 84
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Norton School earns 55/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 73% of Connecticut schools.
- #1 of 4
- elementary schools in Cheshire · Resource Index
- 55
- Resource Index · Higher
- 12.9:1
- large classes for Connecticut
- 10.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Norton School has class sizes larger than 73% of Connecticut schools. Computed live against every Connecticut school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Norton School ranks #1 of 4 elementary schools in Cheshire, CT.
School address
District: Cheshire School District · Connecticut
NCES ID 090075000129 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
32.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.9:1
vs 12.1:1 Connecticut avg
+7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
10.7%
vs 36.4% Connecticut avg
-71% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Norton School compares with Connecticut and U.S. medians
What stands out at Norton School
Norton School is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Cheshire, Connecticut, enrolling 412 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 12.9:1 puts it in the larger third of Connecticut schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 10.7% free-meal eligibility runs 71% below the Connecticut average.
With 412 students, its enrollment sits close to the Connecticut median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,003 scored Connecticut schools.
Against 263 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #113.
Its student body is led by White (74%) and Hispanic or Latino (10%) (diversity index 43/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 412 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 6.6% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among Cheshire's elementary schools, it stands alongside Highland School (899 students): Norton School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (12.9:1 vs 14.7:1).
Cheshire School District also operates Cheshire High School (1,208 students) and Highland School (899 students) alongside Norton 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 Norton School compares
Norton 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 | 12.9:1 | ▲ 7% | 12.1:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 10.7% | ▼ 71% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 412 | top 49% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.9:1
Leaner classes than 68% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
412
Bigger than 49% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
10.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 71% 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
12.9:1
students per teacher
- 7% above state mean
Top 73% in Connecticut - lower ratio than 27% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
6.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$22,316
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 412 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.2 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 74.0%
Hispanic or Latino 10.0%
Asian 9.0%
Two or More 3.6%
African American 3.4%
Largest group: White at 74.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 43.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 43.2, Norton School is less mixed than the Connecticut school average of 50.5.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Cheshire School District, which includes Norton School.
$22,316
Per student
-7%
vs Connecticut
Avg $23,870
+34%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 72.5%
State 23.7%
Federal 3.8%
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 Norton School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cheshire High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Highland School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Dodd Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Doolittle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Chapman School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Norton School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,208
- Students per teacher
- 11.6:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 899
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 660
- Students per teacher
- 12.2:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 529
- Students per teacher
- 14.3:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 369
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
Similar elementary schools in Cheshire
3 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 (~412 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Norton School's federal record.
- Compare Norton School against another school. Compare schools
- Cheshire 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 Norton School
How many students attend Norton School?
Norton School has 412 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Cheshire, CT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Norton School?
The student-teacher ratio at Norton School is 12.9:1, which is 7% higher than the Connecticut average of 12.1:1 and 18% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Norton School?
10.7% of students at Norton School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Connecticut average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Norton School?
The largest demographic group at Norton School is White at 74.0% of enrollment, in Cheshire, CT.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Norton School?
Norton School has a Resource Investment Index of 55/100 (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 Norton School rank among elementary schools in Cheshire?
By Resource Investment Index, Norton School ranks #1 of 4 elementary schools in Cheshire, 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 Cheshire on the city page.
Is Norton School a good school?
Norton School earns 55/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 73% 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 Cheshire School District?
Besides Norton School, Cheshire School District also operates Cheshire High School (1,208 students), Highland School (899 students), and Dodd Middle School (660 students). See the Cheshire 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.