Enrollment
422
Connecticut · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Plainfield, CT
Plainfield Central School
Federal NCES profile for Plainfield Central School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 64/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 090327000693
👥 S:T ratio 61
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 72
📋 Attendance 53
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Plainfield Central School earns 64/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 82% of Connecticut schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Connecticut schools.
- #1 of 3
- public schools in Plainfield · Resource Index
- 64
- Resource Index · Higher
- 9.8:1
- small classes for Connecticut
- 49.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Plainfield Central School has class sizes smaller than 82% of Connecticut schools. Computed live against every Connecticut school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Plainfield Central School ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Plainfield, CT.
School address
District: Plainfield School District · Connecticut
NCES ID 090327000693 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
43.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
9.8:1
vs 12.1:1 Connecticut avg
-19% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
49.2%
vs 36.4% Connecticut avg
+35% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Plainfield Central School compares with Connecticut and U.S. medians
What stands out at Plainfield Central School
Plainfield Central School is a mid-sized middle school in Plainfield, Connecticut, enrolling 422 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 9.8:1 puts it in the smaller third of Connecticut schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 49.2% of students eligible for free meals.
With 422 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.
Among 202 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Connecticut schools statewide, it ranks #6, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (87% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 24/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 141 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 19.0% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Plainfield School District also operates Plainfield High School (515 students) and Shepard Hill Elementary School (392 students) alongside Plainfield Central 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 Plainfield Central School compares
Plainfield Central 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 | 9.8:1 | ▼ 19% | 12.1:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 49.2% | ▲ 35% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 422 | top 47% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
9.8:1
Leaner classes than 90% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
422
Bigger than 51% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
49.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 35% 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
9.8:1
students per teacher
- 19% below state mean
Top 18% in Connecticut - lower ratio than 82% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
19.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$22,473
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
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 141 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
23
in-school suspensions + 32 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 5.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 13.0 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 87.0%
African American 4.7%
Hispanic or Latino 2.8%
Two or More 2.4%
Asian 1.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.7%
Largest group: White at 87.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 23.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 23.9, Plainfield Central School is less mixed than the Connecticut school average of 50.5.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Plainfield School District, which includes Plainfield Central School.
$22,473
Per student
-6%
vs Connecticut
Avg $23,870
+35%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 45.4%
State 44.9%
Federal 9.7%
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 Plainfield Central School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plainfield High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Shepard Hill Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Plainfield Memorial School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Moosup Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Plainfield Central School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 515
- Students per teacher
- 8.9:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 392
- Students per teacher
- 15.1:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 291
- Students per teacher
- 12.1:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 252
- Students per teacher
- 11.5:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
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.
Similar enrollment (~422 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Plainfield Central School's federal record.
- Compare Plainfield Central School against another school. Compare schools
- Plainfield 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 Plainfield Central School
How many students attend Plainfield Central School?
Plainfield Central School has 422 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Plainfield, CT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Plainfield Central School?
The student-teacher ratio at Plainfield Central School is 9.8:1, which is 19% lower than the Connecticut average of 12.1:1 and 38% 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 Plainfield Central School?
49.2% of students at Plainfield Central School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Connecticut average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Plainfield Central School?
The largest demographic group at Plainfield Central School is White at 87.0% of enrollment, in Plainfield, CT.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Plainfield Central School?
Plainfield Central School has a Resource Investment Index of 64/100 (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 Plainfield Central School rank among public schools in Plainfield?
By Resource Investment Index, Plainfield Central School ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Plainfield, CT. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Plainfield on the city page.
Is Plainfield Central School a good school?
Plainfield Central School earns 64/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 82% of Connecticut schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Plainfield School District?
Besides Plainfield Central School, Plainfield School District also operates Plainfield High School (515 students), Shepard Hill Elementary School (392 students), and Plainfield Memorial School (291 students). See the Plainfield 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.