Enrollment
303
Connecticut · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Oakville, CT
Polk School
Federal NCES profile for Polk 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 090489001005
👥 S:T ratio 50
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 84
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Polk School earns 55/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Connecticut median.
- #1 of 3
- public schools in Oakville · Resource Index
- 55
- Resource Index · Higher
- 12.6:1
- students per teacher
- 30.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Polk School has class sizes near the Connecticut median. Computed live against every Connecticut school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Polk School ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Oakville, CT.
School address
District: Watertown School District · Connecticut
NCES ID 090489001005 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
24.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.6:1
vs 12.1:1 Connecticut avg
+4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
30.8%
vs 36.4% Connecticut avg
-15% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Polk School compares with Connecticut and U.S. medians
What stands out at Polk School
Polk School is a mid-sized elementary school in Oakville, Connecticut, enrolling 303 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 12.6:1 puts it in the larger third of Connecticut schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 30.8% lands close to the Connecticut typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 303 puts it in the smaller third of Connecticut schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,003 scored Connecticut schools.
Against 224 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #74.
Its student body is led by White (69%) and Hispanic or Latino (16%) (diversity index 49/100).
Attendance holds up well here: only 6.3% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Watertown School District also operates Watertown High School (693 students) and John Trumbull Primary School (610 students) alongside Polk 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 Polk School compares
Polk 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 | 12.6:1 | ▲ 4% | 12.1:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 30.8% | ▼ 15% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 303 | top 75% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.6:1
Leaner classes than 70% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
303
Bigger than 33% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
30.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 15% 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
12.6:1
students per teacher
- 4% above state mean
Top 69% in Connecticut - lower ratio than 31% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
6.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$22,806
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
12
in-school suspensions + 7 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.3 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 69.0%
Hispanic or Latino 16.2%
Two or More 7.3%
African American 5.3%
Asian 2.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 69.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 48.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 48.9, Polk School is about as mixed as the Connecticut school average of 50.5.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Watertown School District, which includes Polk School.
$22,806
Per student
-4%
vs Connecticut
Avg $23,870
+37%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 60.6%
State 32.2%
Federal 7.3%
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 Polk School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Watertown High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| John Trumbull Primary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Swift Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Fletcher W. Judson School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Polk School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 693
- Students per teacher
- 10:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
- Enrollment
- 610
- Students per teacher
- 13.6:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 591
- Students per teacher
- 11.6:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
- Enrollment
- 302
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
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 (~303 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Polk School's federal record.
- Compare Polk School against another school. Compare schools
- Watertown 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 Polk School
How many students attend Polk School?
Polk School has 303 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Oakville, CT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Polk School?
The student-teacher ratio at Polk School is 12.6:1, which is 4% higher than the Connecticut average of 12.1:1 and 20% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Polk School?
30.8% of students at Polk School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Connecticut average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Polk School?
The largest demographic group at Polk School is White at 69.0% of enrollment, in Oakville, CT.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Polk School?
Polk School has a Resource Investment Index of 55/100 (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 Polk School rank among public schools in Oakville?
By Resource Investment Index, Polk School ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Oakville, 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 Oakville on the city page.
Is Polk School a good school?
Polk School earns 55/100 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 Watertown School District?
Besides Polk School, Watertown School District also operates Watertown High School (693 students), John Trumbull Primary School (610 students), and Swift Middle School (591 students). See the Watertown 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.