Enrollment
141
Connecticut · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Preston, CT
Preston Plains School
Federal NCES profile for Preston Plains School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 25/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 090342000717
👥 S:T ratio 44
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Preston Plains School earns 25/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 86% of Connecticut schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in Connecticut.
- 25
- Resource Index · Lower
- 14.1:1
- large classes for Connecticut
- 21.6%
- free-lunch eligible
- 141
- students enrolled
Preston Plains School has class sizes larger than 86% of Connecticut schools. Computed live against every Connecticut school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: Preston School District · Connecticut
NCES ID 090342000717 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
10.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.1:1
vs 12.1:1 Connecticut avg
+17% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
21.6%
vs 36.4% Connecticut avg
-41% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Preston Plains School compares with Connecticut and U.S. medians
What stands out at Preston Plains School
Preston Plains School is a small middle school in Preston, Connecticut, enrolling 141 students.
Class loads run heavy: 14.1:1 is larger than about 86% of Connecticut schools and 17% above the 12.1:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 21.6% of students eligible for free meals.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 97% of Connecticut schools, with 141 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 96% of the 1,003 Connecticut schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 34 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Connecticut schools statewide, it ranks #31, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (77%) and Hispanic or Latino (11%) (diversity index 39/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 47.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district, Preston School District, also runs Preston Veterans' Memorial School (284 students).
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 Preston Plains School compares
Preston Plains 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 | 14.1:1 | ▲ 17% | 12.1:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 21.6% | ▼ 41% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 141 | top 97% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.1:1
Leaner classes than 56% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
141
Bigger than 14% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
21.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 41% 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
14.1:1
students per teacher
- 17% above state mean
Top 86% in Connecticut - lower ratio than 14% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
47.5%
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
$27,489
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
3
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.1 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 77.3%
Hispanic or Latino 11.3%
African American 3.5%
Asian 3.5%
Two or More 2.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.7%
Largest group: White at 77.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 38.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 38.6, Preston Plains School is less mixed than the Connecticut school average of 50.5.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Preston School District, which includes Preston Plains School.
$27,489
Per student
+15%
vs Connecticut
Avg $23,870
+66%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 66.5%
State 31.3%
Federal 2.2%
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 Preston Plains School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Preston Veterans' Memorial School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Preston Plains School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 284
- Students per teacher
- 11.8:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
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 (~141 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Preston Plains School's federal record.
- Compare Preston Plains School against another school. Compare schools
- Preston 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 Preston Plains School
How many students attend Preston Plains School?
Preston Plains School has 141 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Preston, CT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Preston Plains School?
The student-teacher ratio at Preston Plains School is 14.1:1, which is 17% higher than the Connecticut average of 12.1:1 and 10% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Preston Plains School?
21.6% of students at Preston Plains School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Connecticut average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Preston Plains School?
The largest demographic group at Preston Plains School is White at 77.3% of enrollment, in Preston, CT.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Preston Plains School?
Preston Plains School has a Resource Investment Index of 25/100 (lower 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).
Is Preston Plains School a good school?
Preston Plains School earns 25/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 86% of Connecticut schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in Connecticut. 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 Preston School District?
Besides Preston Plains School, Preston School District also operates Preston Veterans' Memorial School (284 students). See the Preston 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.