Enrollment
321
Connecticut · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 090186000345
Ridge Hill School — Hamden, CT
Federal NCES profile for Ridge Hill School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 40/100.
👥 Class size 53
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 38
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Hamden School District · Connecticut
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
25.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.8:1
vs 12.1:1 Connecticut avg
-2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
47.6%
vs 36.4% Connecticut avg
+31% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ridge Hill School compares with Connecticut and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Ridge Hill School reports 321 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 25.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 11.8:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 2% below the Connecticut state mean of 12.1:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 26% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 47.6% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 31% above the Connecticut average and 8% below the national baseline. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 24.6% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Hamden School District spends $31,040 per pupil district-wide, above the Connecticut average of $28,239 and above the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 61.6% from local sources (property taxes), 31.5% from the state, and 6.8% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 40/100 (D), calculated from 3 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Ridge Hill School compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Connecticut state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Connecticut | Connecticut avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 11.8:1 | ▼ 2% | 12.1:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 47.6% | ▲ 31% | 36.4% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 321 | top 30% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
47.6%
free-lunch eligible
— 31% 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
11.8:1
students per teacher
— 2% below state mean
Top 52% in Connecticut — lower ratio than 48% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
24.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$31,040
per pupil, district-wide
— above Connecticut avg of $28,239
Above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.6 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 321 Top 30% in Connecticut — larger than 70% of 1,005 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 25.0
Students per teacher 11.8:1 -2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 47.6% +31% vs state
NCES ID 090186000345
Student demographics
White 27.4%
African American 27.4%
Hispanic or Latino 26.8%
Two or More 10.6%
Asian 7.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: African American at 27.4% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 0.0
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 24.6%
In-school suspensions 1
Out-of-school suspensions 1
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Hamden School District, which includes Ridge Hill School.
$31,040
Per student
+10%
vs Connecticut
Avg $28,239
+59%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 61.6%
State 31.5%
Federal 6.8%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,609
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
- Enrollment
- 845
- Students per teacher
- 10.8:1
- Enrollment
- 385
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
- Enrollment
- 347
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Enrollment
- 334
- Students per teacher
- 11.5:1
Similar other schools in Hamden
3 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Ridge Hill School
How many students attend Ridge Hill School?
Ridge Hill School has 321 students enrolled. It is a other school in Hamden, CT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ridge Hill School?
The student-teacher ratio at Ridge Hill School is 11.8:1, which is 2% lower than the Connecticut average of 12.1:1 and 26% lower than the national average of 15.9:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Ridge Hill School?
47.6% of students at Ridge Hill School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Connecticut average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ridge Hill School?
The largest demographic group at Ridge Hill School is African American at 27.4%. The school serves a diverse student body in Hamden, CT.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ridge Hill School?
Ridge Hill School has a Resource Investment Index of 40/100 (D) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.