Enrollment
317
Connecticut · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Newington, CT
Ruth Chaffee School
Federal NCES profile for Ruth Chaffee School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 50/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 090288000612
👥 S:T ratio 53
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 68
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ruth Chaffee School earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Connecticut median.
- #3 of 3
- schools in Newington · Resource Index
- 50
- Resource Index · Higher
- 11.7:1
- students per teacher
- 25.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Ruth Chaffee School has class sizes near the Connecticut median. Computed live against every Connecticut school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ruth Chaffee School ranks #3 of 3 schools in Newington, CT.
School address
District: Newington School District · Connecticut
NCES ID 090288000612 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
27.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.7:1
vs 12.1:1 Connecticut avg
-3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
25.7%
vs 36.4% Connecticut avg
-29% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ruth Chaffee School compares with Connecticut and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ruth Chaffee School
Ruth Chaffee School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Newington, Connecticut, enrolling 317 students.
At 11.7:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Connecticut median, within a few percentage points of the 12.1:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 25.7% lands close to the Connecticut typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 317 puts it in the smaller third of Connecticut schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,003 scored Connecticut schools.
Against 266 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #163.
Its student body is led by White (59%) and Hispanic or Latino (20%) (diversity index 60/100).
12.9% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Newington's public schools, it stands alongside John Paterson School (394 students): Ruth Chaffee School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (11.7:1 vs 10.9:1).
Newington School District also operates Newington High School (1,255 students) and John Wallace Middle School (610 students) alongside Ruth Chaffee 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 Ruth Chaffee School compares
Ruth Chaffee 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 | 11.7:1 | ▼ 3% | 12.1:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 25.7% | ▼ 29% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 317 | top 72% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.7:1
Leaner classes than 78% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
317
Bigger than 35% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
25.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 29% 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
11.7:1
students per teacher
- 3% below state mean
Top 52% in Connecticut - lower ratio than 48% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
12.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$23,960
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
0
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.3 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 58.7%
Hispanic or Latino 19.9%
Asian 11.7%
Two or More 5.0%
African American 4.7%
Largest group: White at 58.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 59.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 59.7, Ruth Chaffee School is more mixed than the Connecticut school average of 50.5.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Newington School District, which includes Ruth Chaffee School.
$23,960
Per student
+0%
vs Connecticut
Avg $23,870
+44%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 63.6%
State 31.6%
Federal 4.8%
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 Ruth Chaffee School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newington High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| John Wallace Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Martin Kellogg Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Anna Reynolds School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| John Paterson School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ruth Chaffee School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,255
- Students per teacher
- 13.6:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 610
- Students per teacher
- 12.7:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
- Enrollment
- 567
- Students per teacher
- 11.8:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
- Enrollment
- 407
- Students per teacher
- 13.1:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 394
- Students per teacher
- 10.9:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
Similar other schools in Newington
2 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Similar other 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 (~317 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~11.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ruth Chaffee School's federal record.
- Compare Ruth Chaffee School against another school. Compare schools
- Newington 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 Ruth Chaffee School
How many students attend Ruth Chaffee School?
Ruth Chaffee School has 317 students enrolled. It is a public school in Newington, CT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ruth Chaffee School?
The student-teacher ratio at Ruth Chaffee School is 11.7:1, which is 3% lower than the Connecticut average of 12.1:1 and 25% 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 Ruth Chaffee School?
25.7% of students at Ruth Chaffee School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Connecticut average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ruth Chaffee School?
The largest demographic group at Ruth Chaffee School is White at 58.7% of enrollment, in Newington, CT. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 59.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ruth Chaffee School?
Ruth Chaffee School has a Resource Investment Index of 50/100 (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 Ruth Chaffee School rank among schools in Newington?
By Resource Investment Index, Ruth Chaffee School ranks #3 of 3 schools in Newington, CT. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Newington on the city page.
Is Ruth Chaffee School a good school?
Ruth Chaffee School earns 50/100 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 Newington School District?
Besides Ruth Chaffee School, Newington School District also operates Newington High School (1,255 students), John Wallace Middle School (610 students), and Martin Kellogg Middle School (567 students). See the Newington 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.