Enrollment
342
Connecticut · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · West Hartford, CT
Smith School
Federal NCES profile for Smith School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 56/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 090492001217
👥 S:T ratio 58
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 38
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Smith School earns 56/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 74% of Connecticut schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Connecticut schools.
- #3 of 6
- schools in West Hartford · Resource Index
- 56
- Resource Index · Higher
- 10.4:1
- small classes for Connecticut
- 36.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Smith School has class sizes smaller than 74% of Connecticut schools. Computed live against every Connecticut school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Smith School ranks #3 of 6 schools in West Hartford, CT.
School address
District: West Hartford School District · Connecticut
NCES ID 090492001217 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
33.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.4:1
vs 12.1:1 Connecticut avg
-14% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
36.9%
vs 36.4% Connecticut avg
+1% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Smith School compares with Connecticut and U.S. medians
What stands out at Smith School
Smith School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in West Hartford, Connecticut, enrolling 342 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 10.4:1 puts it in the smaller third of Connecticut schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 36.9% lands close to the Connecticut typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 342 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 210 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #48.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (40%) and White (29%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 73/100).
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 24.6% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among West Hartford's public schools, it stands alongside Charter Oak International Academy (486 students): Smith School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (10.4:1 vs 11:1).
West Hartford School District also operates Conard High School (1,380 students) and Hall High School (1,332 students) alongside Smith 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 Smith School compares
Smith 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 | 10.4:1 | ▼ 14% | 12.1:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 36.9% | ▲ 1% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 342 | top 66% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
10.4:1
Leaner classes than 87% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
342
Bigger than 38% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
36.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 1% above the Connecticut average of 36.4%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
10.4:1
students per teacher
- 14% below state mean
Top 26% in Connecticut - lower ratio than 74% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
24.6%
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
$23,764
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
1
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.9 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
Hispanic or Latino 39.6%
White 29.0%
Asian 13.5%
African American 10.6%
Two or More 7.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 39.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 72.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 72.5, Smith School is more mixed than the Connecticut school average of 50.5.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for West Hartford School District, which includes Smith School.
$23,764
Per student
0%
vs Connecticut
Avg $23,870
+43%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 69.3%
State 25.4%
Federal 5.4%
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 Smith School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conard High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hall High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Sedgwick Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| King Philip Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Duffy School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Smith School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,380
- Students per teacher
- 12.8:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
- Enrollment
- 1,332
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 874
- Students per teacher
- 11.2:1
- Resource Index
- 65/100
- Enrollment
- 820
- Students per teacher
- 11.1:1
- Resource Index
- 66/100
- Enrollment
- 489
- Students per teacher
- 12.2:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
Similar other schools in West Hartford
5 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Charter Oak International Academy
Standard public school
486 students 11:1 students per teacher
University of Hartford Magnet School
Standard public school
477 students 12.2:1 students per teacher
Aiken School
Standard public school
408 students 13.2:1 students per teacher
Whiting Lane School
Standard public school
379 students 10:1 students per teacher
Webster Hill School
Standard public school
332 students 11.4:1 students per teacher
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 (~342 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Smith School's federal record.
- Compare Smith School against another school. Compare schools
- West Hartford 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 Smith School
How many students attend Smith School?
Smith School has 342 students enrolled. It is a public school in West Hartford, CT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Smith School?
The student-teacher ratio at Smith School is 10.4:1, which is 14% lower than the Connecticut average of 12.1:1 and 34% 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 Smith School?
36.9% of students at Smith School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Connecticut average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Smith School?
The largest demographic group at Smith School is Hispanic or Latino at 39.6% of enrollment, in West Hartford, CT. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 72.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Smith School?
Smith School has a Resource Investment Index of 56/100 (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 Smith School rank among schools in West Hartford?
By Resource Investment Index, Smith School ranks #3 of 6 schools in West Hartford, CT. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in West Hartford on the city page.
Is Smith School a good school?
Smith School earns 56/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 74% of Connecticut schools. It is also more 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 West Hartford School District?
Besides Smith School, West Hartford School District also operates Conard High School (1,380 students), Hall High School (1,332 students), and Sedgwick Middle School (874 students). See the West Hartford 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.