Enrollment
342
Connecticut · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 090492001217
Smith School — West Hartford, CT
Federal NCES profile for Smith School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 56/100.
👥 Class size 58
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 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: West Hartford 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)
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
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
Smith School reports 342 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 33.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 10.4:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 14% 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 35% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 36.9% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 1% above the Connecticut average and 29% 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 West Hartford School District spends $25,760 per pupil district-wide, below the Connecticut average of $28,239 and above the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 69.3% from local sources (property taxes), 25.4% from the state, and 5.4% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 56/100 (C), 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 Smith 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 | 10.4:1 | ▼ 14% | 12.1:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 36.9% | ▲ 1% | 36.4% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 342 | top 34% | — | — |
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
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 23% in Connecticut — lower ratio than 77% 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
$25,760
per pupil, district-wide
— below 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 + 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
Enrollment 342 Top 34% in Connecticut — larger than 66% of 1,005 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 33.0
Students per teacher 10.4:1 -14% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 36.9% +1% vs state
NCES ID 090492001217
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.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 0.0
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 24.6%
In-school suspensions 1
Out-of-school suspensions 2
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for West Hartford School District, which includes Smith School.
$25,760
Per student
-9%
vs Connecticut
Avg $28,239
+32%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,380
- Students per teacher
- 13.1:1
- Enrollment
- 1,332
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Enrollment
- 874
- Students per teacher
- 11.1:1
- Enrollment
- 820
- Students per teacher
- 11:1
- Enrollment
- 489
- Students per teacher
- 11.9:1
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 11.6:1 students per teacher
University of Hartford Magnet School
Standard public school
477 students 13.1:1 students per teacher
Aiken School
Standard public school
408 students 13.4:1 students per teacher
Whiting Lane School
Standard public school
379 students 9.6:1 students per teacher
Webster Hill School
Standard public school
332 students 11.7:1 students per teacher
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 Smith School
How many students attend Smith School?
Smith School has 342 students enrolled. It is a other 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 35% 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 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%. The school serves a diverse student body in West Hartford, CT.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Smith School?
Smith School has a Resource Investment Index of 56/100 (C) 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.