Enrollment
332
Connecticut · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · New Haven, CT
Sound School
Federal NCES profile for Sound School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 090279001216
👥 S:T ratio 66
📚 AP courses 20
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 34
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Sound School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 94% of Connecticut schools.
- #6 of 9
- high schools in New Haven · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 8.5:1
- small classes for Connecticut
- 43.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Sound School has class sizes smaller than 94% of Connecticut schools. Computed live against every Connecticut school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Sound School ranks #6 of 9 high schools in New Haven, CT.
School address
District: New Haven School District · Connecticut
NCES ID 090279001216 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
39.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
8.5:1
vs 12.1:1 Connecticut avg
-30% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
43.4%
vs 36.4% Connecticut avg
+19% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sound School compares with Connecticut and U.S. medians
What stands out at Sound School
Sound School is a mid-sized high school in New Haven, Connecticut, enrolling 332 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 8.5:1, Sound School is leaner than roughly 94% of Connecticut schools and 30% under the state's 12.1:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 43.4% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 332 puts it in the smaller third of Connecticut schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,003 scored Connecticut schools.
Against 171 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #111.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (44%) and White (41%) (diversity index 63/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 4 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 332 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 55.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Among New Haven's high schools, it stands alongside Wilbur Cross High School (1,742 students): Sound School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (8.5:1 vs 13.5:1).
New Haven School District also operates Wilbur Cross High School (1,742 students) and James Hillhouse High School (1,124 students) alongside Sound 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 Sound School compares
Sound 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 | 8.5:1 | ▼ 30% | 12.1:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 43.4% | ▲ 19% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 332 | top 68% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
8.5:1
Leaner classes than 94% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
332
Bigger than 37% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
43.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 19% 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
8.5:1
students per teacher
- 30% below state mean
Top 6% in Connecticut - lower ratio than 94% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
55.4%
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
$21,911
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 332 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.6 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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 43.5%
White 40.8%
African American 12.1%
Two or More 3.0%
Asian 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 43.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 62.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 62.9, Sound School is more mixed than the Connecticut school average of 50.5.
Programs
AP courses offered 4
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for New Haven School District, which includes Sound School.
$21,911
Per student
-8%
vs Connecticut
Avg $23,870
+32%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 29.2%
State 56.9%
Federal 13.9%
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 Sound School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wilbur Cross High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| James Hillhouse High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Fair Haven School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hill Regional Career High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Engineering - Science University Magnet School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Sound School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,742
- Students per teacher
- 13.5:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 1,124
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
- Enrollment
- 734
- Students per teacher
- 11:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 625
- Students per teacher
- 10.4:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 608
- Students per teacher
- 10.7:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
Similar high schools in New Haven
6 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Wilbur Cross High School
Standard public school
1,742 students 13.5:1 students per teacher
James Hillhouse High School
Standard public school
1,124 students 14.8:1 students per teacher
Hill Regional Career High School
Standard public school
625 students 10.4:1 students per teacher
Cooperative High School - Inter-District Magnet
Standard public school
560 students 10.4:1 students per teacher
Metropolitan Business Academy
Standard public school
380 students 11.9:1 students per teacher
New Haven Academy
Standard public school
321 students 14.6:1 students per teacher
Similar high 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 (~332 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~8.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Sound School's federal record.
- Compare Sound School against another school. Compare schools
- New Haven 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 Sound School
How many students attend Sound School?
Sound School has 332 students enrolled. It is a high school in New Haven, CT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sound School?
The student-teacher ratio at Sound School is 8.5:1, which is 30% lower than the Connecticut average of 12.1:1 and 46% 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 Sound School?
43.4% of students at Sound School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Connecticut average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sound School?
The largest demographic group at Sound School is Hispanic or Latino at 43.5% of enrollment, in New Haven, CT. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 62.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sound School?
Sound School has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Sound School rank among high schools in New Haven?
By Resource Investment Index, Sound School ranks #6 of 9 high schools in New Haven, CT. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in New Haven on the city page.
Is Sound School a good school?
Sound School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 94% of 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 New Haven School District?
Besides Sound School, New Haven School District also operates Wilbur Cross High School (1,742 students), James Hillhouse High School (1,124 students), and Fair Haven School (734 students). See the New Haven 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.