Enrollment
477
Connecticut · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · New Canaan, CT
South School
Federal NCES profile for South School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 72/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 090270000533
👥 S:T ratio 58
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 89
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
South School earns 72/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 74% of Connecticut schools.
- #1 of 3
- elementary schools in New Canaan · Resource Index
- 72
- Resource Index · Higher
- 10.4:1
- small classes for Connecticut
- 477
- students enrolled
South School has class sizes smaller than 74% of Connecticut schools. Computed live against every Connecticut school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, South School ranks #1 of 3 elementary schools in New Canaan, CT.
School address
District: New Canaan School District · Connecticut
NCES ID 090270000533 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
46.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.4:1
vs 12.1:1 Connecticut avg
-14% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How South School compares with Connecticut and U.S. medians
What stands out at South School
South School is a mid-sized elementary school in New Canaan, Connecticut, enrolling 477 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.
With 477 students, its enrollment sits close to the Connecticut median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 99% of the 1,003 Connecticut schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Its student body is led by White (79%) and Hispanic or Latino (7%) (diversity index 37/100).
Attendance holds up well here: only 4.4% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among New Canaan's elementary schools, it stands alongside Saxe Middle School (1,271 students): South School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (10.4:1 vs 11:1).
New Canaan School District also operates Saxe Middle School (1,271 students) and New Canaan High School (1,257 students) alongside South 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 South School compares
South 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 |
| Enrollment | 477 | top 36% | - | - |
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.
477
Bigger than 59% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
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
4.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 5%, comfortably under the pre-pandemic national baseline for chronic absenteeism.
Funding equity
$26,634
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
3
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.8 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 78.8%
Hispanic or Latino 7.3%
Two or More 7.1%
Asian 6.1%
African American 0.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 78.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 36.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 36.5, South School is less mixed than the Connecticut school average of 50.5.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for New Canaan School District, which includes South School.
$26,634
Per student
+12%
vs Connecticut
Avg $23,870
+61%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 83.9%
State 14.7%
Federal 1.3%
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 South School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saxe Middle School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| New Canaan High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| East School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| West School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to South School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,271
- Students per teacher
- 11:1
- Resource Index
- 66/100
- Enrollment
- 1,257
- Students per teacher
- 12:1
- Resource Index
- 70/100
- Enrollment
- 554
- Students per teacher
- 12.9:1
- Resource Index
- 69/100
- Enrollment
- 481
- Students per teacher
- 11.7:1
- Resource Index
- 70/100
Similar elementary schools in New Canaan
2 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Similar elementary 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 (~477 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~10.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on South School's federal record.
- Compare South School against another school. Compare schools
- New Canaan 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 South School
How many students attend South School?
South School has 477 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in New Canaan, CT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at South School?
The student-teacher ratio at South 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 is the racial and ethnic makeup of South School?
The largest demographic group at South School is White at 78.8% of enrollment, in New Canaan, CT.
What is the Resource Investment Index for South School?
South School has a Resource Investment Index of 72/100 (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 South School rank among elementary schools in New Canaan?
By Resource Investment Index, South School ranks #1 of 3 elementary schools in New Canaan, CT. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in New Canaan on the city page.
Is South School a good school?
South School earns 72/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 74% 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 Canaan School District?
Besides South School, New Canaan School District also operates Saxe Middle School (1,271 students), New Canaan High School (1,257 students), and East School (554 students). See the New Canaan 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.