Enrollment
289
Connecticut · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Torrington, CT
Southwest School
Federal NCES profile for Southwest School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 48/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 090459000922
👥 S:T ratio 57
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 57
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Southwest School earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Connecticut median.
- #1 of 4
- elementary schools in Torrington · Resource Index
- 48
- Resource Index · Typical
- 10.7:1
- students per teacher
- 61.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Southwest School has class sizes near the Connecticut median. Computed live against every Connecticut school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Southwest School ranks #1 of 4 elementary schools in Torrington, CT.
School address
District: Torrington School District · Connecticut
NCES ID 090459000922 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
27.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.7:1
vs 12.1:1 Connecticut avg
-12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
61.0%
vs 36.4% Connecticut avg
+68% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Southwest School compares with Connecticut and U.S. medians
What stands out at Southwest School
Southwest School is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Torrington, Connecticut, enrolling 289 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 10.7:1 puts it in the smaller third of Connecticut schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 61.0% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 289 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 99 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #20.
Its student body is led by White (48%) and Hispanic or Latino (41%) (diversity index 59/100).
17.3% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Torrington's elementary schools, it stands alongside Torringford School (583 students): Southwest School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (10.7:1 vs 13:1).
Torrington School District also operates Torrington High School (1,034 students) and Torrington Middle School (981 students) alongside Southwest 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 Southwest School compares
Southwest 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 | 10.7:1 | ▼ 12% | 12.1:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 61.0% | ▲ 68% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 289 | top 78% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
10.7:1
Leaner classes than 85% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
289
Bigger than 31% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
61.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 68% 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
10.7:1
students per teacher
- 12% below state mean
Top 31% in Connecticut - lower ratio than 69% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
17.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$24,107
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
21
in-school suspensions + 13 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 7.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 11.8 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 48.3%
Hispanic or Latino 41.3%
African American 5.6%
Asian 3.5%
Two or More 1.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: White at 48.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 59.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 59.2, Southwest School is more mixed than the Connecticut school average of 50.5.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Torrington School District, which includes Southwest School.
$24,107
Per student
+1%
vs Connecticut
Avg $23,870
+45%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 47.5%
State 42.8%
Federal 9.7%
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 Southwest School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Torrington High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Torrington Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Torringford School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Vogel-Wetmore School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Forbes School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Southwest School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,034
- Students per teacher
- 11.9:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
- Enrollment
- 981
- Students per teacher
- 12:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 583
- Students per teacher
- 13:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 529
- Students per teacher
- 11:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 309
- Students per teacher
- 11.9:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
Similar elementary schools in Torrington
3 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 (~289 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~10.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Southwest School's federal record.
- Compare Southwest School against another school. Compare schools
- Torrington 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 Southwest School
How many students attend Southwest School?
Southwest School has 289 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Torrington, CT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Southwest School?
The student-teacher ratio at Southwest School is 10.7:1, which is 12% lower than the Connecticut average of 12.1:1 and 32% 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 Southwest School?
61.0% of students at Southwest School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Connecticut average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Southwest School?
The largest demographic group at Southwest School is White at 48.3% of enrollment, in Torrington, CT. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 59.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Southwest School?
Southwest School has a Resource Investment Index of 48/100 (typical 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 Southwest School rank among elementary schools in Torrington?
By Resource Investment Index, Southwest School ranks #1 of 4 elementary schools in Torrington, 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 Torrington on the city page.
Is Southwest School a good school?
Southwest School earns 48/100 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 Torrington School District?
Besides Southwest School, Torrington School District also operates Torrington High School (1,034 students), Torrington Middle School (981 students), and Torringford School (583 students). See the Torrington 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.