Enrollment
438
Connecticut · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Stafford Springs, CT
Stafford Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Stafford Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 53/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 090429001503
👥 S:T ratio 60
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 68
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Stafford Elementary School earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 80% of Connecticut schools.
- #2 of 4
- public schools in Stafford Springs · Resource Index
- 53
- Resource Index · Higher
- 10:1
- small classes for Connecticut
- 27.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Stafford Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 80% of Connecticut schools. Computed live against every Connecticut school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Stafford Elementary School ranks #2 of 4 public schools in Stafford Springs, CT.
School address
District: Stafford School District · Connecticut
NCES ID 090429001503 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
44.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10:1
vs 12.1:1 Connecticut avg
-17% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
27.9%
vs 36.4% Connecticut avg
-23% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Stafford Elementary School compares with Connecticut and U.S. medians
What stands out at Stafford Elementary School
Stafford Elementary School is a mid-sized elementary school in Stafford Springs, Connecticut, enrolling 438 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 10:1 puts it in the smaller third of Connecticut schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 27.9% lands close to the Connecticut typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 438 students, its enrollment sits close to the Connecticut median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,003 scored Connecticut schools.
Against 277 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #112.
Its student body is predominantly White (85% of enrollment) (diversity index 26/100).
12.8% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Stafford School District also operates Stafford High School (357 students) and Stafford Middle School (285 students) alongside Stafford Elementary 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 Stafford Elementary School compares
Stafford Elementary 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 | 10:1 | ▼ 17% | 12.1:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 27.9% | ▼ 23% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 438 | top 44% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
10:1
Leaner classes than 89% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
438
Bigger than 53% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
27.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 23% below the Connecticut average of 36.4%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
10:1
students per teacher
- 17% below state mean
Top 20% in Connecticut - lower ratio than 80% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
12.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$25,915
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
7
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.3 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 85.2%
Hispanic or Latino 9.1%
Two or More 3.4%
Asian 1.4%
African American 0.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 85.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 26.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 26.4, Stafford Elementary School is less mixed than the Connecticut school average of 50.5.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Stafford School District, which includes Stafford Elementary School.
$25,915
Per student
+9%
vs Connecticut
Avg $23,870
+56%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 53.7%
State 39.5%
Federal 6.7%
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 Stafford Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stafford High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Stafford Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| West Stafford School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Stafford Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 357
- Students per teacher
- 8.9:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
- Enrollment
- 285
- Students per teacher
- 8.1:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 176
- Students per teacher
- 11.7:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
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 (~438 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Stafford Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Stafford Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Stafford 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 Stafford Elementary School
How many students attend Stafford Elementary School?
Stafford Elementary School has 438 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Stafford Springs, CT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Stafford Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Stafford Elementary School is 10:1, which is 17% lower than the Connecticut average of 12.1:1 and 36% 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 Stafford Elementary School?
27.9% of students at Stafford Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Connecticut average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Stafford Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Stafford Elementary School is White at 85.2% of enrollment, in Stafford Springs, CT.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Stafford Elementary School?
Stafford Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 53/100 (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 Stafford Elementary School rank among public schools in Stafford Springs?
By Resource Investment Index, Stafford Elementary School ranks #2 of 4 public schools in Stafford Springs, CT. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Stafford Springs on the city page.
Is Stafford Elementary School a good school?
Stafford Elementary School earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 80% 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 Stafford School District?
Besides Stafford Elementary School, Stafford School District also operates Stafford High School (357 students), Stafford Middle School (285 students), and West Stafford School (176 students). See the Stafford 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.