Enrollment
285
Connecticut · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Stafford Springs, CT
Stafford Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Stafford Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 090429000061
👥 S:T ratio 68
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 43
📋 Attendance 31
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Stafford Middle School earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 96% of Connecticut schools.
- #4 of 4
- public schools in Stafford Springs · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 8.1:1
- small classes for Connecticut
- 31.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Stafford Middle School has class sizes smaller than 96% of Connecticut schools. Computed live against every Connecticut school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Stafford Middle School ranks #4 of 4 public schools in Stafford Springs, CT.
School address
District: Stafford School District · Connecticut
NCES ID 090429000061 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
35.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
8.1:1
vs 12.1:1 Connecticut avg
-33% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
31.3%
vs 36.4% Connecticut avg
-14% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Stafford Middle School compares with Connecticut and U.S. medians
What stands out at Stafford Middle School
Stafford Middle School is a mid-sized middle school in Stafford Springs, Connecticut, enrolling 285 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 8.1:1, Stafford Middle School is leaner than roughly 96% of Connecticut schools and 33% under the state's 12.1:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 31.3% lands close to the Connecticut typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 285 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.
Among 210 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Connecticut schools statewide, it ranks #163, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (83% of enrollment) (diversity index 30/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 285 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 27.7% 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.
Stafford School District also operates Stafford Elementary School (438 students) and Stafford High School (357 students) alongside Stafford Middle 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 Middle School compares
Stafford Middle 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 | 8.1:1 | ▼ 33% | 12.1:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 31.3% | ▼ 14% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 285 | top 79% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
8.1:1
Leaner classes than 95% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
285
Bigger than 30% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
31.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 14% 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
8.1:1
students per teacher
- 33% below state mean
Top 4% in Connecticut - lower ratio than 96% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
27.7%
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
$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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 285 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
21
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 7.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.4 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
White 83.2%
Hispanic or Latino 10.5%
Two or More 3.9%
African American 1.4%
Asian 1.1%
Largest group: White at 83.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 29.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 29.5, Stafford Middle 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 Middle 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 Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stafford Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Stafford High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| West Stafford School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Stafford Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 438
- Students per teacher
- 10:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 357
- Students per teacher
- 8.9:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
- Enrollment
- 176
- Students per teacher
- 11.7:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
Similar middle 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 (~285 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~8.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Stafford Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Stafford Middle 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 Middle School
How many students attend Stafford Middle School?
Stafford Middle School has 285 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Stafford Springs, CT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Stafford Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Stafford Middle School is 8.1:1, which is 33% lower than the Connecticut average of 12.1:1 and 48% 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 Middle School?
31.3% of students at Stafford Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Connecticut average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Stafford Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Stafford Middle School is White at 83.2% of enrollment, in Stafford Springs, CT.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Stafford Middle School?
Stafford Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Stafford Middle School rank among public schools in Stafford Springs?
By Resource Investment Index, Stafford Middle School ranks #4 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 Middle School a good school?
Stafford Middle School earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 96% 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 Middle School, Stafford School District also operates Stafford Elementary School (438 students), Stafford High School (357 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.