Enrollment
501
Connecticut · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Groton, CT
Thames River Magnet School
Federal NCES profile for Thames River Magnet School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 58/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 090177000321
👥 S:T ratio 53
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 50
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Thames River Magnet School earns 58/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Connecticut median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Connecticut schools.
- #1 of 7
- public schools in Groton · Resource Index
- 58
- Resource Index · Higher
- 11.7:1
- students per teacher
- 37.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Thames River Magnet School has class sizes near the Connecticut median. Computed live against every Connecticut school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Thames River Magnet School ranks #1 of 7 public schools in Groton, CT.
School address
District: Groton School District · Connecticut
NCES ID 090177000321 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
43.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.7:1
vs 12.1:1 Connecticut avg
-3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
37.5%
vs 36.4% Connecticut avg
+3% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Thames River Magnet School compares with Connecticut and U.S. medians
What stands out at Thames River Magnet School
Thames River Magnet School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Groton, Connecticut, enrolling 501 students.
At 11.7:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Connecticut median, within a few percentage points of the 12.1:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 37.5% lands close to the Connecticut typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 501 puts it in the larger third of Connecticut schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,003 scored Connecticut schools.
Against 209 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #26.
Its student body is led by White (40%) and Hispanic or Latino (25%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 74/100).
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 20.0% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Groton's public schools, it stands alongside Charles Barnum Magnet School (339 students): Thames River Magnet School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (11.7:1 vs 12.1:1).
Groton School District also operates Robert E. Fitch High School (942 students) and Groton Middle School (884 students) alongside Thames River Magnet 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 Thames River Magnet School compares
Thames River Magnet 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 | 11.7:1 | ▼ 3% | 12.1:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 37.5% | ▲ 3% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 501 | top 33% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.7:1
Leaner classes than 78% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
501
Bigger than 62% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
37.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 3% above the Connecticut average of 36.4%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
11.7:1
students per teacher
- 3% below state mean
Top 52% in Connecticut - lower ratio than 48% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
20.0%
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
$23,574
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
8
in-school suspensions + 6 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.8 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 39.9%
Hispanic or Latino 25.3%
Two or More 16.2%
African American 9.6%
Asian 7.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 39.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 73.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 73.5, Thames River Magnet School is more mixed than the Connecticut school average of 50.5.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Groton School District, which includes Thames River Magnet School.
$23,574
Per student
-1%
vs Connecticut
Avg $23,870
+42%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 48.5%
State 45.0%
Federal 6.5%
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 Thames River Magnet School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Robert E. Fitch High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Groton Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Mystic River Magnet School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Northeast Academy Magnet School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Catherine Kolnaski Magnet School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Thames River Magnet School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 942
- Students per teacher
- 9.9:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 884
- Students per teacher
- 11.5:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 520
- Students per teacher
- 12.7:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 392
- Students per teacher
- 12.6:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 375
- Students per teacher
- 11.7:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
Similar other schools in Groton
1 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Similar other 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 (~501 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~11.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Thames River Magnet School's federal record.
- Compare Thames River Magnet School against another school. Compare schools
- Groton 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 Thames River Magnet School
How many students attend Thames River Magnet School?
Thames River Magnet School has 501 students enrolled. It is a public school in Groton, CT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Thames River Magnet School?
The student-teacher ratio at Thames River Magnet School is 11.7:1, which is 3% lower than the Connecticut average of 12.1:1 and 25% 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 Thames River Magnet School?
37.5% of students at Thames River Magnet School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Connecticut average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Thames River Magnet School?
The largest demographic group at Thames River Magnet School is White at 39.9% of enrollment, in Groton, CT. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 73.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Thames River Magnet School?
Thames River Magnet School has a Resource Investment Index of 58/100 (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 Thames River Magnet School rank among public schools in Groton?
By Resource Investment Index, Thames River Magnet School ranks #1 of 7 public schools in Groton, 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 Groton on the city page.
Is Thames River Magnet School a good school?
Thames River Magnet School earns 58/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Connecticut median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Groton School District?
Besides Thames River Magnet School, Groton School District also operates Robert E. Fitch High School (942 students), Groton Middle School (884 students), and Mystic River Magnet School (520 students). See the Groton 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.