Enrollment
460
Connecticut · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Waterford, CT
The Friendship School
Federal NCES profile for The Friendship School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 49/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 090345001430
👥 S:T ratio 46
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 72
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
The Friendship School earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 81% of Connecticut schools.
- #5 of 5
- public schools in Waterford · Resource Index
- 49
- Resource Index · Higher
- 13.5:1
- large classes for Connecticut
- 48.6%
- free-lunch eligible
The Friendship School has class sizes larger than 81% of Connecticut schools. Computed live against every Connecticut school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, The Friendship School ranks #5 of 5 public schools in Waterford, CT.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
34.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.5:1
vs 12.1:1 Connecticut avg
+12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
48.6%
vs 36.4% Connecticut avg
+34% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How The Friendship School compares with Connecticut and U.S. medians
What stands out at The Friendship School
The Friendship School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Waterford, Connecticut, enrolling 460 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 13.5:1 puts it in the larger third of Connecticut schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 48.6% of students eligible for free meals.
With 460 students, its enrollment sits close to the Connecticut median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,003 scored Connecticut schools.
Against 205 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #51.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (42%) and White (30%) (diversity index 70/100).
11.3% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Learn also operates Regional Multicultural Magnet School (469 students) and Marine Science Magnet High School (274 students) alongside The Friendship 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 The Friendship School compares
The Friendship 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 | 13.5:1 | ▲ 12% | 12.1:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 48.6% | ▲ 34% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 460 | top 40% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.5:1
Leaner classes than 62% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
460
Bigger than 56% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
48.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 34% 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
13.5:1
students per teacher
- 12% above state mean
Top 81% in Connecticut - lower ratio than 19% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
11.3%
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.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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
Hispanic or Latino 42.4%
White 30.0%
Two or More 14.1%
African American 10.9%
Asian 2.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 42.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 69.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 69.8, The Friendship School is more mixed than the Connecticut school average of 50.5.
Programs
How The Friendship School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regional Multicultural Magnet School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Marine Science Magnet High School | Smaller | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Three Rivers Middle College Magnet School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to The Friendship School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 469
- Students per teacher
- 12.3:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 274
- Students per teacher
- 11:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 92
- Students per teacher
- 18.4:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
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 (~460 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on The Friendship School's federal record.
- Compare The Friendship School against another school. Compare schools
- Learn'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 The Friendship School
How many students attend The Friendship School?
The Friendship School has 460 students enrolled. It is a public school in Waterford, CT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at The Friendship School?
The student-teacher ratio at The Friendship School is 13.5:1, which is 12% higher than the Connecticut average of 12.1:1 and 14% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at The Friendship School?
48.6% of students at The Friendship School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Connecticut average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of The Friendship School?
The largest demographic group at The Friendship School is Hispanic or Latino at 42.4% of enrollment, in Waterford, CT. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 69.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for The Friendship School?
The Friendship School has a Resource Investment Index of 49/100 (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 The Friendship School rank among public schools in Waterford?
By Resource Investment Index, The Friendship School ranks #5 of 5 public schools in Waterford, 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 Waterford on the city page.
Is The Friendship School a good school?
The Friendship School earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 81% 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 Learn?
Besides The Friendship School, Learn also operates Regional Multicultural Magnet School (469 students), Marine Science Magnet High School (274 students), and Three Rivers Middle College Magnet School (92 students). See the Learn 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.