Enrollment
541
Connecticut · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Madison, CT
Walter C. Polson Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Walter C. Polson Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 61/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 090228001480
👥 S:T ratio 61
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 64
📋 Attendance 89
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Walter C. Polson Middle School earns 61/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 82% of Connecticut schools.
- #2 of 5
- public schools in Madison · Resource Index
- 61
- Resource Index · Higher
- 9.8:1
- small classes for Connecticut
- 2.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Walter C. Polson Middle School has class sizes smaller than 82% of Connecticut schools. Computed live against every Connecticut school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Walter C. Polson Middle School ranks #2 of 5 public schools in Madison, CT.
School address
District: Madison School District · Connecticut
NCES ID 090228001480 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
55.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
9.8:1
vs 12.1:1 Connecticut avg
-19% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
2.9%
vs 36.4% Connecticut avg
-92% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Walter C. Polson Middle School compares with Connecticut and U.S. medians
What stands out at Walter C. Polson Middle School
Walter C. Polson Middle School is a lower-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Madison, Connecticut, enrolling 541 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 9.8:1 puts it in the smaller third of Connecticut schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 2.9% free-meal eligibility runs 92% below the Connecticut average.
Enrollment of 541 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 182 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #64.
Its student body is led by White (80%) and Hispanic or Latino (9%) (diversity index 35/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 180 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance holds up well here: only 4.6% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Madison School District also operates Daniel Hand High School (751 students) and J. Milton Jeffrey Elementary School (407 students) alongside Walter C. Polson 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 Walter C. Polson Middle School compares
Walter C. Polson 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 | 9.8:1 | ▼ 19% | 12.1:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 2.9% | ▼ 92% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 541 | top 28% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
9.8:1
Leaner classes than 90% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
541
Bigger than 67% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
2.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 92% below the Connecticut average of 36.4%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
9.8:1
students per teacher
- 19% below state mean
Top 18% in Connecticut - lower ratio than 82% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
4.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 5%, comfortably under the pre-pandemic national baseline for chronic absenteeism.
Funding equity
$26,239
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
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 180 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
18
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.3 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 79.8%
Hispanic or Latino 9.4%
Two or More 5.4%
Asian 4.4%
African American 0.9%
Largest group: White at 79.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 34.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 34.9, Walter C. Polson Middle School is less mixed than the Connecticut school average of 50.5.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Madison School District, which includes Walter C. Polson Middle School.
$26,239
Per student
+10%
vs Connecticut
Avg $23,870
+58%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 83.1%
State 14.7%
Federal 2.2%
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 Walter C. Polson Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daniel Hand High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| J. Milton Jeffrey Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Dr. Robert H. Brown Intermediate School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Kathleen H. Ryerson Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Walter C. Polson Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 751
- Students per teacher
- 8.7:1
- Resource Index
- 65/100
- Enrollment
- 407
- Students per teacher
- 13.1:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 361
- Students per teacher
- 10.9:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 314
- Students per teacher
- 10.8:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
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 (~541 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Walter C. Polson Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Walter C. Polson Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Madison 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 Walter C. Polson Middle School
How many students attend Walter C. Polson Middle School?
Walter C. Polson Middle School has 541 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Madison, CT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Walter C. Polson Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Walter C. Polson Middle School is 9.8:1, which is 19% lower than the Connecticut average of 12.1:1 and 38% 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 Walter C. Polson Middle School?
2.9% of students at Walter C. Polson Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Connecticut average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Walter C. Polson Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Walter C. Polson Middle School is White at 79.8% of enrollment, in Madison, CT.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Walter C. Polson Middle School?
Walter C. Polson Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 61/100 (higher 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 Walter C. Polson Middle School rank among public schools in Madison?
By Resource Investment Index, Walter C. Polson Middle School ranks #2 of 5 public schools in Madison, 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 Madison on the city page.
Is Walter C. Polson Middle School a good school?
Walter C. Polson Middle School earns 61/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 82% 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 Madison School District?
Besides Walter C. Polson Middle School, Madison School District also operates Daniel Hand High School (751 students), J. Milton Jeffrey Elementary School (407 students), and Dr. Robert H. Brown Intermediate School (361 students). See the Madison 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.