Enrollment
269
Massachusetts · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Shrewsbury, MA
Walter J. Paton School
Federal NCES profile for Walter J. Paton School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 47/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 251077001719
👥 S:T ratio 57
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 46
📋 Attendance 55
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Walter J. Paton School earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Massachusetts median.
- #2 of 6
- elementary schools in Shrewsbury · Resource Index
- 47
- Resource Index · Typical
- 10.8:1
- students per teacher
- 269
- students enrolled
Walter J. Paton School has class sizes near the Massachusetts median. Computed live against every Massachusetts school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Walter J. Paton School ranks #2 of 6 elementary schools in Shrewsbury, MA.
School address
District: Shrewsbury · Massachusetts
NCES ID 251077001719 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
25.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.8:1
vs 12.3:1 Massachusetts avg
-12% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Walter J. Paton School compares with Massachusetts and U.S. medians
What stands out at Walter J. Paton School
Walter J. Paton School is a mid-sized elementary school in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, enrolling 269 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 10.8:1 puts it in the smaller third of Massachusetts schools by student-teacher ratio.
Enrollment of 269 puts it in the smaller third of Massachusetts schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,831 scored Massachusetts schools.
Its student body is led by White (60%) and Asian (19%) (diversity index 59/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 269 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
17.8% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Shrewsbury spends $17,158 per pupil, 24% below the Massachusetts average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Shrewsbury's elementary schools, it stands alongside Sherwood Middle School (951 students): Walter J. Paton School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (10.8:1 vs 14.2:1).
Shrewsbury also operates Shrewsbury High School (1,891 students) and Sherwood Middle School (951 students) alongside Walter J. Paton 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 J. Paton School compares
Walter J. Paton School on the metrics families compare, against Massachusetts and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Massachusetts | Massachusetts avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 10.8:1 | ▼ 12% | 12.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 269 | top 77% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
10.8:1
Leaner classes than 84% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
269
Bigger than 28% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
10.8:1
students per teacher
- 12% below state mean
Top 31% in Massachusetts - lower ratio than 69% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
17.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$17,158
per pupil, district-wide
- below Massachusetts avg of $22,458
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 269 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.4 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 59.7%
Asian 19.0%
Hispanic or Latino 9.7%
Two or More 8.2%
African American 2.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.1%
Largest group: White at 59.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 59.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 59.1, Walter J. Paton School is more mixed than the Massachusetts school average of 47.3.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Shrewsbury, which includes Walter J. Paton School.
$17,158
Per student
-24%
vs Massachusetts
Avg $22,458
+3%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 59.4%
State 35.9%
Federal 4.6%
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 J. Paton School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shrewsbury High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Sherwood Middle School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Oak Middle School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Major Howard W. Beal School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Floral Street School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Walter J. Paton School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,891
- Students per teacher
- 15.3:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 951
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 914
- Students per teacher
- 12.4:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 623
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 524
- Students per teacher
- 12.5:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
Similar elementary schools in Shrewsbury
5 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Sherwood Middle School
Standard public school
951 students 14.2:1 students per teacher
Major Howard W. Beal School
Standard public school
623 students 14.5:1 students per teacher
Floral Street School
Standard public school
524 students 12.5:1 students per teacher
Spring Street School
Standard public school
304 students 13.8:1 students per teacher
Calvin Coolidge School
Standard public school
287 students 13:1 students per teacher
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Massachusetts, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~269 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Walter J. Paton School's federal record.
- Compare Walter J. Paton School against another school. Compare schools
- Shrewsbury'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 J. Paton School
How many students attend Walter J. Paton School?
Walter J. Paton School has 269 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Shrewsbury, MA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Walter J. Paton School?
The student-teacher ratio at Walter J. Paton School is 10.8:1, which is 12% lower than the Massachusetts average of 12.3:1 and 31% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Walter J. Paton School?
The largest demographic group at Walter J. Paton School is White at 59.7% of enrollment, in Shrewsbury, MA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 59.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Walter J. Paton School?
Walter J. Paton School has a Resource Investment Index of 47/100 (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 Walter J. Paton School rank among elementary schools in Shrewsbury?
By Resource Investment Index, Walter J. Paton School ranks #2 of 6 elementary schools in Shrewsbury, MA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Shrewsbury on the city page.
Is Walter J. Paton School a good school?
Walter J. Paton School earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Massachusetts median. 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 Shrewsbury?
Besides Walter J. Paton School, Shrewsbury also operates Shrewsbury High School (1,891 students), Sherwood Middle School (951 students), and Oak Middle School (914 students). See the Shrewsbury 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.