Enrollment
536
Connecticut · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Middle school (grades 6-8) NCES 090240001194
Washington Middle School — Meriden, CT
Federal NCES profile for Washington Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 36/100.
👥 Class size 49
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 64
📋 Attendance 0
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Meriden School District · Connecticut
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
49.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.7:1
vs 12.1:1 Connecticut avg
+5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
68.5%
vs 36.4% Connecticut avg
+88% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Washington Middle School compares with Connecticut and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Washington Middle School reports 536 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 49.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 12.7:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 5% above the Connecticut state mean of 12.1:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 20% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 68.5% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 88% above the Connecticut average and 32% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 179 students per counselor, meeting the American School Counselor Association recommendation of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 41.0% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Meriden School District spends $20,981 per pupil district-wide, below the Connecticut average of $28,239 and above the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 30.9% from local sources (property taxes), 54.9% from the state, and 14.2% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (F), calculated from 4 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Washington Middle School compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Connecticut state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Connecticut | Connecticut avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 12.7:1 | ▲ 5% | 12.1:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 68.5% | ▲ 88% | 36.4% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 536 | top 72% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
68.5%
free-lunch eligible
— 88% 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
12.7:1
students per teacher
— 5% above state mean
Top 70% in Connecticut — lower ratio than 30% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
41.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$20,981
per pupil, district-wide
— below Connecticut avg of $28,239
Above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 179 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
18
in-school suspensions + 93 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 20.7 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 536 Top 72% in Connecticut — larger than 28% of 1,005 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 49.0
Students per teacher 12.7:1 +5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 68.5% +88% vs state
NCES ID 090240001194
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 61.8%
White 18.1%
African American 14.2%
Two or More 3.9%
Asian 1.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 61.8% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 3.0
Students per counselor 179:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 41.0%
In-school suspensions 18
Out-of-school suspensions 93
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Meriden School District, which includes Washington Middle School.
$20,981
Per student
-26%
vs Connecticut
Avg $28,239
+8%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 30.9%
State 54.9%
Federal 14.2%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,291
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Enrollment
- 1,191
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Enrollment
- 773
- Students per teacher
- 12.8:1
- Enrollment
- 684
- Students per teacher
- 13:1
- Enrollment
- 539
- Students per teacher
- 14:1
Similar middle schools in Meriden
2 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Washington Middle School
How many students attend Washington Middle School?
Washington Middle School has 536 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Meriden, CT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Washington Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Washington Middle School is 12.7:1, which is 5% higher than the Connecticut average of 12.1:1 and 20% lower than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Washington Middle School?
68.5% of students at Washington Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Connecticut average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Washington Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Washington Middle School is Hispanic or Latino at 61.8%. The school serves a diverse student body in Meriden, CT.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Washington Middle School?
Washington Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (F) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.