Enrollment
820
Connecticut · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Waterbury, CT
Waterbury Arts Magnet School
Federal NCES profile for Waterbury Arts Magnet School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 39/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 090483001396
👥 S:T ratio 33
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 45
📋 Attendance 49
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Waterbury Arts Magnet School earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 96% of Connecticut schools.
- #2 of 21
- schools in Waterbury · Resource Index
- 39
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.7:1
- large classes for Connecticut
- 63.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Waterbury Arts Magnet School has class sizes larger than 96% of Connecticut schools. Computed live against every Connecticut school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Waterbury Arts Magnet School ranks #2 of 21 schools in Waterbury, CT.
School address
District: Waterbury School District · Connecticut
NCES ID 090483001396 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
49.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.7:1
vs 12.1:1 Connecticut avg
+38% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
63.9%
vs 36.4% Connecticut avg
+76% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Waterbury Arts Magnet School compares with Connecticut and U.S. medians
What stands out at Waterbury Arts Magnet School
Waterbury Arts Magnet School is a higher-need, large combined-grade school in Waterbury, Connecticut, enrolling 820 students.
Class loads run heavy: 16.7:1 is larger than about 96% of Connecticut schools and 38% above the 12.1:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 63.9% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 820 puts it in the larger third of Connecticut schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,003 scored Connecticut schools.
Against 72 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #28.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (46%) and White (29%) (diversity index 67/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 273 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 20.5% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The surrounding Waterbury School District spends $18,981 per pupil, 20% below the Connecticut average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Discipline events run high: 182 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 820 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Waterbury's public schools, it stands alongside Rotella Interdistrict Magnet School (614 students): Waterbury Arts Magnet School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (16.7:1 vs 17.1:1).
Waterbury School District also operates Crosby High School (1,453 students) and John F. Kennedy High School (1,391 students) alongside Waterbury Arts 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 Waterbury Arts Magnet School compares
Waterbury Arts 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 | 16.7:1 | ▲ 38% | 12.1:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 63.9% | ▲ 76% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 820 | top 11% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.7:1
Leaner classes than 33% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
820
Bigger than 86% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
63.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 76% 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
16.7:1
students per teacher
- 38% above state mean
Top 96% in Connecticut - lower ratio than 4% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
20.5%
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
$18,981
per pupil, district-wide
- below Connecticut avg of $23,870
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 273 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
105
in-school suspensions + 77 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 12.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 22.2 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 46.1%
White 28.5%
African American 18.4%
Two or More 5.2%
Asian 1.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 46.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 66.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 66.9, Waterbury Arts Magnet School is more mixed than the Connecticut school average of 50.5.
Programs
AP courses offered 10
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Waterbury School District, which includes Waterbury Arts Magnet School.
$18,981
Per student
-20%
vs Connecticut
Avg $23,870
+14%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 23.5%
State 63.9%
Federal 12.6%
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 Waterbury Arts Magnet School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crosby High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| John F. Kennedy High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Wilby High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Michael F. Wallace Middle School | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| West Side Middle School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Waterbury Arts Magnet School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,453
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 1,391
- Students per teacher
- 15.5:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,196
- Students per teacher
- 15.1:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 1,059
- Students per teacher
- 11.5:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 848
- Students per teacher
- 10.2:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
Similar other schools in Waterbury
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Rotella Interdistrict Magnet School
Standard public school
614 students 17.1:1 students per teacher
Wendell L. Cross School
Standard public school
606 students 16.4:1 students per teacher
Maloney Interdistrict Magnet School
Standard public school
590 students 14:1 students per teacher
B. W. Tinker School
Standard public school
578 students 18.6:1 students per teacher
H. S. Chase School
Standard public school
543 students 10.6:1 students per teacher
Gilmartin School
Standard public school
462 students 14:1 students per teacher
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 (~820 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Waterbury Arts Magnet School's federal record.
- Compare Waterbury Arts Magnet School against another school. Compare schools
- Waterbury 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 Waterbury Arts Magnet School
How many students attend Waterbury Arts Magnet School?
Waterbury Arts Magnet School has 820 students enrolled. It is a public school in Waterbury, CT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Waterbury Arts Magnet School?
The student-teacher ratio at Waterbury Arts Magnet School is 16.7:1, which is 38% higher than the Connecticut average of 12.1:1 and 6% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Waterbury Arts Magnet School?
63.9% of students at Waterbury Arts Magnet School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Connecticut average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Waterbury Arts Magnet School?
The largest demographic group at Waterbury Arts Magnet School is Hispanic or Latino at 46.1% of enrollment, in Waterbury, CT. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 66.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Waterbury Arts Magnet School?
Waterbury Arts Magnet School has a Resource Investment Index of 39/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Waterbury Arts Magnet School rank among schools in Waterbury?
By Resource Investment Index, Waterbury Arts Magnet School ranks #2 of 21 schools in Waterbury, CT. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Waterbury on the city page.
Is Waterbury Arts Magnet School a good school?
Waterbury Arts Magnet School earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 96% 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 Waterbury School District?
Besides Waterbury Arts Magnet School, Waterbury School District also operates Crosby High School (1,453 students), John F. Kennedy High School (1,391 students), and Wilby High School (1,196 students). See the Waterbury 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.