Enrollment
713
Connecticut · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Waterford, CT
Waterford High School
Federal NCES profile for Waterford High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 61/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 090486001001
👥 S:T ratio 56
📚 AP courses 85
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 64
📋 Attendance 71
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Waterford High School earns 61/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Connecticut median.
- #3 of 5
- public schools in Waterford · Resource Index
- 61
- Resource Index · Higher
- 11:1
- students per teacher
- 22.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Waterford High School has class sizes near the Connecticut median. Computed live against every Connecticut school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Waterford High School ranks #3 of 5 public schools in Waterford, CT.
School address
District: Waterford School District · Connecticut
NCES ID 090486001001 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
65.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11:1
vs 12.1:1 Connecticut avg
-9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
22.0%
vs 36.4% Connecticut avg
-40% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Waterford High School compares with Connecticut and U.S. medians
What stands out at Waterford High School
Waterford High School is a large high school in Waterford, Connecticut, enrolling 713 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 11:1 puts it in the smaller third of Connecticut schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 22.0% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 713 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 179 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #49.
Its student body is led by White (74%) and Hispanic or Latino (11%) (diversity index 44/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 17 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 178 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
11.6% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Waterford School District also operates Clark Lane Middle School (529 students) and Quaker Hill Elementary School (331 students) alongside Waterford High 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 Waterford High School compares
Waterford High 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 | 11:1 | ▼ 9% | 12.1:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 22.0% | ▼ 40% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 713 | top 15% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11:1
Leaner classes than 83% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
713
Bigger than 81% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
22.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 40% below the Connecticut average of 36.4%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
11:1
students per teacher
- 9% below state mean
Top 38% in Connecticut - lower ratio than 62% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
11.6%
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.
Funding equity
$26,145
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
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 178 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
45
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 6.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.9 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 73.7%
Hispanic or Latino 11.2%
Two or More 6.5%
Asian 5.8%
African American 2.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 73.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 43.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 43.6, Waterford High School is less mixed than the Connecticut school average of 50.5.
Programs
AP courses offered 17
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Waterford School District, which includes Waterford High School.
$26,145
Per student
+10%
vs Connecticut
Avg $23,870
+58%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 80.6%
State 13.7%
Federal 5.8%
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 Waterford High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clark Lane Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Quaker Hill Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Great Neck Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Oswegatchie Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Waterford High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 529
- Students per teacher
- 12.6:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
- Enrollment
- 331
- Students per teacher
- 11.8:1
- Resource Index
- 64/100
- Enrollment
- 309
- Students per teacher
- 11:1
- Resource Index
- 69/100
- Enrollment
- 292
- Students per teacher
- 10.8:1
- Resource Index
- 67/100
Similar high 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 (~713 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Waterford High School's federal record.
- Compare Waterford High School against another school. Compare schools
- Waterford 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 Waterford High School
How many students attend Waterford High School?
Waterford High School has 713 students enrolled. It is a high school in Waterford, CT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Waterford High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Waterford High School is 11:1, which is 9% lower than the Connecticut average of 12.1:1 and 30% 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 Waterford High School?
22.0% of students at Waterford High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Connecticut average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Waterford High School?
The largest demographic group at Waterford High School is White at 73.7% of enrollment, in Waterford, CT.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Waterford High School?
Waterford High School has a Resource Investment Index of 61/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 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 Waterford High School rank among public schools in Waterford?
By Resource Investment Index, Waterford High School ranks #3 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 Waterford High School a good school?
Waterford High School earns 61/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Connecticut 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 Waterford School District?
Besides Waterford High School, Waterford School District also operates Clark Lane Middle School (529 students), Quaker Hill Elementary School (331 students), and Great Neck Elementary School (309 students). See the Waterford 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.