Enrollment
452
Connecticut · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Colchester, CT
William J. Johnston Middle School
Federal NCES profile for William J. Johnston Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 55/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 090084000136
👥 S:T ratio 58
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 55
📋 Attendance 78
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
William J. Johnston Middle School earns 55/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 72% of Connecticut schools.
- #1 of 4
- public schools in Colchester · Resource Index
- 55
- Resource Index · Higher
- 10.5:1
- small classes for Connecticut
- 19.3%
- free-lunch eligible
William J. Johnston Middle School has class sizes smaller than 72% of Connecticut schools. Computed live against every Connecticut school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, William J. Johnston Middle School ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Colchester, CT.
School address
District: Colchester School District · Connecticut
NCES ID 090084000136 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
43.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.5:1
vs 12.1:1 Connecticut avg
-13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
19.3%
vs 36.4% Connecticut avg
-47% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How William J. Johnston Middle School compares with Connecticut and U.S. medians
What stands out at William J. Johnston Middle School
William J. Johnston Middle School is a lower-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Colchester, Connecticut, enrolling 452 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 10.5:1 puts it in the smaller third of Connecticut schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 19.3% of students eligible for free meals.
With 452 students, its enrollment sits close to the Connecticut median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,003 scored Connecticut schools.
Against 291 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #106.
Its student body is predominantly White (81% of enrollment) (diversity index 33/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 226 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance holds up well here: only 8.6% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Colchester School District also operates Bacon Academy (572 students) and Colchester Elementary School (552 students) alongside William J. Johnston 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 William J. Johnston Middle School compares
William J. Johnston 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 | 10.5:1 | ▼ 13% | 12.1:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 19.3% | ▼ 47% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 452 | top 41% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
10.5:1
Leaner classes than 86% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
452
Bigger than 55% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
19.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 47% 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
10.5:1
students per teacher
- 13% below state mean
Top 28% in Connecticut - lower ratio than 72% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
8.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$22,976
per pupil, district-wide
- below 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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 226 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.2 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
White 81.2%
Hispanic or Latino 10.0%
Two or More 5.1%
African American 2.0%
Asian 1.8%
Largest group: White at 81.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 32.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 32.7, William J. Johnston Middle School is less mixed than the Connecticut school average of 50.5.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Colchester School District, which includes William J. Johnston Middle School.
$22,976
Per student
-4%
vs Connecticut
Avg $23,870
+38%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 57.8%
State 36.5%
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 William J. Johnston Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bacon Academy | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Colchester Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Jack Jackter Intermediate School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to William J. Johnston Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 572
- Students per teacher
- 9.4:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 552
- Students per teacher
- 12:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 509
- Students per teacher
- 12.7:1
- 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 (~452 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on William J. Johnston Middle School's federal record.
- Compare William J. Johnston Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Colchester 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 William J. Johnston Middle School
How many students attend William J. Johnston Middle School?
William J. Johnston Middle School has 452 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Colchester, CT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at William J. Johnston Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at William J. Johnston Middle School is 10.5:1, which is 13% lower than the Connecticut average of 12.1:1 and 33% 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 William J. Johnston Middle School?
19.3% of students at William J. Johnston Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Connecticut average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of William J. Johnston Middle School?
The largest demographic group at William J. Johnston Middle School is White at 81.2% of enrollment, in Colchester, CT.
What is the Resource Investment Index for William J. Johnston Middle School?
William J. Johnston Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 55/100 (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 William J. Johnston Middle School rank among public schools in Colchester?
By Resource Investment Index, William J. Johnston Middle School ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Colchester, 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 Colchester on the city page.
Is William J. Johnston Middle School a good school?
William J. Johnston Middle School earns 55/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 72% 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 Colchester School District?
Besides William J. Johnston Middle School, Colchester School District also operates Bacon Academy (572 students), Colchester Elementary School (552 students), and Jack Jackter Intermediate School (509 students). See the Colchester 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.