Center School

Set in Old Lyme, Connecticut, Center School is a very small elementary school, part of Regional School District 18. It serves 80 students across grade pre-K. That puts it 79% below the typical public school in Connecticut, which averages around 378 students.

Regional School District 18 comprises 5 schools with combined enrollment of 1,278 students; Center School is among them.

On demographics, Center School shows that nearly all students (91%) are White; the rest comes out to 6% Hispanic, 3% multiracial. That is meaningfully more White than the county at large, where the share is closer to 81%.

In terms of school funding signals, Center School lists 6 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 14.6:1. The state averages around 12.6:1, so this campus is higher than the state norm typical. About 15% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, often used as a Title I proxy. Set against Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region (around 32%), the school's rate is south of typical.

In the area at large, census data for Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region shows median household earnings sit near $104,428, 46% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and roughly 4% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Center School is one of 57 public schools in Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region (combined enrollment of about 19,075 students).

Nearest neighbor: Lyme-Old Lyme Middle School, around 0.1 miles off. 6 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius.

The school occupies a countryside site.

Five-year trend. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Center School has ticked up 82%, going from 44 students in 2018 to 80 in 2025. White enrollment moved from 75% to 91% across the same window.

In the discussion threads here, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around open house dates, ride-share offers, and field-trip permission slips. Contributors range from current parents to recent graduates and teachers.