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Bear Path School

Q: Is Bear Path School a good school?

Bear Path School ranks 278 th of 493 Connecticut elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-6

278^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 493 Connecticut Elementary Schools

Better than 44% of Connecticut elementary schools

Summary

Bear Path School is an elementary school in Hamden, Connecticut, serving 385 students in grades K-6. It is part of the Hamden School District, which is ranked 133 out of 156 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Despite the district's low ranking, Bear Path School consistently outperforms the district and the state of Connecticut in academic proficiency across various subjects and grade levels. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, Bear Path's 6th-grade students had 54.8% proficiency in ELA, compared to 45.7% for the district and 50% for the state. In math, Bear Path's 6th-graders had 50% proficiency, compared to 35.5% for the district and 42.9% for the state. The school also has exceptional performance for its special education and low-socioeconomic status student populations, ranking 5th and 2nd out of Connecticut elementary schools, respectively, in the 2020-2021 school year.

When compared to other elementary schools in the Hamden School District, Bear Path School generally outperforms its peers, particularly in student academic proficiency. However, the school has experienced fluctuations in chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 12.3% to 27.7% over the past few years, which are generally higher than the state average of 12.1% in the 2022-2023 school year. Addressing the underlying causes of chronic absenteeism could be an area of focus for the district.

385

Students ?

13.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$25,326

Per pupil spending ?

35.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

10 Kirk Rd.
Hamden, CT 06514

(203) 407-2015

District: Hamden School District

Students who attend Bear Path School usually attend:

Middle:	Hamden Middle School
High:	Hamden High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

39.2%

Hispanic:

25.5%

African American:

21.6%

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Compare Bear Path School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 67th percentile in 2015 → 44th in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Connecticut average (44% vs 49% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped — down 23 percentile points since 2015

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school44%

District avg37%

Connecticut avg49%

278^th of 493

Connecticut public elementary schools ?

Bottom 44%▼ down 23 pts since 2015

From top 33% (2015) to bottom 44% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Connecticut Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd of 8Elementary Schools in the Hamden School District

133^rd of 156Hamden School District among Connecticut districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Connecticut percentile	Rating
2025	39.8	278 of 493	43.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	52.0	241 of 497	51.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	63.5	194 of 491	60.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	59.7	206 of 490	58.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	68.9	183 of 538	66.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	66.8	200 of 522	61.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	70.1	181 of 532	66.0%	★★★☆☆
2017	76.2	143 of 519	72.4%	★★★★☆
2016	51.2	253 of 518	51.2%	★★★☆☆
2015	73.2	183 of 551	66.8%	★★★☆☆
2013	62.6	281 of 557	49.6%	★★☆☆☆
2012	74.6	163 of 564	71.1%	★★★★☆
2011	69.6	224 of 565	60.4%	★★★☆☆
2010	65.2	269 of 579	53.5%	★★★☆☆
2009	66.5	259 of 566	54.2%	★★★☆☆
2008	64.5	268 of 565	52.6%	★★★☆☆
2007	54.4	342 of 568	39.8%	★★☆☆☆
2006	65.7	264 of 570	53.7%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Connecticut percentile	Rating
2025	22.3	179 of 232	22.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	49.2	136 of 230	40.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	71.1	138 of 455	69.7%	★★★★☆
2019	73.4	77 of 242	68.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	71.5	88 of 259	66.0%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Connecticut percentile	Rating
2021	98.1	2 of 302	99.3%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Connecticut percentile	Rating
2025	20.2	189 of 239	20.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	55.0	128 of 231	44.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	60.6	182 of 445	59.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	62.1	122 of 247	50.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	57.8	143 of 262	45.4%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Connecticut percentile	Rating
2021	97.7	5 of 371	98.7%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Connecticut percentile	Rating
2024	41.2	180 of 250	28.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	62.4	112 of 262	57.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	59.1	119 of 252	52.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	58.7	141 of 327	56.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	63.0	119 of 295	59.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	51.2	166 of 296	43.9%	★★☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Low Socio Economic Status (2021)99th percentile+33 vs school

Special Education (2021)99th percentile+33 vs school

White (2024)28th percentile-24 vs school

Female (2025)23rd percentile-21 vs school

Male (2025)21st percentile-23 vs school

By subject vs Connecticut (2024-2025) ?

Science58%+6 vs state

English Language Arts44%-6 vs state

Mathematics41%-7 vs state

4.0

2 ratings · 2 written reviews

5★1

4★0

3★1

2★0

1★0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Monday, May 4, 2015

My kids have been in the HPS system for about 6 years at Bear Path. I have got to say that the school has gone down hill. Don't get me wrong the teachers and the Nurse are great. Its the Principal and the other staff that brings the school down. Bending over backwards and giving in to every complaint. I would have more respect for Him if he had a set of balls and stood up to the ?entitled parents. Close Quote

by a parent on FaceBook
Friday, July 6, 2012

4 of my children attended Bear Path last year. I have been impressed with the teachers and other faculty as well as the parent involvement. Close Quote

Schools Near Bear Path School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				NGSS Science (2025)	SBAC English Language Arts (2025)				SBAC Mathematics (2025)				Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	NGSS Science 5th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 3rd Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 4th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 5th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 6th Grade	SBAC Mathematics 3rd Grade	SBAC Mathematics 4th Grade	SBAC Mathematics 5th Grade	SBAC Mathematics 6th Grade	Total
Bear Path School	Public	K-6	10 Kirk Rd.	Hamden	06514	South Central Connecticut Planning Region	Hamden School District	No	No	No	No	(203) 407-2015	385	29	13.2	35.1%	151 (39.2%)	83 (21.6%)	98 (25.5%)	24 (6.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (7.5%)	39.8	278^th of 493 public elementary schools	43.6%		52	241^st of 497 public elementary schools	51.5%	37	58.1	26.2	45.2	51.6	54.8	35.4	40.3	37.1	50.0	$25,326
Shepherd Glen School	Public	K-6	1 Skiff St. Ext.	Hamden	06514	South Central Connecticut Planning Region	Hamden School District	No	No	No	Yes	(203) 407-2070	303	26	11.6	56.1%	47 (15.5%)	118 (38.9%)	77 (25.4%)	42 (13.9%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (5.9%)	23.4	350^th of 493 public elementary schools	29.0%		31.1	317^th of 497 public elementary schools	36.2%	33	22.4	28.3	40.8	26.5	37.5	41.5	53.1	12.2	35.0	$25,684
Spring Glen School	Public	K-6	1908 Whitney Ave.	Hamden	06517	South Central Connecticut Planning Region	Hamden School District	No	No	No	No	(203) 407-2045	347	28	12.6	22.2%	205 (59.1%)	41 (11.8%)	69 (19.9%)	5 (1.4%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (7.2%)	68.2	182^nd of 493 public elementary schools	63.1%		74.7	146^th of 497 public elementary schools	70.6%	36	78.7	50.8		76.6	63.0	42.6	61.4	78.7	55.6	$26,334
Dunbar Hill School	Public	PK, KG-6	315 Lane St.	Hamden	06514	South Central Connecticut Planning Region	Hamden School District	No	No	No	Yes	(203) 407-2025	271	21	12.9	51.7%	37 (13.7%)	94 (34.7%)	99 (36.5%)	9 (3.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (11.4%)	9.4	439^th of 493 public elementary schools	11.0%		20.7	364^th of 497 public elementary schools	26.8%	75	22.0		25.6				18.6		17.1	$24,654
Ridge Road Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1341 Ridge Rd.	North Haven	06473	South Central Connecticut Planning Region	North Haven School District	No	No	No	No	(203) 248-4050	415	29	14.5	18.6%	260 (62.7%)	31 (7.5%)	65 (15.7%)	29 (7.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (7.0%)	83.6	80^th of 493 public elementary schools	83.8%		78.3	123^rd of 497 public elementary schools	75.3%	43		61.2	76.7	80.8		82.1	75.0	67.1		$18,791
Church Street School	Public	PK, KG-6	95 Church St.	Hamden	06514	South Central Connecticut Planning Region	Hamden School District	No	No	No	Yes	(203) 407-2020	334	22	14.9	60.8%	15 (4.5%)	126 (37.7%)	172 (51.5%)	8 (2.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (3.9%)	7.2	464^th of 493 public elementary schools	5.9%		12.8	415^th of 497 public elementary schools	16.5%	49			18.4	17.1		19.1	23.7		13.5	$23,579
Helen Street School	Public	PK, KG-6	285 Helen St.	Hamden	06514	South Central Connecticut Planning Region	Hamden School District	No	No	No	Yes	(203) 407-2030	280	24	11.6	55.4%	28 (10.0%)	103 (36.8%)	114 (40.7%)	17 (6.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	17 (6.1%)	19.7	371^st of 493 public elementary schools	24.7%		13.8	406^th of 497 public elementary schools	18.3%	35	37.5	21.4		28.6		40.5		22.9	30.0	$26,421
West Woods School	Public	PK, KG-6	350 West Todd St.	Hamden	06518	South Central Connecticut Planning Region	Hamden School District	No	No	No	No	(203) 407-2050	317	22	14.4	28.1%	96 (30.3%)	81 (25.6%)	67 (21.1%)	41 (12.9%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	30 (9.5%)	58.6	226^th of 493 public elementary schools	54.2%		59.7	210^th of 497 public elementary schools	57.7%	16		38.0		59.6	70.3	48.0		58.7	62.2	$25,553
Ridge Hill School	Public	PK, KG-6	120 Carew Rd.	Hamden	06517	South Central Connecticut Planning Region	Hamden School District	No	No	No	Yes	(203) 407-2035	321	26	12.3	46.4%	88 (27.4%)	88 (27.4%)	86 (26.8%)	24 (7.5%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (10.6%)	26.4	340^th of 493 public elementary schools	31.0%		30.8	320^th of 497 public elementary schools	35.6%	20	53.7	23.7	43.9	45.5	31.3	26.3	39.0	29.6	20.8	$25,122
Green Acres Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	146 Upper State St.	North Haven	06473	South Central Connecticut Planning Region	North Haven School District	No	No	No	Yes	(203) 239-5387	404	36	11.3	24.0%	267 (66.1%)	22 (5.4%)	55 (13.6%)	36 (8.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (5.9%)	86.8	51^st of 493 public elementary schools	89.7%		89.5	37^th of 497 public elementary schools	92.6%	14	77.3	74.6	82.0	83.3		71.6	80.0	69.7		$19,844

Frequently Asked Questions about Bear Path School

What is the racial makeup of Bear Path School?

Students at Bear Path School are 39% White, 25% Hispanic, 22% African American, 8% Two or more races, 6% Asian.

What schools do graduates of Bear Path School attend?

Students who attend Bear Path School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Hamden Middle School
High : Hamden High School

How many students attend Bear Path School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 385 students attended Bear Path School.

What district is Bear Path School in?

Hamden School District

Is Bear Path School a good school?

Bear Path School ranks 278^th of 493 Connecticut elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Rate Bear Path School!

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Connecticut Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.