Best Public Schools in Burlington, CT

Burlington, Connecticut, is served by three public schools — Lake Garda Elementary School, Har-Bur Middle School, and Lewis S. Mills High School — which together form a complete PK–12 pathway within Regional School District 10, a district ranked 38th out of 153 districts in Connecticut with a 4-star rating.

The clear standout is Lewis S. Mills High School, ranked #19 out of 133 Connecticut high schools (86th percentile). It boasts a 98.3% graduation rate and strong 2025–2026 SAT/NGSS proficiency rates: 77% in ELA, 50% in math, and 74.4% in science — all well above state averages. Har-Bur Middle School also earns 4 stars, ranking #56 out of 258 middle schools (78th percentile), with low chronic absenteeism of 4.8% and every grade level outperforming the state by double digits in most subjects. Lake Garda Elementary School earns 3 stars, ranking #173 out of 491 elementary schools (65th percentile). It has the district's lowest chronic absenteeism at just 2.4% and standout math scores of 70.8% and 71.4% in 3rd and 4th grades.

All three schools beat the Connecticut state average in nearly every subject. However, math proficiency declines as students progress: from 71.1% at the elementary level to 57.0% in middle school and 50.0% at the high school level (though tests differ). Chronic absenteeism also rises sharply with grade level, reaching 11.8% at the high school — nearly five times the elementary rate. Despite this, the high school is on an upward trajectory, improving from #31 to #19 in state ranking and gaining 9.1 points in math proficiency year-over-year. Har-Bur's ranking has been somewhat volatile, moving between #40 and #63 over three years. The elementary school achieves impressive results with the district's leanest resources, while the district overall delivers consistent, above-average performance across every level.