Summary:
Centerbrook, Connecticut is home to just one school, Essex Elementary School, which serves students in grades PK through 6 within the Essex School District — a small, relatively affluent community where families have no local public middle or high school option.
As the only school in the area, Essex Elementary School stands out for its consistently strong academic performance. In the most recent 2025–2026 school year, the school posted excellent results that far exceeded state averages: 73.8% of sixth graders were proficient in English Language Arts (compared to 51.2% statewide), 73% of third graders were proficient in math (state average 52.2%), and fifth graders achieved a 73.2% proficiency rate in science (state average 52.2%). Even in lower-scoring areas, the school maintained clear advantages, such as 58.3% fourth-grade ELA proficiency versus 50.9% statewide. Across every reported grade and subject, the school beat Connecticut averages, often by double-digit margins. The district also posts a strikingly low chronic absenteeism rate of 5.8%, versus 16.4% statewide, and per-student spending is a robust $23,127.
Despite these strong results, the school’s statewide ranking has slipped from the 77th percentile in 2023–2024 to the 69th percentile in 2025–2026, with its star rating dropping from 4 to 3 stars. This suggests that while the school remains well above average, other schools across Connecticut may be improving at a faster pace. Families should also note some gaps in the data: no fourth-grade math scores were reported, and the student-teacher ratio is unavailable. Still, with a free/reduced lunch rate of just 21.17% and consistently high proficiency rates, Essex Elementary School provides a strong academic foundation for elementary students in Centerbrook, even as the lack of local secondary schools remains a key consideration for families planning ahead.
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