Best Public Schools in Clinton, CT

Clinton, Connecticut, is served by the Clinton School District, which includes three public schools—Lewin G. Joel Junior School (PK–4), Jared Eliot School (5–8), and The Morgan School (9–12)—enrolling about 1,423 students total. Although the district as a whole ranks in the 42nd percentile statewide, each individual school earns a 3-star rating and ranks in the 56th–62nd percentile among its peers, meaning the schools are somewhat stronger than the district-level rating alone suggests. Lewin G. Joel Junior School stands out as the academic and attendance anchor: its chronic absenteeism rate is just 6.3% (far below the state's 16.4%), and all four of its 2025-26 SBAC proficiency rates (3rd and 4th grade ELA and math) exceed state averages, with 4th grade math leading the district at 69.8% proficiency.

At the middle school level, Jared Eliot School serves the highest percentage of economically disadvantaged students (47.6% free/reduced-price lunch) yet still shines in science and late-middle math: 5th grade science reached 63.7% proficiency and 8th grade math hit 70.7% in 2024-25, both well above state averages. However, its 5th grade ELA and math scores lag the state, and 8th grade ELA is a weak spot. The Morgan School excels in graduation and literacy, with a 97.5% graduation rate and SAT ELA proficiency of 60.6%, but its SAT math proficiency is strikingly low at 30.5%, and chronic absenteeism rises to 18.1%—higher than both the district and state averages.

Several patterns emerge for parents to consider. There is a clear academic dip when students move from elementary to middle school: 4th grade math at Lewin G. Joel is 69.8% proficient but drops to 41.6% in 5th grade at Jared Eliot. Chronic absenteeism climbs steadily with grade level, from 6.3% to 10.3% to 18.1%, yet graduation remains high. Year-to-year test scores swing noticeably, suggesting small cohorts, so multi-year trends matter more than any single year. All three schools benefit from low student-teacher ratios (9.6–10.0) and generous per-student spending, though the biggest opportunities for improvement are high school math, secondary absenteeism, and smoothing the elementary-to-middle-school transition.