Best Public Schools in Cromwell, CT

The Cromwell School District in Cromwell, Connecticut, is a small public system with four schools serving 1,816 students across grades PK-12, ranking 72nd out of 153 Connecticut districts (53rd percentile, 3 stars). The district is anchored by Cromwell High School, its standout performer at the 80th percentile (27th out of 133) with a 4-star rating, a 97% graduation rate, and test scores well above state averages—76.8% proficient in ELA, 68.3% in science, and 47.8% in math. Meanwhile, Cromwell Middle School ranks at the 67th percentile, and Woodside Intermediate School sits at the 58th percentile. Edna C. Stevens School serves PK-2 and has no test data or ranking, but its 32.2% free/reduced-price lunch rate and 14.5% chronic absenteeism make it a critical early-education watch list.

Comparing schools, Woodside Intermediate School excels in attendance with a 7.4% chronic absenteeism rate, half the state rate and far better than the high school (14.4%) and Edna C. Stevens (14.5%). Woodside is also steadily improving, rising from the 49th to 58th percentile over three years, and its 5th-grade ELA proficiency (68.6%) is 15 points above the state. However, Woodside shows a striking pattern: ELA proficiency rises from 52.3% in 3rd grade to 68.6% in 5th grade, while math proficiency falls from 62.3% to 48.1%. Cromwell Middle School remains above state averages in every subject but slipped year-over-year, with 6th-grade math dropping from 56.1% to 48.6% and 8th-grade ELA from 70.6% to 63.0%.

Spending per student varies from $17,921 at the high school to $13,483 at Woodside, yet higher spending does not guarantee better results—the lowest-spending school has the best attendance and steady improvement. Math is the district's consistent weak spot, especially at the high school, where the ELA/math gap is 29 points. Parents should watch Cromwell Middle School for its recent slide, monitor Edna C. Stevens School closely because early attendance and poverty challenges will likely show up later in Woodside's 3rd-grade scores, and know that Cromwell High School is the district's academic engine, making it a strong choice for college-bound students despite the district's middling overall ranking.