Summary:
Madison, Connecticut, a coastal town on Long Island Sound, is served by a single public high school, Daniel Hand High School, which enrolls 751 students in grades 9–12. As the only high school in the Madison School District, Daniel Hand is the sole public option for local families, and it consistently earns a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger. In 2025–2026, the school ranked 8th out of 133 Connecticut high schools (94th percentile), and it has never fallen below the 89th percentile over the past three years, demonstrating remarkable academic stability.
Daniel Hand's academic performance is outstanding across every subject. In 2025–2026, 80.2% of 11th graders were proficient in SAT English Language Arts, compared to 55.3% statewide, and 66.1% were proficient in SAT math—more than double the state's 31.3% proficiency rate. Science proficiency on the NGSS reached 77.3%, versus 50.5% statewide. The school's graduation rate is a near-perfect 98.4%, well above the state average of 91.2%, and chronic absenteeism sits at just 5.2%, one-third of the state's 16.4% rate. These figures indicate strong student engagement and a culture of attendance and achievement.
The school is well-resourced, with a student-teacher ratio of 9.8:1 and per-student spending of $20,275 (2018–2019), supporting a personalized learning environment. Only 5.46% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting a socioeconomically advantaged community. Daniel Hand's test scores closely track the Madison School District's overall results—expected, since it is the district's only high school—and the district itself ranks 5th out of 153 districts in Connecticut (97th percentile). For parents, Daniel Hand High School represents a top-tier, consistently high-performing option with exceptional academics, a nearly perfect graduation rate, and low absenteeism.
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