Best Public Schools in New London, CT

New London, Connecticut, is served by 10 schools — 4 elementary, 3 middle, and 3 high schools — educating roughly 3,600 students across a mix of traditional district schools, magnet schools, and interdistrict magnet programs. These schools span three districts: the New London School District, LEARN, and the Interdistrict School for Arts and Community District. The New London district ranks 151st out of 153 statewide — nearly the bottom — yet results within the city are deeply divided: several magnet and interdistrict schools dramatically outperform traditional district schools.

The clear academic standout is the Interdistrict School for Arts and Communication, a grades 4-8 school ranking in the 48th percentile statewide, the highest of any school in the city. It is the only New London school with chronic absenteeism below the state average (14.6% vs. 16.4%), it matches or beats state proficiency averages in several subjects, and it spends the least per student ($13,271). The Science and Technology Magnet Pathway for High School Grades posts a 92.6% graduation rate, above the state's 91.2% and 14 points higher than New London High School's 78.5%. Among elementary schools, Winthrop STEM Elementary Magnet School is the strongest traditional option, nearly matching the state in 5th-grade science and posting 3rd-grade math proficiency nearly double the district average.

The schools of greatest concern are New London High School — ranked last among all Connecticut high schools, with 38.4% chronic absenteeism and just 11.7% SAT ELA proficiency — plus C.B. Jennings International Elementary Magnet (1st percentile) and Bennie Dover Jackson Middle School (6th percentile). Citywide, about 81% of students qualify for free/reduced-price lunch, and chronic absenteeism averages roughly 24%, far above the state's 16.4%. Higher spending does not predict better outcomes: the New London Visual and Performing Arts Magnet Pathway spends the most per student ($20,786) yet posts below-average results, while the city's top performer spends the least. For parents, the key takeaway is that school model and culture matter enormously — magnet and interdistrict options consistently outperform traditional district schools, and reducing chronic absenteeism at the lowest-performing schools is the clearest opportunity for improvement.