Best Public Schools in North Windham, CT

North Windham, Connecticut is served by two public elementary schools — Charles H. Barrows STEM Academy (K–8, 535 students) and North Windham School (K–4, 445 students) — both within the Windham School District, which ranks 141 out of 153 districts in Connecticut. The district performs well below state averages, and both schools rank in the bottom half of the state: Barrows sits at 347th of 491 (29th percentile) while North Windham School is at 415th of 491 (15th percentile) for the 2025–2026 school year.

Charles H. Barrows STEM Academy is the clear standout in North Windham, outperforming North Windham School in every directly comparable grade and subject. In 2025–2026, 3rd-grade math proficiency was 39.0% at Barrows versus 17.0% at North Windham School, and 4th-grade ELA reached 41.3% versus 29.9%. Barrows also reports lower chronic absenteeism (12.2% vs. 20.3%) and a lower free/reduced-price lunch rate (48.2% vs. 80.2%). North Windham School serves a much more economically disadvantaged population, which provides important context for its lower scores. Even so, its 4th-grade math proficiency of 38.8% exceeds the district average of 29.3%.

Barrows' strongest results are in science, with 5th-grade proficiency at 68.3% — well above the district's 37.9% and the state's 52.9% — and 8th-grade science also exceeding the state average. Math remains a weakness across both schools, with proficiency rates far below Connecticut averages. Both schools saw their state rankings decline in 2025–2026, and both spend roughly $17,000 per student without achieving high rankings, suggesting challenges beyond funding, including poverty, absenteeism, and instructional issues. Attendance and poverty strongly track achievement: North Windham School has higher poverty and absenteeism, and correspondingly lower test scores.