Best Middle Schools in Redding, CT

Redding, Connecticut is served by a single public middle school, John Read Middle School, which enrolls 381 students in grades 5–8 and has earned a top-10% statewide ranking for three consecutive years. As the only middle school in the Redding School District, John Read has no local peer comparison, but it strongly outperforms Connecticut state averages in every subject. In the 2025–2026 school year, English Language Arts proficiency reached 76.7% versus the state average of 52.0%, math reached 73.2% versus 44.1%, and science reached 82.4% versus 51.9% — a remarkable margin of roughly 30 points above the state in math and science. The school has been rated 5 stars every year in the data set, ranking #19 of 258 schools in 2025–2026, #23 of 252 in 2024–2025, and #14 of 250 in 2023–2024.

Science is the school's strongest subject, with 5th graders posting 83.3% proficiency and 8th graders 81.5% proficiency in 2025–2026. Strong year-over-year gains appeared in 6th and 8th grade ELA, which rose by 9.2 and 7.2 points respectively, lifting the overall ELA average to 76.7%. The one notable concern is a 12-point drop in 7th grade math proficiency, from 83.3% in 2024–2025 to 71.3% in 2025–2026, which may reflect a different cohort but is worth watching. Even with that decline, math remains roughly 29 points above the state average, and the school's overall trajectory remains excellent.

Beyond test scores, John Read benefits from very favorable conditions. Chronic absenteeism stands at just 6.1%, less than half the state average of 16.4%, while the district rate is even lower at 5.4%. Only 11.29% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch, and the school invests heavily in its students with $24,945 in spending per pupil and a 10.4:1 student–teacher ratio. Interestingly, the school's district ranks even higher relative to its peers: the Redding School District is ranked #8 of 153 districts in Connecticut (95th percentile), compared to the school's #19 of 258 (93rd percentile). For parents, John Read Middle School offers consistently elite academics, small classes, strong attendance, and abundant resources — an exceptional choice in one of Connecticut's highest-achieving districts.