Best Public Schools in Southington, CT

Southington School District serves the suburban town of Southington, Connecticut, through 8 schools — 6 elementary schools, 1 middle school, and 1 high school — enrolling roughly 4,683 students across grades K-12 and ranking 53rd of 153 Connecticut districts, or the 65th percentile statewide. The district is solidly above average: every school beats the Connecticut state average in most subjects, and the district as a whole outperforms the state across nearly every grade and subject. That said, there's meaningful variation within the district — individual schools range from the 60th to the 85th percentile statewide, so results vary by building.

The strongest schools are Zaya A. Oshana Elementary School and William H. Hatton Elementary School, both tied in the 85th percentile and ranked among the top 75 elementary schools in Connecticut. Hatton posts standout math results — 90% proficient in 3rd grade versus 52.2% statewide — even though it has one of the district's higher free/reduced lunch rates (31.88%). Oshana has the district's lowest chronic absenteeism rate (3.4%) and 78.3% proficiency in 5th grade science. Joseph A. Depaolo Middle School is equally strong at the 85th percentile, with 72.2% 7th grade math proficiency. Southington High School ranks 74th percentile with a 96% graduation rate. At the other end, Flanders Elementary School (60th) and Walter A. Derynoski Elementary School (62nd) sit closer to the state's middle, while Urbin T. Kelley School (76th) and R. E. Thalberg Elementary School (75th) hold the middle ground.

A few patterns stand out. Chronic absenteeism rises sharply as students age — from about 6.3% on average in elementary schools to 12.9% at the middle school and 14.3% at the high school. The high school's SAT math proficiency (39.8%) is a clear outlier next to its strong ELA (66.7%) and science (68.7%) scores, and well below middle school math performance. Science is a genuine district strength, beating state averages by 18 to 25 points. Spending per student varies widely — from $13,075 to $18,439 — with no clean relationship to results, and Hatton shows a higher-poverty school can still be the district's top performer. Elementary rankings also shift notably from year to year, so cohort differences likely explain some of the movement.