Best Public Schools in Waterbury, CT

Waterbury, Connecticut, is served by 32 schools—22 elementary, 4 middle, and 6 high schools—spanning the Waterbury School District (ranked 144th of 153 districts), the Connecticut Technical Education and Career System, Area Cooperative Educational Services, and the Brass City Charter School District. Most schools serve high-poverty communities, with a median free/reduced-price lunch rate near 80%, and chronic absenteeism runs well above the state average—about 20% across the city versus 16.4% statewide.

A cluster of specialized and magnet schools clearly stands out. Waterbury Career Academy ranks highest among the city's high schools (69th of 133), with a 97.8% graduation rate and just 8.9% chronic absenteeism. W.F. Kaynor Technical High School graduates 99.0% of students, and Waterbury Arts Magnet School tops the list at 99.1% while posting strong middle-school ELA and science scores. At the elementary level, Brass City Charter School and Roberto Clemente International Dual Language School both outperform the state in several subjects, and Regan School achieves strong results despite spending the least per student. Rotella Interdistrict Magnet School has the city's lowest absenteeism rate at 3.5%, and Maloney Interdistrict Magnet School also posts solid attendance and test scores.

The biggest challenges are concentrated in neighborhood schools. Wilby High School is the lowest-ranked high school in the city, with a 49.8% absenteeism rate, and John F. Kennedy High School and Crosby High School also exceed 30% absenteeism. Bunker Hill School, Woodrow Wilson School, Reed School, Walsh School, Sprague School, and Driggs School all rank below the 5th percentile statewide. Math is the weakest subject across every school type, and many students show a sharp academic decline when they move into middle school. Overall, Waterbury has no 3-star schools, but the success of specialized high-poverty schools like Career Academy and Regan shows that focused programming and strong attendance can make a meaningful difference.