Summary:
The Canterbury School District is home to one elementary school, Canterbury Elementary School, which serves grades PK–4 with an enrollment of 295 students and a moderate level of economic need, as roughly 35% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.
Canterbury Elementary has been steadily climbing in statewide rankings, moving from the 43rd percentile in 2023–2024 to the 57th percentile in 2025–2026, and now holds a 3-star rating. The school's biggest academic strength is mathematics: in 2025–2026, third-grade math proficiency reached 74.4% and fourth-grade math reached 71.7%, both more than 20 points above state averages. The previous year, third-grade math hit 78%, an extraordinary 26-point gap over the state. English language arts is more mixed — third-grade ELA was slightly below the state average in the most recent year, while fourth-grade ELA exactly matched it. In the prior year, fourth-grade ELA trailed the state by over 5 points, suggesting literacy is an area worth watching.
The school also posts excellent attendance, with a chronic absenteeism rate of just 9.6% compared to 16.4% statewide, despite serving a population with moderate economic need. A favorable student-teacher ratio of 12.8:1 and per-student spending of $17,483 suggest strong resource investment. Interestingly, while the school ranks in the 57th percentile of elementary schools, the Canterbury School District overall ranks in the 44th percentile among Connecticut districts, indicating the elementary school may be outperforming the district's broader picture. Overall, Canterbury Elementary is a solid, improving school with strong math outcomes, good attendance, and a positive trajectory.
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