Summary:
The Capitol Region Education Council serves 15 magnet schools in the Hartford, Connecticut area, enrolling roughly 8,644 students across elementary, middle, and high school grades, with a predominantly low-income student population.
Looking at individual school performance, a few standouts emerge. Discovery Academy is the highest-performing elementary school in the district, with an overall rank of 291 of 491, and its 5th-grade ELA proficiency (52.4%) nearly matches the state average. Academy of Aerospace and Engineering is the strongest high school, featuring the highest graduation rate (97.8%), the best high-school rank, and SAT Math proficiency (17.4%) that is nearly double the CREC average. University of Hartford Magnet School leads the district in 5th-grade science (50.0%) and has strong attendance, while Montessori Magnet School has the lowest chronic absenteeism (16.7%) but experienced a sharp academic decline in 2025-26. At the other extreme, Academy of Computer Science and Engineering spends the most per student ($26,029) yet has the lowest high-school rank and high absenteeism.
Several broader trends define the district. CREC graduates students at rates above the state average despite standardized test scores that fall well below state averages, particularly in mathematics, where several high schools report SAT math proficiency in the single digits. Chronic absenteeism is universal and severe, with all 15 schools exceeding the state rate of 16.4% and two schools exceeding 44%. Spending does not appear to drive outcomes, as the lowest-spending school posts the best elementary rank. Finally, academic performance tends to decline as students advance through grade levels, suggesting cumulative learning gaps. While the district ranks in the 5th percentile statewide, schools like Discovery Academy and Academy of Aerospace and Engineering demonstrate that strong outcomes are achievable within CREC.
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