Ellington School District

The Ellington School District in Connecticut serves 2,474 students across five public schools spanning grades pre-K through 12: three elementary schools (Windermere School, Center School, and Crystal Lake School), Ellington Middle School, and Ellington High School. The district ranks 55th out of 153 Connecticut districts, placing it in the 64th percentile overall. Most schools perform above state averages, but there is considerable variation within the district—from Center School, which ranks in the 90th percentile among elementary schools, to Crystal Lake School, which sits in the 66th percentile.

Center School is the district's standout elementary school. It improved from the 81st to the 90th percentile in state rankings, exceeds district proficiency in nearly every grade and subject, and has the lowest chronic absenteeism rate (7.2%) in the district—well below the district average of 12.3% and the state average of 16.4%. Crystal Lake School, by contrast, is the district's highest-need school: it has the highest free/reduced lunch rate (28.3%), the highest student-teacher ratio (14.4), the lowest spending per student ($12,358), and the weakest proficiency in several grades, including 6th grade math at just 50%. Ellington Middle School remains above state averages but saw a sharp decline, dropping from the 89th to the 76th percentile in one year, with 8th grade math falling from 69.5% to 56.8% proficiency.

Ellington High School graduates 95% of its students, well above the state average of 91.2%, and its ELA proficiency (63.9%) is strong. However, math remains a persistent weakness: only 42.6% of 11th graders are proficient in math, down from 50.6% the prior year, though still above the state's 31.3%. District-wide, chronic absenteeism is below the state average at every school, ranging from 7.2% at Center School to 13.1% at Ellington Middle School. Notably, higher spending does not consistently produce better results—Center School achieves the best elementary outcomes with modest per-student spending ($12,714), while Ellington High School spends the most ($16,810). For parents, the district offers strong options overall, but the gap between the highest- and lowest-performing schools and recent declines at the middle and high schools are worth monitoring.