Summary:
The New Britain School District serves 9,012 students across 14 schools spanning grades K-12 — 10 elementary schools, 3 middle schools, and 1 high school — and ranks 150th out of 153 Connecticut districts (2nd percentile) with zero stars, facing significant challenges including roughly 75% student poverty and a 32.0% chronic absenteeism rate that is nearly double the state average of 16.4%.
HALS Academy is the district's clear standout: ranked #3 among 258 Connecticut middle schools with 5 stars, it posts math proficiency between 76–87.5% compared to 11–18% for the rest of the district, while also having the lowest chronic absenteeism (13.3%) and the lowest free/reduced lunch rate (55.9%). Holmes Elementary leads traditional elementary schools, ranking 327th out of 491 with 4th grade ELA at 45.0% and math at 43.3% — roughly double district averages — and chronic absenteeism at 17.9%. Lincoln Elementary and Smith Elementary are modest bright spots hovering near 30% proficiency, while Pulaski Middle School (ranked 256/258) and Jefferson Elementary (485/491) sit at the bottom with single-digit math proficiency in several grades.
Math is the district's most acute weakness: New Britain High School SAT math proficiency is just 8.6% versus 31.3% statewide, and secondary chronic absenteeism is severe (43.7% at the high school, 37.4% at Pulaski). Interestingly, higher spending does not guarantee better outcomes — Gaffney Elementary spends $21,053 per student yet ranks 435th, while HALS spends only $13,315 and ranks #3 in the state. Several schools are improving — Holmes jumped 67 spots, Lincoln gained 64, and Chamberlain Elementary improved 57 — but Pulaski and Jefferson remain persistently low, underscoring the district's dual challenge of poverty and performance.
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