Summary:
The New Haven School District includes one middle school, Betsy Ross Arts and Design Academy, which serves grades 6–9 in the New Haven area and enrolls 348 students.
Betsy Ross Arts and Design Academy is the only middle school in the district, and it offers a specialized arts and design magnet theme. The school has a favorable student-teacher ratio of 10.2 to 1 and spends $18,511 per student, reflecting meaningful resources. However, academic results are mixed. In 2025–2026, 6th grade ELA proficiency reached 32.3%, notably above the district average of 25.4%, but 7th grade ELA dipped to 25.9%, slightly below the district average. Math proficiency is the biggest concern: only 10.6% to 12.3% of 6th, 7th, and 8th graders are proficient in math, compared to roughly 42–44% statewide. Science proficiency for 8th graders stands at 25.6%, similar to the district average but far below the state’s 50.9%. Chronic absenteeism is 23.2%, which is better than the district's 30.6% but still nearly one in four students missing significant school time.
The school’s statewide ranking has slipped over three years, from the 24th percentile in 2023–2024 to the 15th percentile in 2025–2026, meaning it is falling behind other Connecticut middle schools relative to their improvement. Although Betsy Ross serves a high-poverty population (73.85% free/reduced lunch) and its district ranks low statewide (143 out of 153 districts), the school does outperform the district average in some areas, including 6th grade ELA and chronic absenteeism. Families considering this school should weigh its arts-focused environment and small class sizes against the persistently low math scores and the declining overall ranking. The unusual 6–9 grade span also means 9th graders are present, though no test data are reported for that grade, so parents of rising 9th graders may want to inquire about outcomes at that level.
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