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Middle Schools in New London School District


At a glance
DistrictNew London School District151st of 153 Connecticut districtsFull district overview →
2
Schools
476
Students
Top rankedScience and Technology Magnet Pathway for Middle Grades212th of 258 Connecticut middle schools
Compare Connecticut districts →See the top-ranked Connecticut schools →
Summary:

There are two middle schools serving grades 5–8 in the New London School District, a district ranked near the bottom of Connecticut: Bennie Dover Jackson Middle School (343 students) and Science and Technology Magnet Pathway for Middle Grades (133 students). The magnet school is the clear standout: it ranks 212th out of 258 Connecticut middle schools (18th percentile, 1 star) and outperforms Bennie Dover in every same-grade, same-subject comparison. For example, 6th grade ELA proficiency is 32.8% at the magnet versus 9.6% at Bennie Dover, and 7th grade math is 14.3% versus 8.8%. The magnet also has lower chronic absenteeism (18.8% vs. 29.0%) and a lower free/reduced lunch rate (82.71% vs. 94.17%).

Bennie Dover Jackson Middle School is the lower-performing school, ranking 242nd out of 258 (6th percentile, 0 stars) and scoring below the district in every reported subject and grade. Its chronic absenteeism rate of 29.0% means roughly one in three students is chronically absent. Test proficiency is extremely low: 8th grade math is just 5.9%, 7th grade math is 8.8%, and 6th grade ELA is 9.6%. Even the magnet school, despite being the stronger option locally, lags Connecticut significantly—6th grade ELA is 32.8% versus the state's 51.2%, and 7th grade math is 14.3% versus 44.1%. Math proficiency is a serious district-wide challenge at both schools.

Interestingly, Bennie Dover has a much lower student-teacher ratio (7.2) than the magnet (19.2), yet its scores are far lower, suggesting class size alone does not drive outcomes. Both schools share the same Waller Street address, but the magnet's better attendance and lower poverty rate likely contribute to its stronger results. Bennie Dover has shown slight improvement, moving from the 2nd percentile in 2023-2024 to the 6th percentile in 2025-2026. Science is a relative bright spot: Bennie Dover's 8th grade science proficiency (24.4%) outpaces its ELA and math scores, while the magnet's 5th grade science (33.3%) exceeds the district average. Bennie Dover reports $16,805 per pupil in spending (2018-2019), yet outcomes remain low, raising questions about cost-effectiveness.

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Connecticut Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.

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