New Milford School District

New Milford School District in Connecticut serves approximately 3,493 students across 5 schools: one high school, one middle school, one intermediate school for grades 3–5, and two primary elementary schools for grades PK–2. The district overall ranks in the 25th percentile of Connecticut districts, but individual school performance varies widely, making it important for parents to look beyond the district-level rating.

The clear academic standout is New Milford High School, which ranks in the 55th percentile of high schools and is the only school in the district with above-state ELA proficiency (61.8% vs. 55.3% statewide) and a graduation rate of 92.2%. However, its chronic absenteeism rate of 27.0% is nearly three times that of the primary schools, a serious concern. Among the elementary schools, Hill And Plain School has the best historical ranking in the district and the highest per-pupil spending ($17,521), while Northville Elementary School posts the lowest chronic absenteeism at 9.1%. Both PK–2 schools lack current test scores since testing starts in grade 3, but their low absenteeism and strong student–teacher ratios suggest a solid early foundation.

Test proficiency is a mixed picture, with math emerging as the district’s weakest subject across all tested grades. At Schaghticoke Middle School, all subjects are below state averages, with math gaps of 11–14 points, and 8th grade science dropped from 54.7% to 46.5% in one year. At Sarah Noble Intermediate School, 4th grade math improved sharply to 49.0%, but 3rd grade math fell 12 points to 35.1%, a 17-point gap versus the state. Spending does not clearly drive results: Hill And Plain spends the most while Sarah Noble spends the least yet shows relative strength in 4th grade. The district’s biggest opportunities are improving math proficiency and addressing high school chronic absenteeism.