Summary:
Newington School District in Connecticut is home to two middle schools—John Wallace Middle School and Martin Kellogg Middle School—both serving grades 5 through 8. John Wallace is the larger school with 610 students, while Martin Kellogg enrolls 567. The district itself ranks in the 39th percentile statewide, but both middle schools outperform that: John Wallace ranks 105th out of 258 middle schools (59th percentile) and Martin Kellogg ranks 120th (53rd percentile) for the 2025–2026 school year.
John Wallace is the clear academic leader, with an overall proficiency average of 52.2% compared to Martin Kellogg’s 45.8%. The strongest gap is in English Language Arts (56.3% vs. 45.9%) and Science (56.2% vs. 47.6%). However, math performance is nearly identical overall—46.0% vs. 44.8%—and Martin Kellogg actually outperforms John Wallace in 6th, 7th, and 8th grade math, despite trailing significantly in 5th grade. Martin Kellogg also stands out for attendance and efficiency: its chronic absenteeism rate is 11.3%, well below the state average of 16.4%, and it has a slightly lower student-teacher ratio (11.9 vs. 12.8) while spending marginally more per student ($17,035 vs. $16,942). This means more resources and smaller classes do not automatically translate to higher test scores—school culture and curriculum likely matter more.
Both schools handle chronic absenteeism well, with rates below the district average of 13.0%. Their state rankings improved from 2023–2024 to 2024–2025, then slipped in 2025–2026, though both maintained 3-star ratings. For parents, the key takeaway is that John Wallace excels in literacy and science, while Martin Kellogg is a strong choice for families seeking a school with better attendance, smaller classes, and notably competitive upper-grade math—even while serving a slightly higher percentage of economically disadvantaged students. These two schools are more alike than their overall rankings suggest, and each has distinct strengths worth considering.
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