Summary:
Putnam School District is home to just one middle school, Putnam Middle School, which serves grades 5 through 8 in Putnam, Connecticut, with 353 students enrolled. Because it is the only middle school in the district, the school's performance closely mirrors district data, but it stands out as a relative bright spot within Putnam School District, which ranks in the 12th percentile statewide (135th out of 153 districts). The school itself has consistently ranked in the 33rd to 35th percentile over the past three years and earns 2 stars on SchoolDigger, compared to 1 star for the district as a whole.
More than half of the student body (54.1%) qualifies for free or reduced lunch, reflecting a significant concentration of economic disadvantage. Chronic absenteeism affects 18.9% of students, slightly better than the district's 19.3% but above the state's 16.4%. On a positive note, the school maintains a low student-to-teacher ratio of 11.5:1, which allows for more individualized attention. Per-student spending is listed at $15,129, though this figure is from 2018-2019 and may be outdated.
In math, the school trails the state by roughly 20 percentage points in every grade, with 8th grade math especially concerning at just 12.9% proficient compared to the state's 41.9%. Eighth grade ELA is also a weakness at 31.8% proficient versus 51.1% statewide. There are some bright spots: 7th grade ELA jumped from 30.6% to 49.0% proficiency, and 5th grade science reached 45.2% proficiency, close to the state's 52.9%. The wide year-to-year swings in scores suggest small cohort sizes, while the persistent math gaps point to a need for targeted math intervention, particularly as students prepare for the transition to high school.
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