Summary:
Regional School District 10 is home to two elementary schools serving grades PK through 4 in central Connecticut: Lake Garda Elementary School in Burlington and Harwinton Consolidated School in Harwinton. The district itself ranks in the 75th percentile of Connecticut districts with a 4-star rating, giving families two solid public school options.
Harwinton Consolidated is the clear academic leader. Over three years, it jumped from 148th to 46th out of roughly 491 Connecticut elementary schools, reaching the 91st percentile and earning a 5-star rating. In the 2025-2026 school year, Harwinton posted proficiency rates of 75.7% to 82.4% across all grade and subject combinations, far exceeding both district and state averages. By contrast, Lake Garda Elementary School has been remarkably flat, hovering between ranks 172 and 175 (65th percentile, 3-star rating) for three consecutive years. Harwinton outperforms Lake Garda in every single SBAC subject and grade level tested in 2025-2026 — for example, 76.6% vs. 65.5% in 4th-grade ELA and 82.4% vs. 70.8% in 3rd-grade math.
A particularly interesting dynamic is that Harwinton achieves these stronger results while serving a higher-needs student body: 20.86% of its students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, compared to 11.59% at Lake Garda. Harwinton also benefits from a lower student-teacher ratio (11.9 vs. 13.9) and higher per-student spending ($16,456 vs. $15,494). Math is a district-wide strength, with both schools scoring roughly 20 to 30 percentage points above the state average, and both report very low chronic absenteeism (2.4% at Lake Garda; 3.2% previously reported at Harwinton) versus a 16.4% state average. Large year-to-year proficiency swings, such as Harwinton's 4th-grade ELA jumping from 59.2% to 76.6%, suggest changing cohorts of students rather than sudden instructional shifts. For parents, Harwinton offers elite, rapidly improving academics, while Lake Garda remains a dependable, above-average neighborhood school — particularly strong in math and attendance.
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