Regional School District 16

Regional School District 16 serves the Connecticut communities of Prospect and Beacon Falls with four schools—two elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school—enrolling approximately 1,890 students and ranking 27th out of 153 districts statewide (82nd percentile, 4 stars). Every school in the district exceeds Connecticut’s state proficiency averages in every tested subject and grade level, making this a consistently high-performing district.

Woodland Regional High School is the district’s clear standout, earning a 5-star rating and ranking 9th out of 133 Connecticut high schools—a remarkable jump from 44th two years ago. Its SAT math proficiency (64.7%) is more than double the state average (31.3%), and its graduation rate is 95.9%. Among elementary schools, Prospect Elementary School is the highest-ranked (100th out of 491) with standout 3rd grade math scores (80.4% proficient) and the district’s lowest chronic absenteeism at just 2.4%. Long River Middle School is the most improved, rising from 81st to 49th in state rankings over three years, with 8th grade math proficiency jumping to 64.7%. Laurel Ledge School, despite having the highest free/reduced lunch rate (36.4%) and being the smallest school (313 students), remains a 4-star school and posted the district’s best elementary science result (77.2% proficient in 5th grade NGSS Science).

Districtwide, chronic absenteeism is remarkably low at 6.2% versus 16.4% statewide, but Woodland Regional High School stands out with a 13.5% rate—a clear area to watch. Elementary math is a district strength, with both elementary schools scoring 20+ points above the state average. One relative weakness is 6th grade ELA at Long River Middle School (54.6% proficient, down from 59.9%), while 7th and 8th grade ELA are much stronger at 73.7% and 71.9%, suggesting a possible transition-year effect. Spending per student ranges from $15,463 to $18,400, but higher spending does not necessarily mean better outcomes—Long River has the lowest spending yet ranks in the 81st percentile. Overall, this is a cohesive, high-achieving district with strong results across all four schools, and the upward momentum at Woodland and Long River bodes well for the future.