Regional School District 18

Regional School District 18 serves the Connecticut communities of Lyme and Old Lyme, comprising four schools — two elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school — with a combined enrollment of about 1,198 students across pre-K through grade 12.

The district is a high performer, ranked 22nd out of 153 Connecticut districts with a 4-star rating, and every school sits in at least the 80th percentile statewide. Mile Creek School is the standout elementary, ranked 50th out of 491 schools with a 5-star rating and an exceptionally low chronic absenteeism rate of 3.7%, paired with proficiency rates roughly 30 points above state averages in ELA, math, and science. Lyme Consolidated School, the district's smallest school, proves that a higher free/reduced lunch rate (23.01%) does not limit achievement — it still ranks in the 89th percentile and posts strong math scores near 78% proficiency. Lyme-Old Lyme Middle School excels in science, with 8th grade science proficiency at 85.1% versus 50.9% statewide, and 8th grade math at 76.6%.

The main vulnerability is Lyme-Old Lyme High School. Though still strong academically — with 80% SAT ELA proficiency and a 92.9% graduation rate — its state ranking fell sharply from 4th to 22nd, coinciding with chronic absenteeism of 19.8%, nearly double the district rate. That attendance problem appears connected to the ranking decline. Overall, families can expect a well-resourced, high-achieving district where Mile Creek offers the most consistent elementary results, the middle school is a science powerhouse, and the high school remains solid despite an attendance challenge that deserves attention.