Sherman School District

The Sherman School District, located in Sherman, Connecticut, is a small, highly regarded district consisting of a single school—Sherman School—which serves grades PK through 8 with 229 students. Because the district contains only one school, the district and school are essentially the same entity, and both rank at the very top of the state: the district is ranked #1 out of 153 Connecticut districts (99th percentile, 5 stars), and Sherman School is ranked #5 out of 491 schools for 2025–2026.

Sherman School is an exceptional academic performer. Every SBAC subject and grade level reported is far above the Connecticut state average, with 3rd grade ELA at 95.5% proficient versus 47.3% statewide—a 48-point gap. Other strong results include 4th grade math at 90.9% proficiency and 7th grade ELA at 81.5%, both well above state averages. Math proficiency dips somewhat by 7th grade to 70.4%, though it still sits 26 points above the state. The school also improved dramatically from a #40 statewide rank in 2023–2024 to #5 in each of the last two years, placing it in the top 1% of all Connecticut schools.

Beyond test scores, Sherman School benefits from an extremely low free/reduced lunch rate of 6.11%, indicating a high-socioeconomic-status community, and a very low 8.3:1 student–teacher ratio that allows for individualized instruction. Per-student spending is also high at $26,293. However, with only about 20–30 students per grade, proficiency percentages can swing significantly from year to year, and the limited longitudinal data means trends should be viewed with some caution. Overall, Sherman School stands out as one of Connecticut's best-performing schools, combining top rankings, small classes, and strong community resources.