High Schools in Waterbury School District

Waterbury School District serves five high schools in Waterbury, Connecticut — Crosby High School, John F. Kennedy High School, Wilby High School, Waterbury Arts Magnet School, and Waterbury Career Academy — with combined enrollment of 5,569 students, most serving grades 9-12 and Waterbury Arts Magnet serving grades 6-12. The district ranks 144th out of 153 Connecticut districts, yet outcomes reveal two distinct tiers. The two specialized schools — Waterbury Career Academy and Waterbury Arts Magnet — dramatically outperform the three traditional high schools. The specialized schools rank in the 29th and 48th percentiles, graduate over 97%, and keep absenteeism below 13%, while traditional schools rank in the 3rd to 8th percentiles, graduate between 82.7% and 88.4%, and see absenteeism above 30%.

Waterbury Career Academy is the clear academic leader, ranked 69th of 133 Connecticut high schools with a strong upward trajectory from 105th three years ago. It leads the district in 11th-grade test scores (58% ELA, 19.3% math, 47.8% science), graduates 97.8%, and has the lowest chronic absenteeism (8.9%) and best student-teacher ratio (11.9:1). Waterbury Arts Magnet matches its 2-star rating with the district's best graduation rate (99.1%) and low absenteeism (12.6%). Its 8th-grade scores are exceptional — 73% ELA versus a 32.2% district average — though 11th-grade math drops to 13.4%. Among traditional schools, Crosby is strongest, ranking 122nd with 88.4% graduation and 31% absenteeism, while Wilby trails with 82.7% graduation, 49.8% absenteeism, and 14.2% ELA proficiency.

Several key findings stand out. Chronic absenteeism tracks outcomes: the two specialized schools are the only ones below the state average, and Wilby's near-50% rate aligns with its bottom-ranked performance. Math is a district-wide weakness — even Career Academy reaches just 19.3% versus the state's 31.3%. High poverty does not prevent success; all five schools serve mostly low-income students, yet two exceed the state's 91.2% graduation rate. Spending alone does not explain results: Career Academy achieves top outcomes spending $16,556 per student, near the district average, while Arts Magnet spends the most at $21,827. The traditional schools' larger classes (Crosby's 17.0:1 ratio) and higher absenteeism suggest they would benefit most from added staffing and targeted support.