Summary:
The Waterford School District in southeastern Connecticut is served by a single public high school, Waterford High School, which enrolls approximately 713 students in grades 9 through 12. The school maintains a favorable 11:1 student-teacher ratio and spends about $20,277 per student, though that spending figure dates to 2018-2019. Roughly 30.6% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that about three in ten students come from economically disadvantaged households.
Academically, Waterford High School outperforms Connecticut state averages across all three tested subjects. On the 2025-2026 SAT, 67.1% of 11th graders met proficiency in English Language Arts versus 55.3% statewide, and 46.8% met proficiency in math versus 31.3% statewide. On the NGSS science assessment, 57.1% were proficient versus 50.5% statewide. The school also posts a strong 94.3% graduation rate, above the state average of 91.2%. Waterford High School has earned a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger, though its statewide rank has slipped from 21st out of 145 schools (86th percentile) in 2023-2024 to 37th out of 133 schools (72nd percentile) in 2025-2026. This decline tracks with a notable year-over-year drop in proficiency: ELA fell from 77.3% to 67.1% and math from 57.5% to 46.8% between 2024-2025 and 2025-2026.
One area of concern is chronic absenteeism, which stands at 17.1% for Waterford High School, slightly above the state average of 16.4% and well above the district-wide rate of 10.8%. Because the district rate includes all schools, the high school appears to carry a disproportionate share of chronically absent students. Still, the school's strong graduation rate and above-average test scores suggest that students who attend regularly are succeeding. The Waterford School District itself is ranked 78th out of 153 districts in Connecticut, placing it in the 49th percentile with a 3-star rating. Despite the recent ranking dip, Waterford High School remains a solid academic option within the district.
Thank you for your feedback!