Summary:
The Watertown School District has only one middle school, Swift Middle School, which serves grades 6-8. While the school has a relatively low student-teacher ratio of 11:1, its academic performance has been declining, with proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Math below the state average across all grade levels.
Swift Middle School's School Digger ranking has dropped from 90th out of 249 Connecticut middle schools in 2022-2023 to 128th out of 252 in 2024-2025, with a 2-star rating. Additionally, the school's chronic absenteeism rate of 17.7% in 2023-2024 is higher than the state average. Despite spending more per student than the state average, the school's test scores suggest room for improvement, with the exception of 8th grade science proficiency, which is above the state average.
The high percentage of students (43.42%) receiving free or reduced-price lunch at Swift Middle School indicates a relatively high level of economic disadvantage among the student population, which may be a contributing factor to the school's academic challenges. While the low student-teacher ratio could be an asset, it is unclear if this is translating into improved outcomes for students. Further analysis and targeted interventions may be necessary to address the school's performance and better support its students.
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