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William J. Johnston Middle School

Q: Is William J. Johnston Middle School a good school?

William J. Johnston Middle School ranks 67 th of 258 Connecticut middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

67^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 258 Connecticut Middle Schools

Better than 74% of Connecticut middle schools

Summary

William J. Johnston Middle School serves 452 students in grades 6–8 in Colchester, CT, within the Colchester School District. The school is a 4-star institution, ranking 67th out of 258 Connecticut middle schools (74th percentile) for the 2025–2026 school year. Johnston students consistently outperform state averages: 8th-grade ELA proficiency is 66.4% versus the state's 52.2%, and 8th-grade science proficiency is 67.9% versus 50.3% statewide. ELA skills especially grow across the middle school years, rising from 54.8% proficiency in 6th grade to 66.4% by 8th grade.

Among nearby schools, Johnston is a solid mid-pack performer. It trails top-tier neighbors like Gideon Welles School in Glastonbury and Capt. Nathan Hale School in Coventry, where 8th-grade ELA proficiency reaches 80.8%. The comparison with Capt. Nathan Hale is worth noting: both schools serve demographically similar student bodies (about 22–28% free/reduced lunch) with similar staffing, yet Johnston trails by 10–14 percentage points in ELA. Johnston performs on par with RHAM Middle School, Lebanon Middle School, and East Hampton Middle School, and decisively outpaces higher-poverty schools like Kelly STEAM Magnet Middle School, Teachers' Memorial Middle School, and Windham Middle School, where proficiency rates often fall below 30%.

About 22% of Johnston students qualify for free/reduced lunch, a moderate level compared with nearby districts. Chronic absenteeism is 12.9%, better than the district rate of 14.4% and the state rate of 16.4%, though high-performing neighbors like Gideon Welles (5.5%) and RHAM (9.4%) have notably lower rates. The school spends $17,467 per student and has a favorable student-teacher ratio of 10.5 to 1. One trend worth watching: Johnston's statewide percentile rank has gradually slipped from the 85th percentile in 2021–2022 to the 74th percentile today, and science proficiency, while still a strength, has declined from 77.8% to 67.9% over the same period. The school supports low-income students well, with this group ranking in the 65th percentile statewide.

452

Students ?

10.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$22,656

Per pupil spending ?

22.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

360 Norwich Ave.
Colchester, CT 06415

(860) 537-2313

District: Colchester School District

Students who attend William J. Johnston Middle School usually attend:

High:

Bacon Academy

Feeder schools for William J. Johnston Middle School:

Elementary:	Colchester Elementary School
	Jack Jackter Intermediate School

Racial breakdown:

White:

81.2%

Hispanic:

10.0%

Two or more races:

5.1%

See top rated Connecticut middle schools

Compare William J. Johnston Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 74th percentile in 2016 → 74th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Connecticut average (61% vs 48% meeting standards)

✓Above the Connecticut median (74th percentile)

✓Small classes — about 10 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school61%

District avg61%

Connecticut avg48%

67^th of 258

Connecticut public middle schools ?

Top 26%▬ steady since 2016

See the entire ranking list of Connecticut Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

77^th of 153Colchester School District among Connecticut districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Connecticut percentile	Rating
2026	74.5	67 of 258	74.0%	★★★★☆
2025	75.9	59 of 252	76.6%	★★★★☆
2024	79.1	53 of 250	78.8%	★★★★☆
2023	82.6	41 of 249	83.5%	★★★★☆
2022	85.2	37 of 250	85.2%	★★★★☆
2021	82.2	53 of 275	80.7%	★★★★☆
2019	81.9	51 of 259	80.3%	★★★★☆
2018	84.9	32 of 249	87.1%	★★★★☆
2017	79.8	54 of 250	78.4%	★★★★☆
2016	75.0	65 of 246	73.6%	★★★★☆
2015	83.6	48 of 280	82.9%	★★★★☆
2013	75.7	70 of 278	74.8%	★★★★☆
2012	74.3	81 of 272	70.2%	★★★★☆
2011	73.6	85 of 269	68.4%	★★★☆☆
2010	75.8	71 of 268	73.5%	★★★★☆
2009	67.6	111 of 255	56.5%	★★★☆☆
2008	73.9	78 of 252	69.0%	★★★☆☆
2007	70.2	93 of 250	62.8%	★★★☆☆
2006	73.1	71 of 248	71.4%	★★★★☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Connecticut percentile	Rating
2021	58.1	38 of 104	63.5%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Connecticut percentile	Rating
2026	67.5	56 of 164	65.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	67.8	55 of 164	66.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	72.1	47 of 161	70.8%	★★★★☆
2023	77.3	35 of 160	78.1%	★★★★☆
2022	79.2	35 of 166	78.9%	★★★★☆
2021	82.7	37 of 235	84.3%	★★★★☆
2019	76.7	36 of 169	78.7%	★★★★☆
2018	78.3	32 of 160	80.0%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Connecticut percentile	Rating
2025	63.7	41 of 117	65.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	73.3	47 of 218	78.4%	★★★★☆
2019	78.5	19 of 104	81.7%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Connecticut percentile	Rating
2026	59.6	73 of 164	55.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	63.4	66 of 162	59.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	73.0	41 of 157	73.9%	★★★★☆
2023	76.2	39 of 158	75.3%	★★★★☆
2022	81.0	31 of 169	81.7%	★★★★☆
2021	76.5	53 of 224	76.3%	★★★★☆
2019	72.7	61 of 167	63.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	80.7	32 of 164	80.5%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Connecticut percentile	Rating
2021	70.8	56 of 244	77.0%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Connecticut percentile	Rating
2026	48.5	77 of 150	48.7%	★★☆☆☆
2025	53.4	74 of 153	51.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	60.8	62 of 154	59.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	67.2	48 of 158	69.6%	★★★★☆
2022	72.6	39 of 151	74.2%	★★★★☆
2021	65.6	55 of 175	68.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	68.6	53 of 166	68.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	73.8	40 of 168	76.2%	★★★★☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Special Education (2021)77th percentile-4 vs school

Female (2026)66th percentile-8 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)65th percentile-12 vs school

Disabled (2021)63rd percentile-17 vs school

Male (2026)55th percentile-19 vs school

White (2026)49th percentile-25 vs school

By subject vs Connecticut (2025-2026) ?

Mathematics62%+18 vs state

English Language Arts61%+9 vs state

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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by a parent
Saturday, August 3, 2019

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Schools Near William J. Johnston Middle School

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				NGSS Science (2026)		SBAC English Language Arts (2026)					SBAC Mathematics (2026)					Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients (2025)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	NGSS Science 5th Grade	NGSS Science 8th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 4th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 5th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 6th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 7th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 8th Grade	SBAC Mathematics 4th Grade	SBAC Mathematics 5th Grade	SBAC Mathematics 6th Grade	SBAC Mathematics 7th Grade	SBAC Mathematics 8th Grade	Total
William J. Johnston Middle School	Public	6-8	360 Norwich Ave.	Colchester	06415	Capitol Planning Region	Colchester School District	No	No	No	Yes	(860) 537-2313	452	43	10.5	22.3%	367 (81.2%)	9 (2.0%)	45 (10.0%)	8 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (5.1%)	74.5	67^th of 258 public middle schools	74.0%		75.9	59^th of 252 public middle schools	76.6%	8		805.0			54.8	61.6	66.4			56.5	65.8	62.9	$22,656
Lebanon Middle School	Public	5-8	891 Exeter Rd.	Lebanon	06249	Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region	Lebanon School District	No	No	No	Yes	(860) 642-4702	265	31	8.6	28.3%	224 (84.5%)	3 (1.1%)	26 (9.8%)	3 (1.1%)	2 (0.8%)	4 (1.5%)	3 (1.1%)	73	73^rd of 258 public middle schools	71.7%		81.8	46^th of 252 public middle schools	81.7%	27	509.0	801.0		2533.0	60.3	67.2	2594.0		45.1	51.5	67.2	51.9	$25,651
RHAM Middle School	Public	7-8	25 Rham Road	Hebron	06248	Capitol Planning Region	Regional School District 08	No	No	No	Yes	(860) 228-9423	352	41	8.6	20.2%	298 (84.7%)	5 (1.4%)	34 (9.7%)	5 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.8%)	62.3	96^th of 258 public middle schools	62.8%		73.7	67^th of 252 public middle schools	73.4%	29		53.1				56.0	58.0				52.5	46.3	$29,557
Nathan Hale-Ray Middle School	Public	4-8	73 Clark Gates Rd.	Moodus	06469	Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region	East Haddam School District	No	No	No	Yes	(860) 873-5081	346	38	9.1	24.9%	307 (88.7%)	4 (1.2%)	23 (6.6%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (3.2%)	55.5	116^th of 258 public middle schools	55.0%		51.4	119^th of 252 public middle schools	52.8%	3	490.0	50.0	78.3	43.2	60.0	53.7	45.0	2504.0	35.1	55.0	41.8	45.0	$24,433
East Hampton Middle School	Public	6-8	19 Childs Rd.	East Hampton	06424	Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region	East Hampton School District	No	No	No	Yes	(860) 365-4060	411	36	11.5	26.0%	343 (83.5%)	6 (1.5%)	39 (9.5%)	8 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (3.6%)	71.5	77^th of 258 public middle schools	70.2%		66.2	89^th of 252 public middle schools	64.7%	12		807.0			61.0	66.7	61.1			51.7	59.0	53.2	$22,952
Windham Middle School	Public	5-8	123 Quarry St.	Willimantic	06226	Capitol Planning Region	Windham School District	No	No	No	Yes	(860) 465-2351	583	56	10.4	76.3%	97 (16.6%)	17 (2.9%)	452 (77.5%)	5 (0.9%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (1.7%)	16.6	198^th of 258 public middle schools	23.3%		19.4	188^th of 252 public middle schools	25.4%	10	28.2	785.0		27.6	26.4	33.3	33.1		26.7	14.9	24.2	16.9	$23,976
Leonard J. Tyl Middle School	Public	6-8	166 Chesterfield Rd.	Oakdale	06370	Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region	Montville School District	No	No	No	No	(860) 848-2822	519	45	11.5	46.4%	292 (56.3%)	34 (6.6%)	87 (16.8%)	32 (6.2%)	5 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	69 (13.3%)	46.3	132^nd of 258 public middle schools	48.8%		45.1	131^st of 252 public middle schools	48.0%	1		55.9			52.5	46.4	45.4			48.4	28.6	37.5	$20,797
Teachers' Memorial Middle School	Public, Magnet	6-8	15 Teachers Dr.	Norwich	06360	Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region	Norwich School District	No	Yes	No	Yes	(860) 823-4212	447	41	10.7	82.3%	94 (21.0%)	117 (26.2%)	177 (39.6%)	18 (4.0%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	38 (8.5%)	13	218^th of 258 public middle schools	15.5%		8.6	232^nd of 252 public middle schools	7.9%	14		23.0			32.8	18.6	24.3			27.0	10.9	13.8	$26,755
Kelly STEAM Magnet Middle School	Public, Magnet	6-8	25 Mahan Dr.	Norwich	06360	Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region	Norwich School District	No	Yes	No	Yes	(860) 823-4211	593	52	11.4	73.9%	171 (28.8%)	105 (17.7%)	224 (37.8%)	47 (7.9%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.5%)	43 (7.3%)	19.1	190^th of 258 public middle schools	26.4%		20.9	183^rd of 252 public middle schools	27.4%	7		31.9			26.8	27.8	37.6			18.5	20.0	26.5	$23,513
Capt. Nathan Hale School	Public	6-8	1776 Main Street	Coventry	06238	Capitol Planning Region	Coventry School District	No	No	No	No	(860) 742-7334	363	38	9.5	27.8%	294 (81.0%)	3 (0.8%)	37 (10.2%)	6 (1.7%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (5.8%)	87.2	28^th of 258 public middle schools	89.1%		81.6	47^th of 252 public middle schools	81.3%	19		818.0			73.7	73.8	80.8			60.2	68.6	71.3	$21,843

Frequently Asked Questions about William J. Johnston Middle School

Is William J. Johnston Middle School a good school?

William J. Johnston Middle School ranks 67^th of 258 Connecticut middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of William J. Johnston Middle School?

Students at William J. Johnston Middle School are 81% White, 10% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races, 2% African American, 2% Asian.

What high school do graduates of William J. Johnston Middle School attend?

Students who attend William J. Johnston Middle School usually go on to attend Bacon Academy

What district is William J. Johnston Middle School in?

Colchester School District

How many students attend William J. Johnston Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 452 students attended William J. Johnston Middle School.

Rate William J. Johnston Middle School!

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Latest Connecticut data All new data »

2024–25 through 2025–26 attendance data & graduation ratesAug 31, 2026

2025–26 NGSS, SAT & SBAC test scoresAug 31, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataApr 2, 2026

2024–25 attendance dataNov 6, 2025

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Connecticut Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.