Dominick H. Ferrara School

Dominick H. Ferrara School is a small elementary school in East Haven, Connecticut, serving 153 students in grades 3–5 within the East Haven School District. The school serves a student body where about 63% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and it maintains a notably favorable student-teacher ratio of 11.2 to 1 — one of the lowest among nearby schools.

For parents, the big takeaway is that Ferrara consistently outperforms its own district. In recent testing, 4th grade ELA proficiency reached 52.3% versus 35.4% district-wide, and 3rd grade math hit 54% compared to 34% for the district. Third-grade math is a genuine bright spot, meeting or exceeding the Connecticut state average in three of the last four years. Chronic absenteeism is also lower than both the district and state averages — 12.5% in 2023–24 versus 17.7% statewide. Compared to nearby New Haven schools like Fair Haven School, Bishop Woods Architecture and Design Magnet School, and Ross/Woodward School — where chronic absenteeism often exceeds 30% and proficiency rates are frequently in the single digits to low 20s — Ferrara looks strong. However, it trails higher-income neighbors like Montowese Elementary School and Jerome Harrison School, which serve far fewer low-income students and rank higher statewide.

There are some challenges worth noting. Most scores remain below state averages, particularly in upper grades — 5th grade math proficiency was 28.1% versus 45.8% statewide. There's also a puzzling drop-off in math between 3rd and 5th grade that has persisted across multiple years. More recently, the school's statewide rank slipped from the 38th–40th percentile to the 32nd percentile, coinciding with a sharp drop in 3rd grade ELA and a rise in chronic absenteeism from 12.5% to 16.0%. While this isn't a crash, it suggests the school's momentum may be stalling, and supporting students as they move into upper grades should be a priority.