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McKinley School

Q: Is McKinley School a good school?

McKinley School ranks 177 th of 492 Connecticut elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-5

177^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 492 Connecticut Elementary Schools

Better than 64% of Connecticut elementary schools

Summary

McKinley School is a K-5 elementary school in Fairfield, CT, serving about 470 students within the highly regarded Fairfield School District. The school is currently ranked 177th out of 491 Connecticut elementary schools, placing it in the 64th percentile — a solid mid-tier ranking that represents clear improvement from the 46th percentile just a few years ago. What makes McKinley particularly interesting is how different its student population is from neighboring Fairfield elementaries: over half of its students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch (52.6%), compared to just 27% at nearby Holland Hill School, 15% at Jennings School, and only 5.6% at Osborn Hill School.

Despite serving a much higher-need population, McKinley achieves standout results for the very student groups that often face the biggest barriers. Its Hispanic students rank 11th out of 129 schools statewide (91st percentile), and its low-income students rank 8th out of 69 schools (88th percentile) — top-12% results in the entire state. Special education students also perform well, ranking in the 85th percentile. The school has also made dramatic strides in attendance: chronic absenteeism has dropped from 20.6% in 2021-2022 to just 8.1% in 2025-2026, now matching the district average and roughly half the statewide rate. Student-teacher ratios are favorable at 11.0, and per-pupil spending ($17,621) is higher than several nearby schools.

McKinley's main challenge is an upper-grade gap. Third graders score right at district average in both ELA and math, but by 5th grade, proficiency trails the Fairfield district by 16-20 percentage points. That said, the school is clearly trending upward, with substantial gains in most subjects over the past several years. The contrast with nearby Bridgeport schools is striking: McKinley sits less than two miles from schools like Geraldine Claytor Magnet Academy and Cesar Batalla School, where proficiency rates are in the single digits to low 20s, while McKinley's 5th grade ELA proficiency is 62%. In short, McKinley is an improving school that delivers exceptional outcomes for its high-need students, and its biggest opportunity lies in sustaining those gains across all grades.

470

Students ?

11.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$22,156

Per pupil spending ?

52.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

60 Thompson St.
Fairfield, CT 06825

(203) 255-8318

District: Fairfield School District

Students who attend McKinley School usually attend:

Middle:	Tomlinson Middle School
High:	Fairfield Warde High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

43.6%

Hispanic:

33.0%

Asian:

10.4%

See top rated Connecticut elementary schools

Compare McKinley School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 46th percentile in 2016 → 64th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Connecticut average (64% vs 51% meeting standards)

✓Ranking is trending up — up 18 percentile points since 2016

✓Above the Connecticut median (64th percentile)

Worth a look

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

!Near the bottom of Fairfield School District's ranking

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school64%

District avg76%

Connecticut avg51%

177^th of 492

Connecticut public elementary schools ?

Top 36%▲ up 18 pts since 2016

From bottom 46% (2016) to top 36% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Connecticut Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

11^th of 11Elementary Schools in the Fairfield School District

21^st of 153Fairfield 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	70.2	177 of 492	64.0%	★★★☆☆
2025	59.7	216 of 493	56.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	55.0	226 of 497	54.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	56.2	224 of 491	54.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	46.0	264 of 490	46.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	61.4	222 of 538	58.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	65.9	204 of 522	60.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	63.7	215 of 532	59.6%	★★★☆☆
2017	59.7	223 of 519	57.0%	★★★☆☆
2016	47.1	278 of 518	46.3%	★★☆☆☆
2015	52.1	289 of 551	47.5%	★★☆☆☆
2013	63.0	280 of 557	49.7%	★★★☆☆
2012	45.9	391 of 564	30.7%	★★☆☆☆
2011	61.6	285 of 565	49.6%	★★★☆☆
2010	43.8	410 of 579	29.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	56.8	331 of 566	41.5%	★★☆☆☆
2008	61.7	294 of 565	48.0%	★★☆☆☆
2007	59.3	305 of 568	46.3%	★★☆☆☆
2006	47.7	372 of 570	34.7%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Connecticut percentile	Rating
2026	62.8	116 of 228	49.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	48.4	139 of 232	40.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	42.3	145 of 237	38.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	43.6	143 of 230	37.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	57.9	199 of 455	56.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	61.2	110 of 242	54.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	46.7	156 of 259	39.8%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Connecticut percentile	Rating
2026	86.4	11 of 130	91.5%	★★★★★
2021	85.1	12 of 173	93.1%	★★★★★
2019	94.4	3 of 112	97.3%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Connecticut percentile	Rating
2026	86.3	8 of 70	88.6%	★★★★☆
2025	69.3	22 of 77	71.4%	★★★★☆
2024	56.5	23 of 70	67.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	84.8	26 of 302	91.4%	★★★★★
2019	74.8	12 of 60	80.0%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Connecticut percentile	Rating
2026	56.7	127 of 234	45.7%	★★☆☆☆
2025	45.7	149 of 239	37.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	40.0	154 of 233	33.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	52.7	135 of 231	41.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	34.8	159 of 232	31.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	56.0	192 of 445	56.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	58.8	130 of 247	47.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	63.8	124 of 262	52.7%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Connecticut percentile	Rating
2021	79.8	54 of 371	85.4%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Connecticut percentile	Rating
2026	54.8	132 of 246	46.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	63.0	100 of 248	59.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	35.6	194 of 262	26.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	37.6	220 of 327	32.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	50.1	176 of 295	40.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	32.4	224 of 296	24.3%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Hispanic (2026)92nd percentile+28 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)89th percentile+25 vs school

Special Education (2021)85th percentile+27 vs school

Female (2026)49th percentile-15 vs school

White (2026)46th percentile-18 vs school

Male (2026)46th percentile-18 vs school

By subject vs Connecticut (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts66%+15 vs state

Mathematics65%+14 vs state

Science59%+6 vs state

5.0

2 ratings · 2 written reviews

5★2

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Friday, February 19, 2016

This goes to show you that numbers and rankings are a flawed measure of a school's quality. The reason it lags behind others in the district and statewide is that it's a very multicultural school with kids growing up in households where English is a second language. It's the only school in Fairfield with a non-white majority. So naturally those students are going to lag behind in their reading/writing skills. But the reality is, it's a great school. There is constant communications between the teachers and parents, there is tons of support for students' needs and I am constantly surprised by how much my child is learning and how advanced her reading and writing have become. So the bottom line is, the numbers reflect the students' level of achievement and not the quality of the teachers or education. Close Quote

by a parent
Wednesday, February 10, 2016

I am so surprise to see the ratings for this school. My son has been attending this school since he was in 1st grade and this year will be his last year since McKinley only goes up until 5th grade. Prior to that he attended Saint Teresa in Trumbull. There’s so many great things about this school! Great principal, teachers, and staff. My son and I have built great relationships with students and their parents. I absolutely love how all the parents are so involve with day to day activities within the school. My son has built relationships with tons of children from different cultures and ethnicity. I absolutely love how McKinley embraces and celebrates all cultures with their wonderful “World Fair”. Unfortunately this will be his last year but it was an awesome and productive (Band, choir, fairs, etc) 4 years at McKinley. Close Quote

Schools Near McKinley 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 3rd 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 3rd Grade	SBAC Mathematics 4th Grade	SBAC Mathematics 5th Grade	SBAC Mathematics 6th Grade	SBAC Mathematics 7th Grade	SBAC Mathematics 8th Grade	Total
McKinley School	Public	K-5	60 Thompson St.	Fairfield	06825	Greater Bridgeport Planning Region	Fairfield School District	No	No	No	Yes	(203) 255-8318	470	43	11.0	52.6%	205 (43.6%)	40 (8.5%)	155 (33.0%)	49 (10.4%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	19 (4.0%)	70.2	177^th of 492 public elementary schools	64.0%		59.7	216^th of 493 public elementary schools	56.2%	39	58.6		74.1	61.6	62.1				76.5	66.2	51.7				$22,156
Holland Hill School	Public	PK, KG-5	105 Meadowcroft Road	Fairfield	06824	Greater Bridgeport Planning Region	Fairfield School District	No	No	No	Yes	(203) 255-8314	385	31	12.5	27.0%	227 (59.0%)	15 (3.9%)	80 (20.8%)	30 (7.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (8.6%)	79.6	110^th of 492 public elementary schools	77.6%		80.9	101^st of 493 public elementary schools	79.5%	9	513.0		63.2	70.0	76.9				69.7	70.0	73.8				$20,944
Jennings School	Public	K-5	31 Palm Dr.	Fairfield	06824	Greater Bridgeport Planning Region	Fairfield School District	No	No	No	No	(203) 255-8316	280	26	10.7	15.0%	197 (70.4%)	4 (1.4%)	34 (12.1%)	22 (7.9%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (7.9%)	90.3	36^th of 492 public elementary schools	92.7%		91.1	25^th of 493 public elementary schools	94.9%	11	91.3		77.5	2545.0	91.3				75.0	77.3	2593.0				$27,122
Osborn Hill School	Public	K-5	760 Stillson Rd.	Fairfield	06824	Greater Bridgeport Planning Region	Fairfield School District	No	No	No	No	(203) 255-8340	446	33	13.5	5.6%	340 (76.2%)	5 (1.1%)	44 (9.9%)	18 (4.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	39 (8.7%)	91.1	28^th of 492 public elementary schools	94.3%		86.6	54^th of 493 public elementary schools	89.0%	26	81.2		75.0	85.4	87.0				76.5	85.4	82.6				$21,382
Stratfield School	Public	PK, KG-5	1407 Melville Ave.	Fairfield	06825	Greater Bridgeport Planning Region	Fairfield School District	No	No	No	No	(203) 255-8332	326	28	11.5	11.3%	244 (74.8%)	9 (2.8%)	44 (13.5%)	9 (2.8%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (5.8%)	81.9	96^th of 492 public elementary schools	80.5%		73	157^th of 493 public elementary schools	68.2%	61	80.4		68.3	71.4	78.6				68.3	71.4	67.9				$23,516
Bryant School	Public	PK, KG-6	230 Poplar St.	Bridgeport	06605	Greater Bridgeport Planning Region	Bridgeport School District	No	No	No	Yes	(203) 576-7303	317	26	12.1	93.1%	15 (4.7%)	86 (27.1%)	202 (63.7%)	2 (0.6%)	3 (0.9%)	1 (0.3%)	8 (2.5%)								(n/a)	466.0		0.0	2362.0	2395.0	2437.0			2337.0	2378.0	2415.0	2431.0			$19,268
Classical Studies Academy	Public	PK, KG-8	240 Linwood Ave.	Bridgeport	06604	Greater Bridgeport Planning Region	Bridgeport School District	No	No	No	Yes	(203) 576-7188	351	25	14.0	91.5%	17 (4.8%)	163 (46.4%)	145 (41.3%)	7 (2.0%)	3 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (4.6%)	9.1	440^th of 492 public elementary schools	10.6%		9.5	437^th of 493 public elementary schools	11.4%	3	19.4	16.7	15.0	23.5	29.0	2515.0	26.5	2506.0	2347.0	26.5	2444.0	2523.0	17.6	2459.0	$18,346
Geraldine Claytor Magnet Academy	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-8	240 Ocean Terrace	Bridgeport	06605	Greater Bridgeport Planning Region	Bridgeport School District	No	Yes	No	Yes	(203) 275-1285	450	29	15.5	93.6%	24 (5.3%)	165 (36.7%)	245 (54.4%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (2.9%)	7.1	458^th of 492 public elementary schools	6.9%		7.6	460^th of 493 public elementary schools	6.7%	2	15.9	14.3	2320.0	2356.0	15.9	21.4	14.9	19.0	2346.0	2361.0	2443.0	16.7	2513.0	21.4	$15,507
Cesar Batalla School	Public	PK, KG-8	606 Howard Ave.	Bridgeport	06605	Greater Bridgeport Planning Region	Bridgeport School District	No	No	No	Yes	(203) 579-8501	990	65	15.2	91.3%	44 (4.4%)	181 (18.3%)	733 (74.0%)	14 (1.4%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	16 (1.6%)	3.3	490^th of 492 public elementary schools	0.4%		3.6	492^nd of 493 public elementary schools	0.2%	2	12.6	14.2	2308.0	2337.0	9.0	9.6	10.7	12.2	2345.0	2363.0	8.0	6.3	6.7	9.2	$16,345
Black Rock School	Public	PK, KG-8	545 Brewster St.	Bridgeport	06605	Greater Bridgeport Planning Region	Bridgeport School District	No	No	No	Yes	(203) 576-7500	439	30	14.8	79.7%	98 (22.3%)	73 (16.6%)	263 (59.9%)	4 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	21.5	367^th of 492 public elementary schools	25.4%		13.5	409^th of 493 public elementary schools	17.0%	42	24.2	794.0	2377.0	41.9	2434.0	27.9	33.3	2546.0	2397.0	2461.0	2444.0	30.2	2487.0	2526.0	$17,943

Frequently Asked Questions about McKinley School

What district is McKinley School in?

Fairfield School District

Is McKinley School a good school?

McKinley School ranks 177^th of 492 Connecticut elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of McKinley School attend?

Students who attend McKinley School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Tomlinson Middle School
High : Fairfield Warde High School

How many students attend McKinley School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 470 students attended McKinley School.

What is the racial makeup of McKinley School?

Students at McKinley School are 44% White, 33% Hispanic, 10% Asian, 9% African American, 4% Two or more races.

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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.