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Charles Barnum Magnet School

Q: Is Charles Barnum Magnet School a good school?

Charles Barnum Magnet School ranks 315 th of 492 Connecticut elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-5

315^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 492 Connecticut Elementary Schools

Better than 36% of Connecticut elementary schools

Summary

Charles Barnum Magnet School is a K–5 elementary school in Groton, Connecticut, serving 339 students in the Groton School District. The school currently ranks 315th out of 491 Connecticut elementary schools, placing it in the 36th percentile with a 2-star rating. About 51% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and the school maintains a favorable 11.7:1 student–teacher ratio with roughly $15,600 in per-pupil spending. That mid-pack ranking marks a significant fall from 2015–2016, when Charles Barnum sat in the 76th percentile statewide; the school has now declined for three consecutive years.

Academically, Charles Barnum is in the lower tier of nearby elementary schools. In 2025–2026, just 32.8% of 4th graders scored proficient in ELA — the lowest among Groton School District schools with reported data — compared to 49.2% in the district and 50.9% statewide. Third grade ELA is similarly weak at 29.3% proficiency. Nearby magnet schools achieve more with similar or higher poverty rates. Catherine Kolnaski Magnet School serves an 80% free- and reduced-price lunch population yet outperforms Barnum in nearly every subject, including 4th grade ELA (56.1% vs. 32.8%). Thames River Magnet School also ranks higher, and Northeast Academy Magnet School beats Barnum in every grade and subject. The bright spot is 5th grade science, where 59.4% of Barnum students scored proficient, above the state's 52.2%.

The school's biggest success story is attendance: chronic absenteeism dropped from 17.2% to 9.4%, far better than the Groton School District (16.5%) and the state (16.4%). Barnum has also shown strengths with special education students (81st percentile) and low-income students (91st percentile). However, male students currently rank in just the 20th percentile statewide, and the school is not performing as well as its poverty profile would predict — Mystic River Magnet School, with a much higher poverty rate, posts a higher 4th grade ELA score. With improved attendance, a low student–teacher ratio, and a demonstrated capacity to support vulnerable populations, Charles Barnum Magnet School has a realistic path back to its former mid-tier ranking if it can close literacy gaps in 3rd and 4th grade and address the male-student achievement gap.

339

Students ?

11.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$22,716

Per pupil spending ?

51.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

68 Briar Hill Rd.
Groton, CT 06340

(860) 449-5640

District: Groton School District

Students who attend Charles Barnum Magnet School usually attend:

Middle:	Groton Middle School
High:	Robert E. Fitch High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

51.3%

Hispanic:

27.4%

Two or more races:

11.5%

See top rated Connecticut elementary schools

Compare Charles Barnum Magnet School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 76th percentile in 2016 → 36th in 2026

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 12 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Connecticut average (43% vs 51% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped — down 40 percentile points since 2016

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school43%

District avg52%

Connecticut avg51%

315^th of 492

Connecticut public elementary schools ?

Bottom 36%▼ down 40 pts since 2016

From top 24% (2016) to bottom 36% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Connecticut Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

4^th of 5Elementary Schools in the Groton School District

105^th of 153Groton 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	34.6	315 of 492	36.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	37.5	295 of 493	40.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	48.9	255 of 497	48.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	44.6	263 of 491	46.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	58.8	213 of 490	56.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	59.8	232 of 538	56.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	53.0	253 of 522	51.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	50.0	275 of 532	48.3%	★★☆☆☆
2017	46.7	280 of 519	46.1%	★★☆☆☆
2016	78.1	126 of 518	75.7%	★★★★☆
2015	75.2	165 of 551	70.1%	★★★★☆
2013	70.9	201 of 557	63.9%	★★★☆☆
2012	69.0	232 of 564	58.9%	★★★☆☆
2011	71.9	198 of 565	65.0%	★★★☆☆
2010	72.5	192 of 579	66.8%	★★★☆☆
2009	65.9	266 of 566	53.0%	★★★☆☆
2008	64.2	270 of 565	52.2%	★★★☆☆
2007	57.6	322 of 568	43.3%	★★☆☆☆
2006	51.6	355 of 570	37.7%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Connecticut percentile	Rating
2021	69.0	153 of 455	66.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	51.0	144 of 242	40.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	48.6	151 of 259	41.7%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Connecticut percentile	Rating
2025	54.8	32 of 77	58.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	83.9	28 of 302	90.7%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Connecticut percentile	Rating
2025	19.6	191 of 239	20.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	42.0	249 of 445	44.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	60.8	138 of 262	47.3%	★★☆☆☆

Military Connected

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Connecticut percentile	Rating
2021	63.4	2 of 3	33.3%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Connecticut percentile	Rating
2021	73.5	69 of 371	81.4%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Connecticut percentile	Rating
2024	44.3	172 of 250	31.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	31.9	201 of 252	20.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	34.1	233 of 327	28.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	31.5	229 of 295	22.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	23.9	248 of 296	16.2%	★☆☆☆☆

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)81st percentile+25 vs school

Female (2021)66th percentile+9 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)58th percentile+18 vs school

Military Connected (2021)33rd percentile-24 vs school

White (2024)31st percentile-17 vs school

Male (2025)20th percentile-20 vs school

By subject vs Connecticut (2025-2026) ?

Mathematics47%-3 vs state

English Language Arts41%-10 vs state

1.0

4 ratings · 2 written reviews

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1★4

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What people are saying

by a parent
Friday, May 12, 2017

BEWARE!!! The Principal lies and tries to ignore any parent complaints. He is beyond ignorant in the area of Special Needs Children, and enables a climate of bullying. Close Quote

by a parent
Wednesday, May 11, 2016

The front office staff are extremely unprofessional! I was absolutely appalled at the way they treated a kind young black mother in the office today. The principal should to teach them the value of compassion, respect and empathy. It should not matter the color of a persons skin, we are all human beings and should be treated as such. Close Quote

Schools Near Charles Barnum Magnet 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	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 Mathematics 3rd Grade	SBAC Mathematics 4th Grade	SBAC Mathematics 5th Grade	SBAC Mathematics 6th Grade	Total
Charles Barnum Magnet School	Public	K-5	68 Briar Hill Rd.	Groton	06340	Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region	Groton School District	No	No	No	No	(860) 449-5640	339	29	11.7	51.3%	174 (51.3%)	24 (7.1%)	93 (27.4%)	8 (2.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	39 (11.5%)	34.6	315^th of 492 public elementary schools	36.0%		37.5	295^th of 493 public elementary schools	40.2%	20	506.0	45.2	32.8	46.8		50.0	2464.0	44.7		$22,716
Winthrop STEM Elementary Magnet School	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	74 Grove Street	New London	06320	Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region	New London School District	No	Yes	No	Yes	(860) 447-6070	449	42	10.8	73.9%	74 (16.5%)	75 (16.7%)	243 (54.1%)	5 (1.1%)	4 (0.9%)	1 (0.2%)	47 (10.5%)	15.2	398^th of 492 public elementary schools	19.1%		22.8	355^th of 493 public elementary schools	28.0%	43	33.9	29.7	22.9	27.9		38.4	25.7	19.7		$23,813
Regional Multicultural Magnet School	Public, Magnet	1-6	1 Bulkeley Place	New London	06320	Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region	Learn	No	Yes	No	Yes	(860) 437-7775	469	35	13.5	70.6%	88 (18.8%)	43 (9.2%)	264 (56.3%)	6 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	68 (14.5%)	17.9	384^th of 492 public elementary schools	22.0%		21.8	363^rd of 493 public elementary schools	26.4%	21	31.7	26.6	36.5	41.3	38.3	29.1	24.3	20.6	25.5	$19,820
Catherine Kolnaski Magnet School	Public, Magnet	K-5	500 Poquonnock Rd.	Groton	06340	Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region	Groton School District	No	Yes	No	Yes	(860) 449-5608	375	31	11.9	80.3%	144 (38.4%)	18 (4.8%)	114 (30.4%)	30 (8.0%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	67 (17.9%)	54.6	242^nd of 492 public elementary schools	50.8%		53.5	242^nd of 493 public elementary schools	50.9%		66.1	50.9	56.1	50.0		58.2	54.4	46.4		$21,873
Quaker Hill Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	285 Bloomingdale Rd.	Quaker Hill	06375	Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region	Waterford School District	No	No	No	Yes	(860) 442-1095	331	30	10.9	38.4%	197 (59.5%)	15 (4.5%)	68 (20.5%)	30 (9.1%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.6%)	18 (5.4%)	67.9	188^th of 492 public elementary schools	61.8%		68	183^rd of 493 public elementary schools	62.9%	5	56.9	2462.0	2481.0	60.8		66.1	71.4	2522.0		$25,440
C.B. Jennings International Elementary Magnet	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	50 Mercer Street	New London	06320	Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region	New London School District	No	Yes	No	Yes	(860) 447-6050	406	43	9.4	91.6%	26 (6.4%)	81 (20.0%)	266 (65.5%)	3 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	28 (6.9%)	4.2	488^th of 492 public elementary schools	0.8%		4.6	486^th of 493 public elementary schools	1.4%	2	21.3	11.8	13.6	17.0		10.4	10.6	2394.0		$26,349
Thames River Magnet School	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	250 Brandegee Avenue	Groton	06340	Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region	Groton School District	No	Yes	No	No	(860) 980-8230	501	41	12.2	74.3%	200 (39.9%)	48 (9.6%)	127 (25.3%)	39 (7.8%)	5 (1.0%)	1 (0.2%)	81 (16.2%)	53	247^th of 492 public elementary schools	49.8%		51.5	247^th of 493 public elementary schools	49.9%		507.0	54.1	49.2	61.2		53.2	48.3	53.7		$22,566
Northeast Academy Magnet School	Public	PK, KG-5	115 Oslo Street	Mystic	06355	Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region	Groton School District	No	No	No	No	(860) 572-5852	392	31	12.5	36.7%	250 (63.8%)	10 (2.6%)	61 (15.6%)	15 (3.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	56 (14.3%)	69.9	178^th of 492 public elementary schools	63.8%		70.4	170^th of 493 public elementary schools	65.5%	8	77.8	57.1	58.3	68.3		55.4	61.7	68.3		$21,137
Mystic River Magnet School	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	160 Fishtown Rd	Mystic	06355	Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region	Groton School District	No	Yes	No	No	(860) 980-8300	520	44	11.9	81.3%	224 (43.1%)	38 (7.3%)	160 (30.8%)	35 (6.7%)	3 (0.6%)	2 (0.4%)	58 (11.2%)	34.6	316^th of 492 public elementary schools	35.8%		34.6	307^th of 493 public elementary schools	37.7%	9	47.8	37.5	50.7	41.8		43.1	45.1	34.3		$23,852
The Friendship School	Public, Magnet	PK-K	24 Rope Ferry Rd.	Waterford	06385	Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region	Learn	No	Yes	No	Yes	(860) 447-4049	460	26	17.6	66.7%	138 (30.0%)	50 (10.9%)	195 (42.4%)	11 (2.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	65 (14.1%)								(n/a)										$18,767

Frequently Asked Questions about Charles Barnum Magnet School

What district is Charles Barnum Magnet School in?

Groton School District

What schools do graduates of Charles Barnum Magnet School attend?

Students who attend Charles Barnum Magnet School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Groton Middle School
High : Robert E. Fitch High School

What is the racial makeup of Charles Barnum Magnet School?

Students at Charles Barnum Magnet School are 51% White, 27% Hispanic, 12% Two or more races, 7% African American, 2% Asian.

How many students attend Charles Barnum Magnet School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 339 students attended Charles Barnum Magnet School.

Is Charles Barnum Magnet School a good school?

Charles Barnum Magnet School ranks 315^th of 492 Connecticut elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Rate Charles Barnum Magnet 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.