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Thames River Magnet School

Q: Is Thames River Magnet School a good school?

Thames River Magnet School ranks 247 th of 492 Connecticut elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public, Magnet Grades PK, KG-5

247^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 492 Connecticut Elementary Schools

Better than 50% of Connecticut elementary schools

Summary

Thames River Magnet School is a PK–5 elementary school in Groton, CT, serving 501 students and ranking solidly in the middle of Connecticut elementary schools despite sitting within the Groton School District, which ranks 105th out of 153 districts statewide. Over the past decade, the school has climbed from the 35th percentile to the 50th percentile in statewide rankings, and it now posts proficiency rates that meet or beat state averages across several grades and subjects. This is especially noteworthy given that roughly 74% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, up from about 49% just two years earlier.

The school's greatest strength is its work with economically disadvantaged students; it ranks 16th out of 77 schools statewide for low-income student outcomes. Fifth grade is a particular bright spot, with ELA proficiency at 61.2% in 2025–2026 versus 53.5% statewide, and math at 53.7% versus 45.8%. Thames River also outperforms nearby magnet schools by wide margins, including Mystic River Magnet School, Winthrop STEM Elementary Magnet School, and Nathan Hale Arts Magnet School.

There is room for growth. Fourth grade is the school's weakest grade, with both ELA and math slightly below state averages. Chronic absenteeism has improved dramatically from 24.6% to 15.1%, but still trails schools like Catherine Kolnaski Magnet School (9.8%) and Quaker Hill Elementary School (5.7%). With a student-teacher ratio of 12.2 and lower per-student spending than Waterford School District schools, Thames River delivers strong results with modest resources—a positive signal for families weighing their options.

501

Students ?

12.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$22,566

Per pupil spending ?

74.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

250 Brandegee Avenue
Groton, CT 06340

(860) 980-8230

District: Groton School District

Students who attend Thames River Magnet School usually attend:

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

Racial breakdown:

White:

39.9%

Hispanic:

25.3%

Two or more races:

16.2%

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Compare Thames River Magnet School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 50th percentile in 2016 → 50th in 2026

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school53%

District avg52%

Connecticut avg51%

247^th of 492

Connecticut public elementary schools ?

Top 50%▬ steady since 2016

See the entire ranking list of Connecticut Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd 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	53.0	247 of 492	49.8%	★★★☆☆
2025	51.5	247 of 493	49.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	52.9	238 of 497	52.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	50.2	239 of 491	51.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	49.3	252 of 490	48.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	69.0	181 of 538	66.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	48.2	270 of 522	48.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	36.2	344 of 532	35.3%	★★☆☆☆
2017	43.0	297 of 519	42.8%	★★☆☆☆
2016	50.9	258 of 518	50.2%	★★★☆☆
2015	40.3	358 of 551	35.0%	★★☆☆☆
2013	46.9	366 of 557	34.3%	★★☆☆☆
2012	52.6	354 of 564	37.2%	★★☆☆☆
2011	56.2	326 of 565	42.3%	★★☆☆☆
2010	45.2	399 of 579	31.1%	★★☆☆☆
2009	49.6	377 of 566	33.4%	★★☆☆☆
2008	42.9	397 of 565	29.7%	★★☆☆☆
2007	66.0	263 of 568	53.7%	★★★☆☆
2006	58.4	311 of 570	45.4%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Connecticut percentile	Rating
2025	41.5	147 of 232	36.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	37.0	155 of 237	34.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	52.1	130 of 230	43.5%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Connecticut percentile	Rating
2025	82.9	16 of 77	79.2%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Connecticut percentile	Rating
2025	35.0	163 of 239	31.8%	★★☆☆☆

Military Connected

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Connecticut percentile	Rating
2021	65.0	1 of 3	66.7%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Connecticut percentile	Rating
2026	27.1	210 of 246	14.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	34.9	186 of 248	25.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	42.4	177 of 250	29.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	39.9	181 of 262	30.9%	★★☆☆☆

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)

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)79th percentile+29 vs school

Military Connected (2021)67th percentile~ school

Female (2025)37th percentile-13 vs school

Male (2025)32nd percentile-18 vs school

White (2026)15th percentile-35 vs school

By subject vs Connecticut (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts55%+4 vs state

Mathematics52%~ state avg

★

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Schools Near Thames River 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
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
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
Nathan Hale Arts Magnet School	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	37 Beech Drive	New London	06320	Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region	New London School District	No	Yes	No	Yes	(860) 447-6060	445	56	8.0	77.1%	69 (15.5%)	61 (13.7%)	242 (54.4%)	8 (1.8%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	63 (14.2%)	7.7	453^rd of 492 public elementary schools	7.9%		7	469^th of 493 public elementary schools	4.9%	16	31.4	18.5	17.7	27.5		14.8	2381.0	11.8		$25,644
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
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
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
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
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
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
Great Neck Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	165 Great Neck Rd.	Waterford	06385	Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region	Waterford School District	No	No	No	Yes	(860) 442-2593	309	30	10.2	29.1%	220 (71.2%)	4 (1.3%)	51 (16.5%)	5 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.0%)	26 (8.4%)	57	231^st of 492 public elementary schools	53.0%		65.8	199^th of 493 public elementary schools	59.6%	32	503.0		40.6	66.7			54.7	63.3		$25,350

Frequently Asked Questions about Thames River Magnet School

What schools do graduates of Thames River Magnet School attend?

Students who attend Thames River Magnet School usually go on to attend:

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

What district is Thames River Magnet School in?

Groton School District

What is the racial makeup of Thames River Magnet School?

Students at Thames River Magnet School are 40% White, 25% Hispanic, 16% Two or more races, 10% African American, 8% Asian.

Is Thames River Magnet School a good school?

Thames River Magnet School ranks 247^th of 492 Connecticut elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Thames River Magnet School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 501 students attended Thames River Magnet School.

Rate Thames River 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.