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M. L. King Junior Middle School

Public Grades 6-8

251^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 258 Connecticut Middle Schools

Better than 3% of Connecticut middle schools

Summary

M. L. King Junior Middle School is a grades 6–8 middle school in Hartford, CT, serving 184 students within the Hartford School District, which ranks among the lowest-performing districts in Connecticut. The school serves a high-poverty population: about 82% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch, and chronic absenteeism reached 47% in 2025–2026—nearly three times the statewide rate of 16.4%. These challenges are reflected in the school's ranking near the bottom of Connecticut's middle schools (251st of 258).

Academically, proficiency rates on state tests fall far below both district and state averages. In 2025–2026, 8th grade math proficiency was just 9.5%, compared to 16.0% for the district and 41.9% statewide; 8th grade ELA proficiency was 12.2% versus 51.1% statewide. Nearby Betances STEM Magnet School posted 28.8% proficiency in 8th grade math and a much lower chronic absenteeism rate of 17.1%. The gap with West Hartford schools just a mile or two away is even wider: Bristow Middle School and King Philip Middle School achieve ELA proficiency of roughly 61–75% with chronic absenteeism around 10%.

There are some encouraging signs. In 2023–2024, outcomes for African American students improved dramatically, reaching the 55th percentile statewide after sitting at the 9th percentile the year before. English Language Learners also showed relative strength, ranking at the 26th percentile. Yet the school spends a relatively high $20,441 per student and has a favorable student-teacher ratio of 9.9, suggesting resources alone aren't translating into results. The most urgent priorities are improving attendance and instruction, but recent pockets of progress show that meaningful improvement is possible.

184

Students ?

9.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$30,717

Per pupil spending ?

82.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

25 Ridgefield Street
Hartford, CT 06112

(860) 695-3980

District: Hartford School District

Feeder schools for M. L. King Junior Middle School:

Elementary:	Rawson School
	West Middle School

Racial breakdown:

African American:

55.4%

Hispanic:

39.7%

Asian:

1.6%

See top rated Connecticut middle schools

Compare M. L. King Junior Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 18th percentile in 2013 → 3rd in 2026

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 10 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Connecticut average (12% vs 48% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (3rd percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (47% vs 16% Connecticut)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school12%

District avg22%

Connecticut avg48%

251^st of 258

Connecticut public middle schools ?

Bottom 3%▲ up 2 pts since 2017

See the entire ranking list of Connecticut Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd of 5Middle Schools in the Hartford School District

146^th of 153Hartford 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)

Elementary school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Connecticut percentile	Rating
2017	1.5	519 of 519	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	5.2	535 of 551	2.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	16.6	484 of 557	13.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	9.1	527 of 564	6.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	8.3	532 of 565	5.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2010	13.1	520 of 579	10.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	7.3	528 of 566	6.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2008	3.8	544 of 565	3.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2007	1.5	560 of 568	1.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2006	3.7	553 of 570	3.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Connecticut percentile	Rating
2026	6.0	251 of 258	2.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	4.3	249 of 252	1.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	8.5	227 of 250	9.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	7.3	232 of 249	6.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	5.9	240 of 250	4.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	8.0	255 of 275	7.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	5.5	247 of 259	4.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	2.0	249 of 250	0.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	12.4	239 of 280	14.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	21.2	229 of 278	17.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	20.9	218 of 272	19.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	6.9	245 of 269	8.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2010	20.1	215 of 268	19.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	10.8	218 of 255	14.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	1.1	248 of 252	1.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2007	3.1	237 of 250	5.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2006	3.6	236 of 248	4.8%	☆☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Connecticut percentile	Rating
2024	51.4	15 of 33	54.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	20.8	29 of 32	9.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	18.3	73 of 80	8.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	22.8	35 of 38	7.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Connecticut percentile	Rating
2021	13.5	103 of 104	1.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Connecticut percentile	Rating
2021	31.9	25 of 34	26.5%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Connecticut percentile	Rating
2021	6.9	218 of 235	7.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Connecticut percentile	Rating
2021	10.2	138 of 146	5.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Connecticut percentile	Rating
2021	11.3	199 of 218	8.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Connecticut percentile	Rating
2021	4.1	221 of 224	1.3%	☆☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Connecticut percentile	Rating
2021	11.4	222 of 244	9.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)

Middle school

African American (2024)55th percentile+45 vs school

English Language Learner (2021)26th percentile+19 vs school

Special Education (2021)9th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2021)9th percentile~ school

Female (2021)7th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2021)5th percentile~ school

Male (2021)1st percentile-6 vs school

Disabled (2021)1st percentile-6 vs school

By subject vs Connecticut (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts14%-38 vs state

Mathematics10%-33 vs state

★

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Schools Near M. L. King Junior 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
M. L. King Junior Middle School	Public	6-8	25 Ridgefield Street	Hartford	06112	Capitol Planning Region	Hartford School District	No	No	No	Yes	(860) 695-3980	184	19	9.9	82.1%	2 (1.1%)	102 (55.4%)	73 (39.7%)	3 (1.6%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.6%)	6	251^st of 258 public middle schools	2.7%		4.3	249^th of 252 public middle schools	1.2%	2		767.0			2404.0	16.4	12.2			2368.0	11.1	9.5	$30,717
Renzulli Gifted and Talented Academy	Public	4-8	85 Woodland Street	Hartford	06105	Capitol Planning Region	Hartford School District	No	No	No	Yes	(860) 695-2140	128	10	13.4	57.0%	33 (25.8%)	43 (33.6%)	34 (26.6%)	10 (7.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (5.5%)								(n/a)	513.0	838.0		85.0		2650.0	2685.0		60.0		2681.0	2687.0	$19,539
Bristow Middle School	Public	6-8	34 Highland St.	West Hartford	06102	Capitol Planning Region	West Hartford School District	No	No	No	No	(860) 231-2100	326	28	11.4	31.0%	161 (49.4%)	28 (8.6%)	82 (25.2%)	32 (9.8%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (6.4%)	74.4	69^th of 258 public middle schools	73.3%		73	75^th of 252 public middle schools	70.2%	6		56.9			70.7	65.7	61.1			60.6	62.2	51.4	$23,590
Milner Middle School	Public	6-8	150 Tower Avenue	Hartford	06112	Capitol Planning Region	Hartford School District	No	No	No	Yes	(860) 695-4380	261	24	10.8	93.5%	4 (1.5%)	71 (27.2%)	178 (68.2%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	6 (2.3%)	4.7	256^th of 258 public middle schools	0.8%		5.4	245^th of 252 public middle schools	2.8%	11		760.0			12.3	10.8	6.7			10.8	12.7	2397.0	$27,922
King Philip Middle School	Public	6-8	100 King Philip Dr.	West Hartford	06117	Capitol Planning Region	West Hartford School District	No	No	No	No	(860) 233-8236	820	72	11.4	27.0%	415 (50.6%)	79 (9.6%)	168 (20.5%)	91 (11.1%)	2 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	62 (7.6%)	81.5	44^th of 258 public middle schools	82.9%		78.6	55^th of 252 public middle schools	78.2%	11		66.1			65.2	75.2	72.4			57.5	64.8	62.9	$22,222
McDonough Middle School	Public	6-8	111 Hillside Avenue	Hartford	06106	Capitol Planning Region	Hartford School District	No	No	No	Yes	(860) 695-4260	301	25	12.0	80.7%	19 (6.3%)	30 (10.0%)	244 (81.1%)	3 (1.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.3%)	6.5	245^th of 258 public middle schools	5.0%		5.1	246^th of 252 public middle schools	2.4%	1		18.6			18.3	13.6	18.4			7.4	9.7	6.9	$23,302
Carmen Arace Middle School	Public	7-8	390 Park Avenue	Bloomfield	06002	Capitol Planning Region	Bloomfield School District	No	No	No	Yes	(860) 286-2622	202	24	8.4	55.0%	5 (2.5%)	153 (75.7%)	28 (13.9%)	6 (3.0%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (4.5%)	21.4	186^th of 258 public middle schools	27.9%					(n/a)		786.0				32.5	38.5				23.7	20.8	$32,368
Carmen Arace Intermediate School	Public	5-6	390 Park Avenue	Bloomfield	06002	Capitol Planning Region	Bloomfield School District	No	No	No	No	(860) 286-2626	210	18	11.6	53.3%	6 (2.9%)	153 (72.9%)	34 (16.2%)	2 (1.0%)	1 (0.5%)	1 (0.5%)	13 (6.2%)								(n/a)	28.1			28.4	31.1				23.9	31.4			$29,417
Academy of Computer Science and Engineering Middle School	Public, Magnet	6-8	337 East River Dr.	East Hartford	06108	Capitol Planning Region	Capitol Region Education Council	No	Yes	No	Yes	(860) 290-5320	669	57	11.7	71.9%	64 (9.6%)	209 (31.2%)	328 (49.0%)	26 (3.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	41 (6.1%)	16.2	202^nd of 258 public middle schools	21.7%		17.1	197^th of 252 public middle schools	21.8%	5		25.3			32.5	29.7	31.9			23.1	18.3	11.8	$27,362
Betances STEM Magnet School	Public, Magnet	5-8	400 Wethersfield Avenue	Hartford	06114	Capitol Planning Region	Hartford School District	No	Yes	No	Yes	(860) 695-2970	206	16	12.8	73.3%	16 (7.8%)	38 (18.4%)	123 (59.7%)	17 (8.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (5.8%)	28.2	168^th of 258 public middle schools	34.9%		27	163^rd of 252 public middle schools	35.3%	5	23.4	791.0		21.7	32.0	2479.0	2542.0		2442.0	36.0	2476.0	28.8	$20,059

Frequently Asked Questions about M. L. King Junior Middle School

What district is M. L. King Junior Middle School in?

Hartford School District

How many students attend M. L. King Junior Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 184 students attended M. L. King Junior Middle School.

What is the racial makeup of M. L. King Junior Middle School?

Students at M. L. King Junior Middle School are 55% African American, 40% Hispanic, 2% Asian, 2% Two or more races, 1% White.

Is M. L. King Junior Middle School a good school?

M. L. King Junior Middle School ranks in the bottom 2.7% of Connecticut middle schools.

Rate M. L. King Junior Middle School!

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Latest Connecticut data All new data »

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

2025–26 NGSS, SAT & SBAC test scoresNewAug 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.