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McDonough Middle School

Public Grades 6-8
246th
SchoolDigger Rank ?
of 252 Connecticut Middle Schools
Better than 2% of Connecticut middle schools
Summary

McDonough Middle School is a public middle school in Hartford, Connecticut, serving 346 students in grades 6-8. The school is part of the Hartford School District, which is ranked 154 out of 156 districts in the state and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger.

McDonough Middle School has consistently ranked among the lowest-performing middle schools in Connecticut, with proficiency rates in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science that are significantly lower than state and district averages. For example, in 2024-2025, only 12.9% of 6th-grade students were proficient or better in ELA, compared to 50% statewide and 19.6% in the Hartford School District. The school's performance is particularly concerning in Mathematics, with only 7% of 6th-grade students and 9.8% of 7th-grade students reaching proficiency, compared to over 40% statewide. McDonough Middle School also struggles with high rates of chronic absenteeism, ranging from 17.7% to 45.8% over the past few years.

Interestingly, the nearby Milner Middle School, also part of the Hartford School District, has similar academic performance and ranking to McDonough Middle School, suggesting systemic challenges within the district. In contrast, the Renzulli Gifted and Talented Academy, a public magnet school in Hartford, has significantly higher academic performance, ranking among the top 7-12 middle schools in Connecticut. Nearby schools in other districts, such as Sedgwick Middle School in West Hartford and Silas Deane Middle School in Wethersfield, also significantly outperform McDonough Middle School, highlighting the disparities in educational opportunities within the Hartford region.

301
Students ?
12.0
Student/teacher ratio ?
$23,302
Per pupil spending ?
80.7%
Free/discounted lunch ?
 111 Hillside Avenue
       Hartford, CT  06106

(860) 695-4260

District: Hartford School District


Feeder schools for McDonough Middle School:

Elementary:    Burns Latino Studies Academy
    Kennelly School
    Montessori Magnet at Batchelder School
    Parkville Community School
    More...
Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
81.1%
African American:
10.0%
White:
6.3%
more
 See top rated Connecticut middle schools

 Compare McDonough Middle School to nearby middle schools!
At a glance
Ranking trend: Holding steady — 5th percentile in 2015 → 2nd in 2025
Strengths
Small classes — about 12 students per teacher
Worth a look
!Test scores below the Connecticut average (11% vs 48% meeting standards)
!In the lower quartile statewide (2nd percentile)
!High chronic absenteeism (36% vs 17% Connecticut)
Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?
This school11%
District avg19%
Connecticut avg48%
246th of 252
Connecticut public middle schools ?
Bottom 2%▼ down 3 pts since 2015
See the entire ranking list of Connecticut Middle Schools →
SchoolDigger rating ?
3rd of 5Middle Schools in the Hartford School District
154th of 156Hartford 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

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankConnecticut percentileRating
20255.1246 of 2522.4%☆☆☆☆☆
20243.8247 of 2501.2%☆☆☆☆☆
20234.1245 of 2491.6%☆☆☆☆☆
20223.7248 of 2500.8%☆☆☆☆☆
20215.2268 of 2752.5%☆☆☆☆☆
20194.6250 of 2593.5%☆☆☆☆☆
20181.9248 of 2490.4%☆☆☆☆☆
20173.2246 of 2501.6%☆☆☆☆☆
20162.4246 of 2460.0%☆☆☆☆☆
20156.9265 of 2805.4%☆☆☆☆☆
20130.8276 of 2780.7%☆☆☆☆☆
20120.6272 of 2720.0%☆☆☆☆☆
20111.1263 of 2692.2%☆☆☆☆☆
20104.9251 of 2686.3%☆☆☆☆☆
20092.3246 of 2553.5%☆☆☆☆☆
20089.8218 of 25213.5%★☆☆☆☆
20073.6232 of 2507.2%☆☆☆☆☆
200613.4206 of 24816.9%★☆☆☆☆

African American

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankConnecticut percentileRating
202127.264 of 8020.0%★☆☆☆☆

Disabled

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankConnecticut percentileRating
202114.6102 of 1041.9%☆☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankConnecticut percentileRating
202222.014 of 2646.2%★★★☆☆
202134.421 of 3438.2%★★☆☆☆
20199.815 of 150.0%☆☆☆☆☆
20187.69 of 1643.8%★★★☆☆

Female

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankConnecticut percentileRating
20213.4233 of 2350.9%☆☆☆☆☆
20191.8162 of 1694.1%☆☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankConnecticut percentileRating
202510.8103 of 1051.9%☆☆☆☆☆
20247.8102 of 1041.9%☆☆☆☆☆
20226.295 of 972.1%☆☆☆☆☆
20218.0144 of 1461.4%☆☆☆☆☆
201912.793 of 974.1%☆☆☆☆☆
20189.274 of 751.3%☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankConnecticut percentileRating
20217.2212 of 2182.8%☆☆☆☆☆

Male

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankConnecticut percentileRating
20214.6216 of 2243.6%☆☆☆☆☆

Special Education

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankConnecticut percentileRating
202413.722 of 220.0%☆☆☆☆☆
202218.635 of 362.8%☆☆☆☆☆
20216.5236 of 2443.3%☆☆☆☆☆
201917.523 of 258.0%★☆☆☆☆
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)
English Language Learner (2022)46th percentile+45 vs school
African American (2021)20th percentile+17 vs school
Male (2021)4th percentile~ school
Low Socio Economic Status (2021)3rd percentile~ school
Disabled (2021)2nd percentile~ school
Hispanic (2025)2nd percentile~ school
Female (2021)1st percentile~ school
Special Education (2024)<1st percentile~ school
By subject vs Connecticut (2024-2025) ?
Science12%-38 vs state
English Language Arts12%-39 vs state
Mathematics8%-35 vs state

5.0
1 rating · 1 written review
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What people are saying
by a citizen
Monday, June 21, 2021

Open Quote I was a student there in the 1960's. It was formerly called the Wilson Street School. You have much to be proud of. Close Quote





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Frequently Asked Questions about McDonough Middle School

Students at McDonough Middle School are 81% Hispanic, 10% African American, 6% White, 1% Two or more races.

In the 2024-25 school year, 301 students attended McDonough Middle School.

McDonough Middle School ranks in the bottom 2.4% of Connecticut middle schools.


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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.





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