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Barack H. Obama Magnet University School

Public, Magnet Grades PK, KG-4

482^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 493 Connecticut Elementary Schools

Better than 2% of Connecticut elementary schools

Summary

Barack H. Obama Magnet University School is an elementary public magnet school located in New Haven, Connecticut, serving grades PK-4 with a total enrollment of 313 students. The school is part of the New Haven School District, which is ranked 147 out of 156 districts in the state and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger.

The school faces significant challenges, with consistently high chronic absenteeism rates ranging from 17.7% to 37.5% over the past few years, well above the state average and the rates of nearby magnet schools like Mauro-Sheridan Magnet School (17.7%) and Beecher School (17.7%). Academically, the school's performance, as measured by standardized test scores, is significantly below the state and district averages, with only 14.3% of 3rd-grade students proficient or better in English Language Arts and 16.7% of 4th-grade students proficient or better in math.

The school also serves a high percentage of economically disadvantaged students, with 69.09% to 81.47% of its students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, higher than the rates of nearby magnet schools. Despite the higher spending per student, ranging from $17,136 to $19,107, the school's performance has been declining over the years, suggesting that the magnet school model may not be effectively addressing the unique challenges faced by this student population. The combination of low test scores, high chronic absenteeism, and a high concentration of economically disadvantaged students indicates that the school may require targeted interventions and support to improve student outcomes.

343

Students ?

11.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$20,407

Per pupil spending ?

79.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

69 Farnham Ave
New Haven, CT 06515

(475) 220-4800

District: New Haven School District

Racial breakdown:

African American:

48.1%

Hispanic:

44.9%

Two or more races:

4.4%

See top rated Connecticut elementary schools

Compare Barack H. Obama Magnet University School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 7th percentile in 2015 → 2nd in 2025

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 12 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Connecticut average (16% vs 50% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (2nd percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (33% vs 17% Connecticut)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school16%

District avg19%

Connecticut avg50%

482^nd of 493

Connecticut public elementary schools ?

Bottom 2%▼ down 4 pts since 2015

From bottom 7% (2015) to bottom 2% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Connecticut Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

17^th of 18Elementary Schools in the New Haven School District

147^th of 156New Haven 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
2025	5.2	482 of 493	2.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	4.6	490 of 497	1.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	10.5	461 of 522	11.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	9.8	463 of 532	13.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	5.2	490 of 519	5.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	6.9	467 of 518	9.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	6.8	514 of 551	6.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

By subject vs Connecticut (2024-2025) ?

Mathematics17%-35 vs state

English Language Arts16%-33 vs state

1.0

1 rating · 1 written review

5★0

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3★0

2★0

1★1

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What people are saying

by a teacher
Thursday, September 9, 2021

I thought that the performance of a president was supposed to be independent of the performance of a school. Instead, this school is much lauded for doing nothing, mostly black, and not very good at its purported task. Based on how much was spent for this disaster, the people doing the budget went to a similar school and also failed to learn math. Therefore, as a good teacher, I recommend honorary university-level accreditation on the basis of diversity. Close Quote

Schools Near Barack H. Obama Magnet University School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				NGSS Science (2025)		SBAC English Language Arts (2025)						SBAC Mathematics (2025)						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	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	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
Barack H. Obama Magnet University School	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-4	69 Farnham Ave	New Haven	06515	South Central Connecticut Planning Region	New Haven School District	No	Yes	No	Yes	(475) 220-4800	343	29	11.8	79.3%	9 (2.6%)	165 (48.1%)	154 (44.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (4.4%)	5.2	482^nd of 493 public elementary schools	2.2%		4.6	490^th of 497 public elementary schools	1.4%	8			14.3	19.0						16.7					$20,407
Beecher School	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-8	100 Jewel Street	New Haven	06511	South Central Connecticut Planning Region	New Haven School District	No	Yes	No	No	(475) 220-3800	462	27	16.9	79.7%	34 (7.4%)	252 (54.5%)	137 (29.7%)	11 (2.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (5.8%)	15.3	402^nd of 493 public elementary schools	18.5%		15.5	393^rd of 497 public elementary schools	20.9%	9		25.6						30.2	12.5	20.5		34.1		16.3	$18,829
Elm City Montessori School	Public, Charter	PK, KG-8	495 Blake Street	New Haven	06515	South Central Connecticut Planning Region	Elm City Montessori School District	Yes	No	No	Yes	(475) 220-4100	312	20	15.6	43.9%	104 (33.3%)	82 (26.3%)	88 (28.2%)	7 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (9.6%)								(n/a)			40.0						29.4						$18,508
King/Robinson Magnet School	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-8	150 Fournier St.	New Haven	06511	South Central Connecticut Planning Region	New Haven School District	No	Yes	No	No	(475) 220-2700	412	34	12.1	80.1%	15 (3.6%)	228 (55.3%)	119 (28.9%)	28 (6.8%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (5.1%)								(n/a)		20.0			14.0	16.3	18.2	20.0							$21,722
Mauro-Sheridan Magnet School	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-8	191 Fountain St.	New Haven	06515	South Central Connecticut Planning Region	New Haven School District	No	Yes	No	No	(475) 220-2800	482	32	15.0	71.0%	56 (11.6%)	251 (52.1%)	129 (26.8%)	26 (5.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (3.9%)	40.5	275^th of 493 public elementary schools	44.2%		30.5	322^nd of 497 public elementary schools	35.2%	47		30.4	45.8	34.7	49.0	52.2			41.7	51.0	37.3	47.8	27.3	32.1	$20,325
Edgewood School	Public	K-8	737 Edgewood Ave.	New Haven	06515	South Central Connecticut Planning Region	New Haven School District	No	No	No	No	(475) 220-8000	397	27	14.9	59.9%	88 (22.2%)	171 (43.1%)	94 (23.7%)	15 (3.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (7.3%)	19.2	373^rd of 493 public elementary schools	24.3%		14.3	399^th of 497 public elementary schools	19.7%	26	40.7		29.8			26.8	38.6		34.0	25.0	25.9	22.0			$17,725
Brennan Rogers School	Public	PK, KG-8	200 Wilmot Rd.	New Haven	06515	South Central Connecticut Planning Region	New Haven School District	No	No	No	Yes	(475) 220-2200	203	19	10.6	93.1%	5 (2.5%)	111 (54.7%)	79 (38.9%)	1 (0.5%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (3.0%)								(n/a)								29.0							$25,827
Davis Academy for Arts & Design Innovation	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-8	35 Davis St.	New Haven	06515	South Central Connecticut Planning Region	New Haven School District	No	Yes	No	No	(475) 220-7800	489	31	15.6	63.2%	44 (9.0%)	279 (57.1%)	126 (25.8%)	6 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (7.0%)	14.6	406^th of 493 public elementary schools	17.6%		12.6	417^th of 497 public elementary schools	16.1%	11	25.5	19.1	16.7	34.0	27.7	45.8	31.3		12.5	30.0	14.9	18.8	20.8	14.9	$19,415
Lincoln-Bassett School	Public	PK, KG-6	130 Bassett St.	New Haven	06511	South Central Connecticut Planning Region	New Haven School District	No	No	No	Yes	(475) 220-8500	236	21	11.2	89.8%	9 (3.8%)	140 (59.3%)	79 (33.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (3.4%)								(n/a)	21.2			25.7											$20,581
Augusta Lewis Troup School	Public	PK, KG-8	259 Edgewood Ave.	New Haven	06511	South Central Connecticut Planning Region	New Haven School District	No	No	No	Yes	(475) 220-3000	300	31	9.6	87.7%	14 (4.7%)	140 (46.7%)	107 (35.7%)	13 (4.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (8.3%)								(n/a)							20.0		20.0						$20,161

Frequently Asked Questions about Barack H. Obama Magnet University School

What district is Barack H. Obama Magnet University School in?

New Haven School District

How many students attend Barack H. Obama Magnet University School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 343 students attended Barack H. Obama Magnet University School.

Is Barack H. Obama Magnet University School a good school?

Barack H. Obama Magnet University School ranks in the bottom 2.2% of Connecticut elementary schools.

What is the racial makeup of Barack H. Obama Magnet University School?

Students at Barack H. Obama Magnet University School are 48% African American, 45% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races, 3% White.

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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.