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Barack H. Obama Magnet University School

Public, Magnet Grades PK, KG-4

467^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 491 Connecticut Elementary Schools

Better than 5% of Connecticut elementary schools

Summary

Barack H. Obama Magnet University School serves 343 students in grades PK through 4 in New Haven, CT, within the New Haven School District — a district ranked 143 out of 153 in Connecticut — and the school itself has consistently ranked near the bottom of the state's elementary schools in recent years, placing 467th out of 491 (5th percentile) in 2025-26 after falling to the 1st percentile the previous year. The student body is economically disadvantaged, with 79.3% of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, and academic proficiency is low: in 2025-26, only 17% of 3rd graders met ELA proficiency and just 11.3% met math proficiency, compared to state averages around 47–52%.

The most striking finding is the comparison with Mauro-Sheridan Magnet School, located less than a mile away in the same district. Mauro-Sheridan serves a similar population (71% free/reduced lunch) but achieves far better results — 45.7% vs. 17% in 3rd-grade ELA and 52.2% vs. 11.3% in 3rd-grade math. Obama actually spends more per student ($19,107 vs. $16,857) and has a lower student-teacher ratio (11.8) than Mauro-Sheridan, yet those resource advantages have not translated into stronger outcomes. Helen Street School in nearby Hamden, with a similar student-teacher ratio, reached 64.5% proficiency on the same 3rd-grade math exam.

There is one notable bright spot: chronic absenteeism has improved dramatically, from 53.5% in 2021-22 to 30.7% in 2025-26, now roughly matching the district rate — though still nearly double the state rate of 16.4%. The school's PK-4 grade span is also unusual, as nearly all nearby schools, including King/Robinson Magnet School, Edgewood School, and Elm City Montessori School, serve through 8th grade. This means students leave after 4th grade, making long-term outcomes difficult to track. For parents, the data paints a picture of a well-funded school with improving attendance but significant, persistent challenges in foundational literacy and math that will require meaningful instructional changes to overcome.

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: Holding steady — 7th percentile in 2015 → 5th in 2026

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 12 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Connecticut average (17% vs 51% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (5th percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (31% vs 16% Connecticut)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school17%

District avg20%

Connecticut avg51%

467^th of 491

Connecticut public elementary schools ?

Bottom 5%▼ down 5 pts since 2016

From bottom 10% (2016) to bottom 5% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Connecticut Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

17^th of 20Elementary Schools in the New Haven School District

143^rd of 153New 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
2026	6.1	467 of 491	4.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
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 (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts18%-31 vs state

Mathematics16%-36 vs state

1.0

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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

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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 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%)	6.1	467^th of 491 public elementary schools	4.9%		5.2	482^nd of 493 public elementary schools	2.2%	15			17.0	19.2					11.3	21.2					$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%)	8.3	445^th of 491 public elementary schools	9.4%		15.3	402^nd of 493 public elementary schools	18.5%	43		15.7	18.8	16.0		26.9	34.8		20.8	14.0	12.2	21.2			$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)									20.7						$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)						21.1	17.1	24.4						14.6	$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%)	38.5	293^rd of 491 public elementary schools	40.3%		40.5	275^th of 493 public elementary schools	44.2%	18		20.5	45.7	30.8	49.1		50.0	31.1	52.2	38.5	35.8	58.0	30.4	20.5	$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%)	15.8	395^th of 491 public elementary schools	19.6%		19.2	373^rd of 493 public elementary schools	24.3%	22	26.4		36.2	34.7	24.5	34.6	26.7		31.9		15.1	21.2	17.8	20.0	$17,725
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%)	14.2	401^st of 491 public elementary schools	18.3%		14.6	406^th of 493 public elementary schools	17.6%	5	37.7	17.6	12.2	25.0	37.7	31.1			16.3	20.8	28.3		20.0	19.6	$19,415
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%)	7	457^th of 491 public elementary schools	6.9%					(n/a)	18.9	17.6	17.5	20.5			16.3			17.9					$20,161
Wexler/Grant - Lincoln/Bassett Community School	Public	PK, KG-8	130 Bassett St.	New Haven	06511	South Central Connecticut Planning Region	New Haven School District	No	No	No	Yes	(475) 220-8500	194	19	10.1	91.8%	2 (1.0%)	119 (61.3%)	62 (32.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (5.7%)	6.3	465^th of 491 public elementary schools	5.3%					(n/a)	28.6			14.0	20.0	12.0		25.0		14.0		12.0			$24,085
Barnard Environmental Magnet School	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-8	170 Derby Ave.	New Haven	06511	South Central Connecticut Planning Region	New Haven School District	No	Yes	No	Yes	(475) 220-3500	496	30	16.4	76.8%	50 (10.1%)	181 (36.5%)	156 (31.5%)	79 (15.9%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (5.4%)	5.5	474^th of 491 public elementary schools	3.5%		11.8	418^th of 493 public elementary schools	15.2%	56	16.7	19.6		16.7		15.2		23.9	19.5	14.6					$19,448

Frequently Asked Questions about Barack H. Obama Magnet University School

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.

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

New Haven School District

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

Barack H. Obama Magnet University School ranks in the bottom 4.9% 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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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.