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Bennie Dover Jackson Middle School

Public Grades 5-8

242^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 258 Connecticut Middle Schools

Better than 6% of Connecticut middle schools

Summary

Bennie Dover Jackson Middle School in New London, CT serves 343 students in grades 5–8 and is part of the New London School District, which ranks in the bottom 1% of Connecticut districts. The school itself ranks 242nd out of 258 Connecticut middle schools (6th percentile) with zero stars for 2025–2026, and has remained in the low single digits to low teens percentile over the past decade. Nearly all students (94–97%) qualify for free or reduced lunch, making concentrated poverty a defining characteristic of the school community.

Academic proficiency at Bennie Dover is far below district and state averages. For 2025–2026, just 9.6% of 6th graders and 14.3% of 8th graders are proficient in ELA, while math proficiency ranges from 5.9% to 8.8% and 8th-grade science proficiency sits at 24.4%. The contrast with nearby schools is stark: Clark Lane Middle School, just over a mile away in Waterford, posts 64.7% 6th-grade ELA proficiency, and Groton Middle School, with 80.8% free/reduced lunch eligibility, posts ELA proficiency roughly 3–5 times higher. Chronic absenteeism stands at 29.0%, the highest among all nearby schools and nearly double the state rate of 16.4%.

Several other findings stand out. The Science and Technology Magnet Pathway for Middle Grades, located on essentially the same campus and in the same district, posts much higher proficiency rates and a lower chronic absenteeism rate (18.8% vs. 29.0%). Bennie Dover has a notably low student–teacher ratio of 7.2, yet outcomes remain the lowest in the comparison group. There are, however, some positive trends: chronic absenteeism has dropped from 46.8% in 2021–2022, and 8th-grade science proficiency has more than doubled since 2023–2024. English Learner and special education students have also earned 3-star ratings in certain recent years, suggesting targeted supports can make a difference.

343

Students ?

7.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$24,593

Per pupil spending ?

94.2%

Free/discounted lunch ?

36 Waller St.
New London, CT 06320

(860) 437-6480

District: New London School District

Students who attend Bennie Dover Jackson Middle School usually attend:

High:	New London High School
	New London Visual and Performing Arts Magnet Pathway
	Science and Technology Magnet Pathway for High School Grades

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

65.0%

African American:

18.1%

Two or more races:

8.2%

See top rated Connecticut middle schools

Compare Bennie Dover Jackson Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 10th percentile in 2016 → 6th in 2026

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 7 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Connecticut average (13% vs 48% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (6th percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (29% vs 16% Connecticut)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school13%

District avg18%

Connecticut avg48%

242^nd of 258

Connecticut public middle schools ?

Bottom 6%▼ down 4 pts since 2016

From bottom 10% (2016) to bottom 6% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Connecticut Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 2Middle Schools in the New London School District

151^st of 153New London 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	7.2	242 of 258	6.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	6.6	239 of 252	5.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	4.7	246 of 250	1.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	6.6	235 of 249	5.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	5.6	241 of 250	3.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	6.8	261 of 275	5.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	6.9	239 of 259	7.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	8.5	225 of 249	9.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	7.4	226 of 250	9.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	7.0	222 of 246	9.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	12.9	237 of 280	15.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	18.7	234 of 278	15.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	13.1	234 of 272	14.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	14.1	228 of 269	15.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	13.9	226 of 268	15.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	10.2	220 of 255	13.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	5.1	231 of 252	8.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2007	6.2	225 of 250	10.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	7.0	224 of 248	9.7%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Connecticut percentile	Rating
2022	24.7	11 of 26	57.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	28.7	34 of 34	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	22.5	7 of 15	53.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	9.7	6 of 16	62.5%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Connecticut percentile	Rating
2025	3.0	162 of 164	1.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	3.9	157 of 160	1.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	4.2	229 of 235	2.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	3.5	160 of 169	5.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	3.6	156 of 160	2.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Connecticut percentile	Rating
2026	14.6	108 of 112	3.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	9.8	101 of 104	2.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	12.0	95 of 99	4.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	7.3	93 of 97	4.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	9.7	141 of 146	3.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	16.1	89 of 97	8.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	21.2	66 of 75	12.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Connecticut percentile	Rating
2021	11.0	200 of 218	8.3%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Connecticut percentile	Rating
2025	4.1	160 of 162	1.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	6.7	210 of 224	6.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	5.8	164 of 167	1.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	5.7	156 of 164	4.9%	☆☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Connecticut percentile	Rating
2022	24.4	18 of 36	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	10.5	225 of 244	7.8%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)58th percentile+54 vs school

Special Education (2022)50th percentile+46 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2021)8th percentile+3 vs school

Hispanic (2026)4th percentile-3 vs school

Male (2025)1st percentile-4 vs school

Female (2025)1st percentile-4 vs school

By subject vs Connecticut (2025-2026) ?

Science24%-27 vs state

English Language Arts12%-39 vs state

Mathematics7%-36 vs state

★

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Schools Near Bennie Dover Jackson 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 5th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 6th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 7th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 8th Grade	SBAC Mathematics 5th Grade	SBAC Mathematics 6th Grade	SBAC Mathematics 7th Grade	SBAC Mathematics 8th Grade	Total
Bennie Dover Jackson Middle School	Public	5-8	36 Waller St.	New London	06320	Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region	New London School District	No	No	No	Yes	(860) 437-6480	343	47	7.2	94.2%	22 (6.4%)	62 (18.1%)	223 (65.0%)	4 (1.2%)	2 (0.6%)	2 (0.6%)	28 (8.2%)	7.2	242^nd of 258 public middle schools	6.2%		6.6	239^th of 252 public middle schools	5.2%	3		24.4		9.6		14.3			8.8	5.9	$24,593
Science and Technology Magnet Pathway for Middle Grades	Public, Magnet	5-8	36 Waller Avenue	New London	06320	Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region	New London School District	No	Yes	No	No	(860) 437-6480	133	7	19.2	82.7%	18 (13.5%)	24 (18.0%)	62 (46.6%)	4 (3.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (18.0%)	13.8	212^th of 258 public middle schools	17.8%		15.5	200^th of 252 public middle schools	20.6%	12				32.8				15.6	14.3		$24,593
Interdistrict School For Arts And Communication	Public, Charter	4-8	190 Governor Winthrop Blvd.	New London	06320	Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region	Interdistrict School for Arts and Community District	Yes	No	No	Yes	(860) 447-1003	328	28	11.7	68.3%	42 (12.8%)	51 (15.5%)	191 (58.2%)	4 (1.2%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (11.0%)	46	133^rd of 258 public middle schools	48.4%		39.1	142^nd of 252 public middle schools	43.7%	9			57.7	51.2	53.5			48.8	33.7	30.0	$18,268
Clark Lane Middle School	Public	6-8	105 Clark Ln.	Waterford	06385	Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region	Waterford School District	No	No	No	Yes	(860) 443-2837	529	47	11.3	33.8%	377 (71.3%)	13 (2.5%)	83 (15.7%)	22 (4.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (6.4%)	77.4	59^th of 258 public middle schools	77.1%		62.2	95^th of 252 public middle schools	62.3%	36		62.8		64.7	64.0	65.1		53.3	70.3	62.8	$25,846
Groton Middle School	Public	6-8	35 Groton Long Point Road	Groton	06340	Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region	Groton School District	No	No	No	Yes	(860) 446-4200	884	76	11.7	80.8%	418 (47.3%)	63 (7.1%)	248 (28.1%)	44 (5.0%)	5 (0.6%)	3 (0.3%)	101 (11.4%)	46.5	129^th of 258 public middle schools	50.0%		38.6	144^th of 252 public middle schools	42.9%	15		45.0		48.9	53.4	49.1		40.1	44.0	31.7	$21,487
East Lyme Middle School	Public	5-8	31 Society Rd.	Niantic	06357	Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region	East Lyme School District	No	No	No	Yes	(860) 739-4491	716	61	11.6	27.7%	504 (70.4%)	16 (2.2%)	87 (12.2%)	65 (9.1%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (5.9%)	75.1	65^th of 258 public middle schools	74.8%		79.3	53^rd of 252 public middle schools	79.0%	12	67.7	68.8	70.3	54.5	67.5	70.2	62.2	54.3	62.5	56.3	$22,264
Ledyard Middle School	Public	6-8	1860 Route 12	Gales Ferry	06335	Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region	Ledyard School District	No	No	No	Yes	(860) 464-3188	535	45	12.0	28.6%	358 (66.9%)	16 (3.0%)	86 (16.1%)	15 (2.8%)	7 (1.3%)	1 (0.2%)	52 (9.7%)	43.6	138^th of 258 public middle schools	46.5%		44.6	132^nd of 252 public middle schools	47.6%	6		57.4		47.6	35.4	48.4		33.9	34.1	42.6	$18,170
Leonard J. Tyl Middle School	Public	6-8	166 Chesterfield Rd.	Oakdale	06370	Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region	Montville School District	No	No	No	No	(860) 848-2822	519	45	11.5	46.4%	292 (56.3%)	34 (6.6%)	87 (16.8%)	32 (6.2%)	5 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	69 (13.3%)	46.1	132^nd of 258 public middle schools	48.8%		45.1	131^st of 252 public middle schools	48.0%	1		55.9		52.5	46.4	45.4		48.4	28.6	37.5	$20,797
Preston Plains School	Public	6-8	1 Route 164	Preston	06365	Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region	Preston School District	No	No	No	Yes	(860) 889-3831	141	12	11.9	32.6%	109 (77.3%)	5 (3.5%)	16 (11.3%)	5 (3.5%)	1 (0.7%)	1 (0.7%)	4 (2.8%)	50.3	121^st of 258 public middle schools	53.1%		51.5	118^th of 252 public middle schools	53.2%	3					46.0			31.7	46.0	53.8	$29,544
Lyme-Old Lyme Middle School	Public	6-8	53 Lyme St.	Old Lyme	06371	Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region	Regional School District 18	No	No	No	Yes	(860) 434-2568	271	27	10.0	18.5%	233 (86.0%)	1 (0.4%)	18 (6.6%)	8 (3.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (4.1%)	85.2	35^th of 258 public middle schools	86.4%		85.8	27^th of 252 public middle schools	89.3%	8		85.1		71.4	61.2	74.5		63.5	62.4	76.6	$27,138

Frequently Asked Questions about Bennie Dover Jackson Middle School

Is Bennie Dover Jackson Middle School a good school?

Bennie Dover Jackson Middle School ranks in the bottom 6.2% of Connecticut middle schools.

What district is Bennie Dover Jackson Middle School in?

New London School District

How many students attend Bennie Dover Jackson Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 343 students attended Bennie Dover Jackson Middle School.

What is the racial makeup of Bennie Dover Jackson Middle School?

Students at Bennie Dover Jackson Middle School are 65% Hispanic, 18% African American, 8% Two or more races, 6% White, 1% Asian.

What high school do graduates of Bennie Dover Jackson Middle School attend?

Students who attend Bennie Dover Jackson Middle School usually go on to attend New London High 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.