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John Paterson School

Q: Is John Paterson School a good school?

John Paterson School ranks 227 th of 491 Connecticut elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-4

227^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 491 Connecticut Elementary Schools

Better than 54% of Connecticut elementary schools

Summary

John Paterson School is an elementary school in Newington, CT, serving 394 students in grades PK–4 as part of the Newington School District, which ranks in the middle tier of Connecticut districts. The school itself currently ranks 227th out of 491 Connecticut elementary schools (54th percentile, 3 stars) for 2025–2026, a solid improvement from last year's 256th-place finish. About 36% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, placing the school in a moderate-income position relative to its neighbors, and the school enjoys a favorable 11.7:1 student–teacher ratio and above-average spending of $18,967 per student.

Academically, John Paterson's biggest strength is its 3rd-grade performance, where 64.1% of students meet ELA proficiency and 60.3% meet math proficiency — comfortably above state averages. However, there is a noticeable drop by 4th grade, with ELA falling to 53.2% and math to 49.4%, below both district and state benchmarks. This 3rd-to-4th grade slump appears to be what holds the school back relative to its Newington peers: Elizabeth Green School ranks in the 61st percentile and Ruth Chaffee School in the 57th, while John Paterson sits at the 54th percentile.

The school has notable strengths beyond test scores. Chronic absenteeism is just 9.8%, far below the state average of 16.4% and the district's 13.0%, and it has improved each year since 2021–2022. John Paterson also has a strong record of serving students from historically disadvantaged groups, with high rankings in prior years for low-income and special education students. Compared with nearby New Britain School District schools, where 3rd-grade math proficiency often falls below 25%, John Paterson's 60.3% is dramatically higher. While it trails the higher-performing Highcrest School and West Hill School, John Paterson remains a stable, improving school whose next big opportunity is sustaining academic growth beyond 3rd grade.

394

Students ?

11.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$21,919

Per pupil spending ?

36%

Free/discounted lunch ?

120 Church Street
Newington, CT 06111

(860) 666-4657

District: Newington School District

Students who attend John Paterson School usually attend:

Middle:	John Wallace Middle School
High:	Newington High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

54.8%

Hispanic:

26.9%

Asian:

8.6%

See top rated Connecticut elementary schools

Compare John Paterson School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 66th percentile in 2016 → 54th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Connecticut average (57% vs 51% meeting standards)

✓Above the Connecticut median (54th percentile)

✓Small classes — about 12 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 12 percentile points since 2016

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

!Near the bottom of Newington School District's ranking

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school57%

District avg58%

Connecticut avg51%

227^th of 491

Connecticut public elementary schools ?

Top 46%▼ down 12 pts since 2016

From top 34% (2016) to top 46% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Connecticut Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd of 4Elementary Schools in the Newington School District

93^rd of 153Newington 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	58.1	227 of 491	53.8%	★★★☆☆
2025	46.8	256 of 493	48.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	46.6	262 of 497	47.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	49.0	244 of 491	50.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	54.5	230 of 490	53.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	73.8	162 of 538	69.9%	★★★★☆
2019	52.3	254 of 522	51.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	63.0	221 of 532	58.5%	★★★☆☆
2017	60.2	220 of 519	57.6%	★★★☆☆
2016	70.8	175 of 518	66.2%	★★★☆☆
2015	63.5	232 of 551	57.9%	★★★☆☆
2013	78.9	107 of 557	80.8%	★★★★☆
2012	74.5	164 of 564	70.9%	★★★★☆
2011	76.5	140 of 565	75.2%	★★★★☆
2010	75.8	152 of 579	73.7%	★★★★☆
2009	73.1	188 of 566	66.8%	★★★☆☆
2008	65.1	260 of 565	54.0%	★★★☆☆
2007	59.5	303 of 568	46.7%	★★☆☆☆
2006	64.2	274 of 570	51.9%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Connecticut percentile	Rating
2026	39.7	139 of 225	38.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	65.5	166 of 455	63.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	58.8	133 of 259	48.6%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Connecticut percentile	Rating
2023	64.8	25 of 108	76.9%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Connecticut percentile	Rating
2021	77.6	44 of 302	85.4%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Connecticut percentile	Rating
2026	50.0	139 of 232	40.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	24.6	173 of 231	25.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	69.5	144 of 445	67.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	61.6	134 of 262	48.9%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Connecticut percentile	Rating
2021	71.7	76 of 371	79.5%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Connecticut percentile	Rating
2026	51.0	151 of 246	38.6%	★★☆☆☆
2025	33.9	190 of 248	23.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	41.8	179 of 250	28.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	42.3	177 of 262	32.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	29.7	203 of 252	19.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	61.9	134 of 327	59.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	37.4	206 of 296	30.4%	★★☆☆☆

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)

Low Socio Economic Status (2021)85th percentile+16 vs school

Special Education (2021)80th percentile+10 vs school

Hispanic (2023)77th percentile+27 vs school

Male (2026)40th percentile-14 vs school

White (2026)39th percentile-15 vs school

Female (2026)38th percentile-16 vs school

By subject vs Connecticut (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts59%+10 vs state

Mathematics55%+3 vs state

★

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Schools Near John Paterson 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	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 Mathematics 3rd Grade	SBAC Mathematics 4th Grade	SBAC Mathematics 5th Grade	SBAC Mathematics 6th Grade	Total
John Paterson School	Public	PK, KG-4	120 Church Street	Newington	06111	Capitol Planning Region	Newington School District	No	No	No	No	(860) 666-4657	394	34	11.7	36.0%	216 (54.8%)	23 (5.8%)	106 (26.9%)	34 (8.6%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (3.6%)	58.1	227^th of 491 public elementary schools	53.8%		46.8	256^th of 493 public elementary schools	48.1%	29		64.1	53.2			60.3	49.4			$21,919
Chamberlain Elementary School	Public	K-5	221 Farmington Ave.	New Britain	06053	Capitol Planning Region	New Britain School District	No	No	No	Yes	(860) 832-5691	402	32	12.4	79.4%	40 (10.0%)	49 (12.2%)	285 (70.9%)	5 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (5.7%)	9.5	436^th of 491 public elementary schools	11.2%		4.6	484^th of 493 public elementary schools	1.8%	48	17.3	29.9	25.4	29.3		25.4	13.4	16.0		$21,263
Smith Elementary School	Public	K-5	142 Rutherford St.	New Britain	06051	Capitol Planning Region	New Britain School District	No	No	No	Yes	(860) 223-1574	461	36	12.9	80.3%	59 (12.8%)	48 (10.4%)	312 (67.7%)	9 (2.0%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (6.5%)	12.5	413^th of 491 public elementary schools	15.9%		9.6	435^th of 493 public elementary schools	11.8%	22	29.0		13.4	34.8		31.0	15.0	30.4		$19,603
Ruth Chaffee School	Public	PK, KG-4	160 Superior Avenue	Newington	06111	Capitol Planning Region	Newington School District	No	No	No	No	(860) 666-4687	317	25	12.8	30.9%	186 (58.7%)	15 (4.7%)	63 (19.9%)	37 (11.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (5.0%)	62.2	211^th of 491 public elementary schools	57.0%		60.7	211^th of 493 public elementary schools	57.2%			59.7	56.9			69.4	50.0			$22,504
Smalley Elementary School	Public	K-5	175 West St.	New Britain	06051	Capitol Planning Region	New Britain School District	No	No	No	Yes	(860) 225-8647	594	46	12.8	86.2%	39 (6.6%)	53 (8.9%)	467 (78.6%)	5 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	29 (4.9%)	5	477^th of 491 public elementary schools	2.9%		4.6	485^th of 493 public elementary schools	1.6%	8	21.4	15.7				13.1	11.0	7.1		$18,690
Northend Elementary School	Public	K-5	160 Bassett St.	New Britain	06051	Capitol Planning Region	New Britain School District	No	No	No	Yes	(860) 223-3819	212	19	11.2	79.2%	13 (6.1%)	37 (17.5%)	142 (67.0%)	6 (2.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (6.6%)	7.9	448^th of 491 public elementary schools	8.8%		8.6	450^th of 493 public elementary schools	8.7%	2		22.6	19.2			22.6	17.3	20.0		$21,949
Highcrest School	Public	PK, KG-6	95 Highcrest Rd.	Wethersfield	06109	Capitol Planning Region	Wethersfield School District	No	No	No	No	(860) 571-8380	429	30	14.3	18.9%	308 (71.8%)	13 (3.0%)	59 (13.8%)	23 (5.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	25 (5.8%)	76.6	139^th of 491 public elementary schools	71.7%		73.7	153^rd of 493 public elementary schools	69.0%	14	62.1	65.0	74.2	63.6	77.2	65.0	78.8	48.5	74.7	$20,135
West Hill School	Public	PK, KG-3	95 Cronin Dr.	Rocky Hill	06067	Capitol Planning Region	Rocky Hill School District	No	No	No	No	(860) 258-7761	392	36	11.0	17.3%	137 (34.9%)	22 (5.6%)	35 (8.9%)	185 (47.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (3.3%)								(n/a)		54.1				72.9				$23,813
Vance Elementary School	Public	K-5	183 Vance St.	New Britain	06052	Capitol Planning Region	New Britain School District	No	No	No	Yes	(860) 225-8731	438	30	14.4	77.6%	43 (9.8%)	52 (11.9%)	310 (70.8%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (7.1%)	8.6	442^nd of 491 public elementary schools	10.0%		9	444^th of 493 public elementary schools	9.9%	2	18.6	20.8	17.9	28.6			27.1	12.9		$18,612
Elizabeth Green School	Public	PK, KG-4	30 Thomas Street	Newington	06111	Capitol Planning Region	Newington School District	No	No	No	Yes	(860) 666-3394	278	27	10.2	40.6%	124 (44.6%)	17 (6.1%)	81 (29.1%)	37 (13.3%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (6.1%)	66.8	192^nd of 491 public elementary schools	60.9%		43.4	266^th of 493 public elementary schools	46.0%	74		68.6				70.6	46.9			$25,453

Frequently Asked Questions about John Paterson School

What schools do graduates of John Paterson School attend?

Students who attend John Paterson School usually go on to attend:

Middle : John Wallace Middle School
High : Newington High School

What district is John Paterson School in?

Newington School District

How many students attend John Paterson School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 394 students attended John Paterson School.

What is the racial makeup of John Paterson School?

Students at John Paterson School are 55% White, 27% Hispanic, 9% Asian, 6% African American, 4% Two or more races.

Is John Paterson School a good school?

John Paterson School ranks 227^th of 491 Connecticut elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Rate John Paterson 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.