Thomas W. Mahan School

Thomas W. Mahan School is a PK–5 elementary school in Norwich, CT, serving 257 students in a district that ranks among the lowest in Connecticut — yet Mahan stands out as the clear bright spot. While the Norwich School District sits in the bottom 5% of districts statewide, Mahan has ranked near the middle of Connecticut elementary schools, landing at the 48th percentile in 2025–2026. It is the highest-ranked elementary school in Norwich, sitting 35 to 44 percentile points above the district's other elementary schools, including Veterans' Memorial School, Samuel Huntington School, Uncas Elementary School, and John B. Stanton School. Mahan's ranking also compares favorably with schools in more affluent districts, like Juliet W. Long School in Ledyard and Oakdale School in Montville.

The school's biggest academic strength is in the early grades. In 2025–2026, 64.7% of Mahan third-graders were proficient in English language arts and 73.5% in math — roughly three times the Norwich School District average and well above state averages of 47.3% and 52.2%. Those scores also topped Juliet W. Long School (46% ELA, 61.9% math) and Oakdale School (43.6% ELA), both of which serve far fewer low-income families. This early advantage doesn't always hold: in the same year, 4th grade math proficiency fell to 28.1% and 5th grade math to 35.5%, both below state levels — while the prior year's 5th grade results were above the state average, suggesting these swings may reflect classroom cohorts rather than a fixed pattern.

Mahan especially stands out for serving students who often struggle the most. The school ranks in the top 5% of Connecticut schools for both low-income and special education students, and roughly 72% of its students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Chronic absenteeism runs close to the state average (16.0% in 2025–2026) and well below the Norwich School District average (19.8%). These results come with typical funding and class sizes for the region — an 11.3 student-teacher ratio and roughly $17,800 in per-student spending. Strong early-grade instruction, solid attendance, and exceptional high-needs outcomes make Mahan a compelling option — even if upper-grade gains aren't always sustained through 5th grade.