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Frank Ward Strong School

Q: Is Frank Ward Strong School a good school?

Frank Ward Strong School ranks 70 th of 252 Connecticut middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

70^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 252 Connecticut Middle Schools

Better than 72% of Connecticut middle schools

Summary

Frank Ward Strong School is a public middle school located in Durham, Connecticut, serving 310 students in grades 6-8. The school is part of the Regional School District 13 and has consistently ranked among the top middle schools in the state, with a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger for several years.

Frank Ward Strong School consistently outperforms the state average in SBAC/English Language Arts and Mathematics assessments, with proficiency rates ranging from 64-70.8% in ELA and 48.6-58.1% in Math, compared to the state averages of 50-50.7% and 40.8-42.9%, respectively. The school's performance in NGSS/Science assessments is also strong, with 8th-grade proficiency rates ranging from 48% to 64.9%, exceeding the state average. However, the school's performance for special education, low socioeconomic status, and disabled students is relatively lower, with rankings in the bottom half of the state.

While the school's chronic absenteeism rate has fluctuated over the years, ranging from 8.4% to 20%, it is still lower than the state average. When compared to nearby middle schools, such as Haddam-Killingworth Middle School, Frank Ward Strong School generally outperforms them in academic assessments and student-teacher ratios. The school's higher spending per student, at $21,890 and $19,939 in the 2018-2019 and 2017-2018 school years, respectively, suggests it may have access to more resources and funding compared to some of the nearby schools.

319

Students ?

10.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$26,964

Per pupil spending ?

17.2%

Free/discounted lunch ?

191 Main Street
Durham, CT 06422

(860) 349-7222

District: Regional School District 13

Students who attend Frank Ward Strong School usually attend:

High:

Coginchaug Regional High School

Feeder schools for Frank Ward Strong School:

Elementary:	Frederick Brewster School
	John Lyman School
	Middlefield Memorial School

Racial breakdown:

White:

86.2%

Hispanic:

8.2%

Two or more races:

3.8%

See top rated Connecticut middle schools

Compare Frank Ward Strong School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 71st percentile in 2015 → 72nd in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Connecticut average (60% vs 46% meeting standards)

✓Above the Connecticut median (72nd percentile)

✓Small classes — about 10 students per teacher

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school60%

District avg59%

Connecticut avg46%

70^th of 252

Connecticut public middle schools ?

Top 28%▲ up 1 pts since 2015

See the entire ranking list of Connecticut Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

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	73.4	70 of 252	72.2%	★★★★☆
2024	57.7	103 of 250	58.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	75.3	61 of 249	75.5%	★★★★☆
2022	73.2	70 of 250	72.0%	★★★★☆
2021	78.9	62 of 275	77.5%	★★★★☆
2019	81.7	53 of 259	79.5%	★★★★☆
2018	73.8	72 of 249	71.1%	★★★★☆
2017	73.2	70 of 250	72.0%	★★★★☆
2016	68.5	80 of 246	67.5%	★★★☆☆
2015	73.8	81 of 280	71.1%	★★★★☆
2013	77.2	59 of 278	78.8%	★★★★☆
2012	75.1	73 of 272	73.2%	★★★★☆
2011	76.3	62 of 269	77.0%	★★★★☆
2010	76.1	69 of 268	74.3%	★★★★☆
2009	78.0	45 of 255	82.4%	★★★★☆
2008	77.5	43 of 252	82.9%	★★★★☆
2007	75.1	65 of 250	74.0%	★★★★☆
2006	77.4	49 of 248	80.2%	★★★★☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Connecticut percentile	Rating
2021	54.0	42 of 104	59.6%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Connecticut percentile	Rating
2025	65.6	63 of 164	61.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	46.6	90 of 161	44.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	66.1	58 of 160	63.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	71.7	53 of 166	68.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	77.7	51 of 235	78.3%	★★★★☆
2019	77.0	34 of 169	79.9%	★★★★☆
2018	67.6	65 of 160	59.4%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Connecticut percentile	Rating
2021	25.4	163 of 218	25.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Connecticut percentile	Rating
2025	65.0	63 of 162	61.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	45.1	85 of 157	45.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	67.0	55 of 158	65.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	62.0	69 of 169	59.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	69.4	74 of 224	67.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	73.1	57 of 167	65.9%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Connecticut percentile	Rating
2021	41.2	141 of 244	42.2%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Connecticut percentile	Rating
2025	53.0	76 of 153	50.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	29.5	112 of 154	27.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	53.8	77 of 158	51.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	52.0	73 of 151	51.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	61.0	70 of 175	60.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	62.4	65 of 166	60.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	50.2	89 of 168	47.0%	★★☆☆☆

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)

Female (2025)62nd percentile-11 vs school

Male (2025)61st percentile-11 vs school

Disabled (2021)60th percentile-18 vs school

White (2025)50th percentile-22 vs school

Special Education (2021)42nd percentile-35 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2021)25th percentile-52 vs school

By subject vs Connecticut (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts67%+17 vs state

Mathematics53%+11 vs state

★

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Schools Near Frank Ward Strong 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 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
Frank Ward Strong School	Public	6-8	191 Main Street	Durham	06422	Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region	Regional School District 13	No	No	No	Yes	(860) 349-7222	319	31	10.4	17.2%	275 (86.2%)	1 (0.3%)	26 (8.2%)	3 (0.9%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (3.8%)	73.4	70^th of 252 public middle schools	72.2%		57.7	103^rd of 250 public middle schools	58.8%	33				64.0	65.9	70.8		48.6	52.3	58.1	$26,964
Beman Middle School	Public	6-8	1 Wilderman's Way	Middletown	06457	Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region	Middletown School District	No	No	No	No	(860) 347-8594	977	83	11.8	50.1%	371 (38.0%)	188 (19.2%)	266 (27.2%)	47 (4.8%)	2 (0.2%)	2 (0.2%)	101 (10.3%)	25	171^st of 252 public middle schools	32.1%		28.4	157^th of 250 public middle schools	37.2%	14		33.3		38.1	37.3	35.0		24.7	27.7	21.9	$23,394
Brownstone Intermediate School	Public	5-6	314 Main St.	Portland	06480	Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region	Portland School District	No	No	No	No	(860) 342-6765	217	18	12.4	25.8%	154 (71.0%)	9 (4.1%)	41 (18.9%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (5.1%)								(n/a)	61.8		65.7	68.8			56.4	61.5			$19,849
Washington Middle School	Public	6-8	1225 North Broad St.	Meriden	06450	South Central Connecticut Planning Region	Meriden School District	No	No	No	Yes	(203) 235-6606	536	39	13.6	86.4%	97 (18.1%)	76 (14.2%)	331 (61.8%)	10 (1.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (3.9%)	25.4	169^th of 252 public middle schools	32.9%		27.3	160^th of 250 public middle schools	36.0%	9		32.0		36.0	29.5	39.7		30.3	18.5	31.5	$17,920
Edison Middle School	Public	6-8	1355 North Broad Street	Meriden	06450	South Central Connecticut Planning Region	Meriden School District	No	No	No	No	(203) 379-2590	773	54	14.2	74.5%	169 (21.9%)	92 (11.9%)	464 (60.0%)	11 (1.4%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (4.7%)	57.7	103^rd of 252 public middle schools	59.1%		46.2	126^th of 250 public middle schools	49.6%	23		57.2		57.1	53.3	60.8		46.8	37.3	39.7	$15,764
Dag Hammarskjold Middle School	Public	6-8	106 Pond Hill Road	Wallingford	06492	South Central Connecticut Planning Region	Wallingford School District	No	No	No	Yes	(203) 294-3700	593	54	10.9	35.4%	396 (66.8%)	5 (0.8%)	132 (22.3%)	29 (4.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (5.2%)	51.2	120^th of 252 public middle schools	52.4%		46.7	125^th of 250 public middle schools	50.0%	5		53.8		50.7	51.8	50.5		36.5	45.4	38.8	$22,231
Portland Middle School	Public	7-8	93 High Street	Portland	06480	Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region	Portland School District	No	No	No	Yes	(860) 342-1880	214	19	11.0	32.7%	140 (65.4%)	8 (3.7%)	50 (23.4%)	6 (2.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (4.7%)	68	83^rd of 252 public middle schools	67.1%		77.3	60^th of 250 public middle schools	76.0%	23		65.7			65.4	58.8			48.1	45.1	$17,801
James H. Moran Middle School	Public	6-8	141 Hope Hill Road	Wallingford	06492	South Central Connecticut Planning Region	Wallingford School District	No	No	No	No	(203) 741-2900	531	55	9.6	34.7%	359 (67.6%)	9 (1.7%)	121 (22.8%)	26 (4.9%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	14 (2.6%)	46.9	125^th of 252 public middle schools	50.4%		48	121^st of 250 public middle schools	51.6%	4		50.8		45.9	43.6	52.9		35.9	40.6	39.7	$22,396
Lincoln Middle School	Public	6-8	164 Centennial Ave.	Meriden	06450	South Central Connecticut Planning Region	Meriden School District	No	No	No	Yes	(203) 238-2381	684	45	15.0	78.5%	117 (17.1%)	62 (9.1%)	464 (67.8%)	5 (0.7%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (5.1%)	30	159^th of 252 public middle schools	36.9%		24.5	169^th of 250 public middle schools	32.4%	10		29.2		34.3	42.4	42.0		40.0	25.8	26.3	$15,818
Haddam-Killingworth Middle School	Public	6-8	451 Route 81	Killingworth	06419	Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region	Regional School District 17	No	No	No	Yes	(860) 663-1241	423	38	11.2	15.6%	376 (88.9%)	7 (1.7%)	21 (5.0%)	5 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (3.3%)	84.6	33^rd of 252 public middle schools	86.9%		79	54^th of 250 public middle schools	78.4%	21		69.5		76.5	72.9	69.5		66.2	60.5	64.2	$27,462

Frequently Asked Questions about Frank Ward Strong School

How many students attend Frank Ward Strong School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 319 students attended Frank Ward Strong School.

What district is Frank Ward Strong School in?

Regional School District 13

What is the racial makeup of Frank Ward Strong School?

Students at Frank Ward Strong School are 86% White, 8% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races.

What high school do graduates of Frank Ward Strong School attend?

Students who attend Frank Ward Strong School usually go on to attend Coginchaug Regional High School

Is Frank Ward Strong School a good school?

Frank Ward Strong School ranks 70^th of 252 Connecticut middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Rate Frank Ward Strong School!

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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.