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John Winthrop Middle School

Q: Is John Winthrop Middle School a good school?

John Winthrop Middle School ranks 99 th of 258 Connecticut middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 7-8

99^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 258 Connecticut Middle Schools

Better than 62% of Connecticut middle schools

Summary

John Winthrop Middle School in Deep River, CT, is a small school serving 197 students in grades 7 and 8 as part of Regional School District 04. The school has a mixed academic profile—generally hovering near state averages in most subjects—and its state ranking has swung dramatically from year to year, from 33rd in 2017-2018 to 99th in 2025-2026. This volatility is common for schools with only about 100 students per grade, where a single strong or weak class can shift the ranking by 50 places or more.

Parents comparing JWMS to nearby schools will notice some significant gaps. In 2025-2026, JWMS ranked 99th out of 258 middle schools, well behind neighbors like Walter C. Polson Middle School (8th), Westbrook Middle School (17th), and E.C. Adams Middle School (26th). The most direct comparison is E.C. Adams, which also serves only grades 7 and 8—Adams outperforms JWMS by 20 or more percentage points in every subject. That said, JWMS shows a notable strength in 8th grade English Language Arts (61.6% proficiency, above the state average) and has consistently earned high marks for supporting economically disadvantaged students relative to their peers statewide.

There are positive signs worth noting. Chronic absenteeism improved from 13.2% to 9.0% in a single year, better than the state average of 16.4% and several neighboring schools. However, spending questions remain: JWMS reported per-student spending of $53,789 in 2018-2019, far above the $16,500-$26,000 range of nearby schools, without correspondingly stronger outcomes. Meanwhile, Westbrook Middle School—just 4.5 miles away, with a higher poverty rate and even fewer students—ranked 17th statewide and posted much higher test scores, suggesting that JWMS has meaningful room for academic growth.

197

Students ?

10.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$34,408

Per pupil spending ?

25.9%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

1 Winthrop Road
Deep River, CT 06417

(860) 526-9546

District: Regional School District 04

Students who attend John Winthrop Middle School usually attend:

High:

Valley Regional High School

Feeder schools for John Winthrop Middle School:

Elementary:	Chester Elementary School
	Deep River Elementary School
	Essex Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

White:

86.8%

Hispanic:

7.6%

Two or more races:

4.1%

See top rated Connecticut middle schools

Compare John Winthrop Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 65th percentile in 2013 → 62nd in 2026

Strengths

✓Above the Connecticut median (62nd 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 (2025-2026) ?

This school53%

District avg53%

Connecticut avg48%

99^th of 258

Connecticut public middle schools ?

Top 38%▼ down 10 pts since 2016

From top 28% (2016) to top 38% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Connecticut Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

82^nd of 153Regional School District 04 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	61.3	99 of 258	61.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	75.5	61 of 252	75.8%	★★★★☆
2024	49.7	118 of 250	52.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	63.9	89 of 250	64.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	57.7	111 of 275	59.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	74.6	72 of 259	72.2%	★★★★☆
2018	84.8	33 of 249	86.7%	★★★★☆
2016	74.0	69 of 246	72.0%	★★★★☆
2015	80.4	61 of 280	78.2%	★★★★☆
2013	73.0	97 of 278	65.1%	★★★☆☆
2012	71.9	99 of 272	63.6%	★★★☆☆
2011	74.3	77 of 269	71.4%	★★★★☆
2010	76.9	63 of 268	76.5%	★★★★☆
2009	75.4	69 of 255	72.9%	★★★★☆
2008	78.6	38 of 252	84.9%	★★★★☆
2007	76.5	55 of 250	78.0%	★★★★☆
2006	68.6	92 of 248	62.9%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Connecticut percentile	Rating
2026	48.8	88 of 164	46.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	72.9	46 of 164	72.0%	★★★★☆
2024	46.4	91 of 161	43.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	53.8	77 of 160	51.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	52.6	86 of 166	48.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	50.5	107 of 235	54.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	72.8	48 of 169	71.6%	★★★★☆
2018	77.0	36 of 160	77.5%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Connecticut percentile	Rating
2025	69.2	34 of 117	70.9%	★★★★☆
2024	52.6	53 of 114	53.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	69.3	23 of 109	78.9%	★★★★☆
2021	51.7	100 of 218	54.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	81.4	15 of 104	85.6%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Connecticut percentile	Rating
2026	53.3	83 of 164	49.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	68.5	53 of 162	67.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	39.9	94 of 157	40.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	62.3	63 of 158	60.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	67.4	58 of 169	65.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	56.5	90 of 224	59.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	56.4	87 of 167	47.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	82.0	28 of 164	82.9%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Connecticut percentile	Rating
2021	44.5	134 of 244	45.1%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Connecticut percentile	Rating
2026	26.9	113 of 150	24.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	47.7	85 of 153	44.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	17.0	130 of 154	15.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	41.8	94 of 158	40.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	40.6	94 of 151	37.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	34.4	115 of 175	34.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	60.2	68 of 166	59.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	75.6	34 of 168	79.8%	★★★★☆

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)

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)71st percentile-5 vs school

Male (2026)49th percentile-12 vs school

Female (2026)46th percentile-15 vs school

Special Education (2021)45th percentile-15 vs school

White (2026)25th percentile-37 vs school

By subject vs Connecticut (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts56%+5 vs state

Science54%+3 vs state

Mathematics48%+5 vs state

★

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Schools Near John Winthrop 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/reduced lunch (2024-25)	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 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 4th Grade	SBAC Mathematics 5th Grade	SBAC Mathematics 6th Grade	SBAC Mathematics 7th Grade	SBAC Mathematics 8th Grade	Total
John Winthrop Middle School	Public	7-8	1 Winthrop Road	Deep River	06417	Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region	Regional School District 04	No	No	No	Yes	(860) 526-9546	197	19	10.5	25.9%	171 (86.8%)	1 (0.5%)	15 (7.6%)	1 (0.5%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (4.1%)	61.3	99^th of 258 public middle schools	61.6%		75.5	61^st of 252 public middle schools	75.8%	38		54.0				51.1	61.6				48.9	47.7	$34,408
Westbrook Middle School	Public	6-8	154 McVeagh Rd.	Westbrook	06498	Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region	Westbrook School District	No	No	No	No	(860) 399-2010	126	20	6.2	42.1%	89 (70.6%)	1 (0.8%)	31 (24.6%)	1 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (3.2%)	90.4	17^th of 258 public middle schools	93.4%		77.7	56^th of 252 public middle schools	77.8%	39		812.0			72.2	75.7	74.1			77.8	2626.0	85.2	$42,489
Jared Eliot School	Public	5-8	69 Fairy Dell Rd.	Clinton	06413	Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region	Clinton School District	No	No	No	Yes	(860) 664-6503	418	42	9.8	47.6%	274 (65.6%)	3 (0.7%)	125 (29.9%)	9 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.4%)	57.5	109^th of 258 public middle schools	57.8%		63.4	92^nd of 252 public middle schools	63.5%	17	63.7	51.8		51.5	51.7	55.7	42.9		41.6	47.8	54.7	50.9	$27,415
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%)	73.2	72^nd of 258 public middle schools	72.1%		84.6	33^rd of 252 public middle schools	86.9%	39		57.8			61.7	60.8	67.2			65.2	55.4	52.3	$27,462
Old Saybrook Middle School	Public	5-8	60 Sheffield St.	Old Saybrook	06475	Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region	Old Saybrook School District	No	No	No	No	(860) 395-3168	307	36	8.5	25.1%	229 (74.6%)	1 (0.3%)	52 (16.9%)	14 (4.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	10 (3.3%)	86.8	30^th of 258 public middle schools	88.4%		82.6	41^st of 252 public middle schools	83.7%	11	506.0	816.0		62.3	78.1	74.1	71.6		47.2	78.1	65.9	59.7	$30,483
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
Walter C. Polson Middle School	Public	6-8	302 Green Hill Rd.	Madison	06443	South Central Connecticut Planning Region	Madison School District	No	No	No	No	(203) 245-6480	541	55	9.8	6.5%	431 (79.7%)	5 (0.9%)	51 (9.4%)	24 (4.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (5.4%)	94.3	8^th of 258 public middle schools	96.9%		95.9	3^rd of 252 public middle schools	98.8%	5		84.6			81.1	82.2	79.1			77.3	84.9	81.3	$25,769
Nathan Hale-Ray Middle School	Public	4-8	73 Clark Gates Rd.	Moodus	06469	Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region	East Haddam School District	No	No	No	Yes	(860) 873-5081	346	38	9.1	24.9%	307 (88.7%)	4 (1.2%)	23 (6.6%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (3.2%)	55.5	116^th of 258 public middle schools	55.0%		51.4	119^th of 252 public middle schools	52.8%	3	490.0	50.0	78.3	43.2	60.0	53.7	45.0	2504.0	35.1	55.0	41.8	45.0	$24,433
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%)	75.2	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
E. C. Adams Middle School	Public	7-8	233 Church St.	Guilford	06437	South Central Connecticut Planning Region	Guilford School District	No	No	No	No	(203) 453-2755	478	46	10.3	14.4%	399 (83.5%)	4 (0.8%)	40 (8.4%)	17 (3.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	16 (3.3%)	88.3	26^th of 258 public middle schools	89.9%		90.9	15^th of 252 public middle schools	94.0%	11		73.9				71.4	74.2				71.3	72.1	$22,909

Frequently Asked Questions about John Winthrop Middle School

Is John Winthrop Middle School a good school?

John Winthrop Middle School ranks 99^th of 258 Connecticut middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What district is John Winthrop Middle School in?

Regional School District 04

How many students attend John Winthrop Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 197 students attended John Winthrop Middle School.

What high school do graduates of John Winthrop Middle School attend?

Students who attend John Winthrop Middle School usually go on to attend Valley Regional High School

What is the racial makeup of John Winthrop Middle School?

Students at John Winthrop Middle School are 87% White, 8% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races.

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Latest Connecticut data All new data »

2017–18 through 2025–26 immunization rates (updated)NewOct 19, 2026

2024–25 through 2025–26 attendance data & graduation ratesAug 31, 2026

2025–26 NGSS, SAT & SBAC test scoresAug 31, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataApr 2, 2026

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.