Summary
K. T. Murphy School is a K–5 elementary school in Stamford, CT, serving 390 students in a community where 70% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch — the highest poverty rate among nearby schools. The school is part of the Stamford School District, which ranks in the bottom 16% of Connecticut districts. Over the past decade, K. T. Murphy's statewide ranking has fallen sharply from the 52nd percentile in 2016–2017 to the 14th percentile in 2025–2026, placing it among the lowest-performing elementary schools in the state.
Academic proficiency rates on state tests are 20–30 percentage points below state averages across every subject. In 2025–2026, only 19–25% of students met ELA benchmarks and 20–35% met math benchmarks, while 5th grade science proficiency was 21.6% versus 52.9% statewide. Just 0.35 miles away, Rogers International School achieves dramatically better results, with 54% ELA proficiency and 46% math proficiency in 5th grade. Stamford Charter School for Excellence, about two miles away, ranks in the 70th percentile and posts 78–89% ELA proficiency despite spending roughly $7,000 less per student. These comparisons show that poverty alone does not fully explain the outcome gap.
Chronic absenteeism is the highest among nearby schools at 20.2%, well above the state average of 16.4%, though it has improved from a 27% peak in 2021–2022. The school spends $18,327 per student — above most district peers — and maintains a student-teacher ratio of 12.8, lower than many nearby schools. There are some encouraging signs: Hispanic students perform at the 23rd percentile statewide, above the school's overall 14th percentile, and special education students scored at the 50th percentile in 2020–2021. Test scores, however, fluctuate sharply from year to year, suggesting instructional quality and student readiness are not yet stable. For parents, the most pressing questions likely involve attendance support and academic intervention.
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