Driggs School

Driggs School is a PK–5 elementary school in Waterbury, CT, serving 410 students and operating within the Waterbury School District, which itself ranks near the bottom of Connecticut districts. Academically, Driggs consistently places in the bottom 1–6% of elementary schools statewide, with proficiency rates that are often 10–20 points below the already-low district averages and 30–40 points below state averages. For example, in 2024–2025, only 9.9% of Driggs 3rd graders were proficient in math, compared to 28.1% districtwide and 52.2% statewide. The school has ranked in the lowest percentile band for over a decade, with no sustained improvement in its long-term performance.

Chronic absenteeism is the most striking differentiator. In 2025–2026, 35.4% of Driggs students missed 10% or more of the school year, far exceeding the district rate of 23.1% and state rate of 16.4%. This was the highest absenteeism rate among nearby schools with data, including Sprague School (33.6%), Walsh School (29.1%), and Bunker Hill School (23.0%). The pattern is stark: schools with lower absenteeism achieve far better results. Maloney Interdistrict Magnet School, just under a mile away, has only 6.2% chronic absenteeism and ranks in the 40th percentile statewide, with 5th grade math proficiency at 41.9% versus Driggs’ 11.3%. Brass City Charter School, less than half a mile away, posts similar advantages.

These nearby schools demonstrate that better outcomes are possible within the same community. Driggs’ poor performance is not inevitable—school-level factors, especially attendance, appear to play a major role. While Driggs also lags on science, the gap is smaller there than in ELA or math, and subgroup results for Hispanic and low-income students are relatively less negative. The clearest takeaway for parents is that attendance matters enormously. Reducing chronic absenteeism and learning from successful nearby models like Maloney and Brass City would be logical first steps toward improvement.