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Bristow Middle School

Q: Is Bristow Middle School a good school?

Bristow Middle School ranks 69 th of 258 Connecticut middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

69^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 258 Connecticut Middle Schools

Better than 73% of Connecticut middle schools

Summary

Bristow Middle School serves 326 students in grades 6–8 in West Hartford, CT, a small neighborhood school near the Hartford city line that is part of the West Hartford School District. It is the smallest of the district's three middle schools — King Philip Middle School enrolls 820 students and Sedgwick Middle School enrolls 874 — yet it shares the same 11.4:1 student-teacher ratio as its larger peers and spends slightly more per pupil ($18,556). Bristow currently ranks 69th of 258 Connecticut middle schools, placing it at the 73rd percentile with a 4-star rating.

Bristow's academic picture is uneven by grade. In 2025–26, it led all three West Hartford middle schools in 6th grade ELA (70.7% proficient) and math (60.6%), but by 7th and 8th grade it trailed the district and its same-district peers. Eighth grade ELA proficiency was 61.1% versus 72.4% at King Philip, and 8th grade math was 51.4% versus 62.9% at King Philip. The school's history suggests this volatility may reflect small cohorts — its ranking has ranged from the 89th percentile in 2016–17 to 73rd in 2025–26 while staying at 4 stars. Compared with the Hartford schools just minutes away, though, Bristow is an academic standout. Nearby Burr Middle School, Milner Middle School, and M.L. King Junior Middle School have ELA proficiency rates in the single digits to low teens, while Bristow is in the 61–71% range.

Attendance is another strength: Bristow's chronic absenteeism rate of 10.5% closely matches the district average and is far below the state average of 16.4% — a dramatic contrast to nearby Hartford schools, where rates range from 35% to nearly 55%. Bristow has also shown strong results with historically vulnerable students, ranking at the 88th percentile for Special Education and 81st percentile for low-income students in 2020–21. With a free/reduced lunch rate around 31% — similar to Sedgwick's — the school's lower ranking relative to its district peers appears driven more by cohort effects and grade-level inconsistency than by student demographics. Bottom line: Bristow is a solid, 4-star middle school that serves its neighborhood well, delivering above-average results across every subject and grade when measured against the state.

326

Students ?

11.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$23,590

Per pupil spending ?

31.0%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

34 Highland St.
West Hartford, CT 06102

(860) 231-2100

District: West Hartford School District

Feeder schools for Bristow Middle School:

Elementary:	Aiken School
	Braeburn School
	Bugbee School
	Charter Oak International Academy
	More...
	Duffy School
	Morley School
	Norfeldt School
	Smith School
	Webster Hill School
	Whiting Lane School
	Wolcott School

Racial breakdown:

White:

49.4%

Hispanic:

25.2%

Asian:

9.8%

See top rated Connecticut middle schools

Compare Bristow Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 87th percentile in 2016 → 73rd in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Connecticut average (61% vs 48% meeting standards)

✓Above the Connecticut median (73rd percentile)

✓Small classes — about 11 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 14 percentile points since 2016

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school61%

District avg64%

Connecticut avg48%

69^th of 258

Connecticut public middle schools ?

Top 27%▼ down 14 pts since 2016

From top 13% (2016) to top 27% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Connecticut Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd of 3Middle Schools in the West Hartford School District

51^st of 153West Hartford School District 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	74.4	69 of 258	73.3%	★★★★☆
2025	73.0	75 of 252	70.2%	★★★★☆
2024	73.0	68 of 250	72.8%	★★★★☆
2023	79.3	51 of 249	79.5%	★★★★☆
2022	76.9	59 of 250	76.4%	★★★★☆
2021	85.5	38 of 275	86.2%	★★★★☆
2019	80.3	59 of 259	77.2%	★★★★☆
2018	78.1	59 of 249	76.3%	★★★★☆
2017	85.7	27 of 250	89.2%	★★★★☆
2016	84.5	32 of 246	87.0%	★★★★☆
2015	85.8	42 of 280	85.0%	★★★★☆
2013	73.2	96 of 278	65.5%	★★★☆☆
2012	74.8	75 of 272	72.4%	★★★★☆
2011	78.6	47 of 269	82.5%	★★★★☆
2010	76.7	66 of 268	75.4%	★★★★☆
2009	77.6	49 of 255	80.8%	★★★★☆
2008	78.0	40 of 252	84.1%	★★★★☆
2007	73.4	73 of 250	70.8%	★★★★☆
2006	70.3	83 of 248	66.5%	★★★☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Connecticut percentile	Rating
2021	51.4	18 of 27	33.3%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Connecticut percentile	Rating
2026	62.5	70 of 164	57.3%	★★★☆☆
2025	64.4	65 of 164	60.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	63.0	63 of 161	60.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	77.7	33 of 160	79.4%	★★★★☆
2022	72.8	50 of 166	69.9%	★★★★☆
2021	84.8	27 of 235	88.5%	★★★★☆
2019	71.6	51 of 169	69.8%	★★★★☆
2018	67.6	64 of 160	60.0%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Connecticut percentile	Rating
2021	74.7	42 of 218	80.7%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Connecticut percentile	Rating
2026	72.8	46 of 164	72.0%	★★★★☆
2025	67.4	59 of 162	63.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	67.3	57 of 157	63.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	74.0	42 of 158	73.4%	★★★★☆
2022	72.2	51 of 169	69.8%	★★★★☆
2021	81.3	44 of 224	80.4%	★★★★☆
2019	76.8	47 of 167	71.9%	★★★★☆
2018	73.7	44 of 164	73.2%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Connecticut percentile	Rating
2021	79.6	29 of 244	88.1%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Connecticut percentile	Rating
2026	81.0	22 of 150	85.3%	★★★★☆
2025	78.9	20 of 153	86.9%	★★★★☆
2024	75.6	28 of 154	81.8%	★★★★☆
2023	81.9	17 of 158	89.2%	★★★★☆
2022	78.2	26 of 151	82.8%	★★★★☆
2021	90.0	6 of 175	96.6%	★★★★★
2019	83.7	19 of 166	88.6%	★★★★☆
2018	84.2	18 of 168	89.3%	★★★★☆

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)

Special Education (2021)88th percentile~ school

White (2026)85th percentile+12 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2021)81st percentile-5 vs school

Male (2026)72nd percentile~ school

Female (2026)57th percentile-16 vs school

Asian (2021)33rd percentile-53 vs school

By subject vs Connecticut (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts66%+14 vs state

Mathematics58%+14 vs state

Science57%+6 vs state

5.0

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What people are saying

by a student
Thursday, May 14, 2020

Bristow is fun and pretty laid back I love learning here. Close Quote

Schools Near Bristow 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
Bristow Middle School	Public	6-8	34 Highland St.	West Hartford	06102	Capitol Planning Region	West Hartford School District	No	No	No	No	(860) 231-2100	326	28	11.4	31.0%	161 (49.4%)	28 (8.6%)	82 (25.2%)	32 (9.8%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (6.4%)	74.4	69^th of 258 public middle schools	73.3%		73	75^th of 252 public middle schools	70.2%	6		56.9			70.7	65.7	61.1			60.6	62.2	51.4	$23,590
Renzulli Gifted and Talented Academy	Public	4-8	85 Woodland Street	Hartford	06105	Capitol Planning Region	Hartford School District	No	No	No	Yes	(860) 695-2140	128	10	13.4	57.0%	33 (25.8%)	43 (33.6%)	34 (26.6%)	10 (7.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (5.5%)								(n/a)	513.0	838.0		85.0		2650.0	2685.0		60.0		2681.0	2687.0	$19,539
M. L. King Junior Middle School	Public	6-8	25 Ridgefield Street	Hartford	06112	Capitol Planning Region	Hartford School District	No	No	No	Yes	(860) 695-3980	184	19	9.9	82.1%	2 (1.1%)	102 (55.4%)	73 (39.7%)	3 (1.6%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.6%)	6	251^st of 258 public middle schools	2.7%		4.3	249^th of 252 public middle schools	1.2%	2		767.0			2404.0	16.4	12.2			2368.0	11.1	9.5	$30,717
McDonough Middle School	Public	6-8	111 Hillside Avenue	Hartford	06106	Capitol Planning Region	Hartford School District	No	No	No	Yes	(860) 695-4260	301	25	12.0	80.7%	19 (6.3%)	30 (10.0%)	244 (81.1%)	3 (1.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.3%)	6.5	245^th of 258 public middle schools	5.0%		5.1	246^th of 252 public middle schools	2.4%	1		18.6			18.3	13.6	18.4			7.4	9.7	6.9	$23,302
King Philip Middle School	Public	6-8	100 King Philip Dr.	West Hartford	06117	Capitol Planning Region	West Hartford School District	No	No	No	No	(860) 233-8236	820	72	11.4	27.0%	415 (50.6%)	79 (9.6%)	168 (20.5%)	91 (11.1%)	2 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	62 (7.6%)	81.5	44^th of 258 public middle schools	82.9%		78.6	55^th of 252 public middle schools	78.2%	11		66.1			65.2	75.2	72.4			57.5	64.8	62.9	$22,222
Sedgwick Middle School	Public	6-8	128 Sedgwick Rd.	West Hartford	06107	Capitol Planning Region	West Hartford School District	No	No	No	No	(860) 570-6500	874	76	11.4	32.5%	452 (51.7%)	60 (6.9%)	209 (23.9%)	98 (11.2%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.2%)	52 (5.9%)	78.6	55^th of 258 public middle schools	78.7%		72	78^th of 252 public middle schools	69.0%	23		66.2			65.2	71.1	66.0			56.8	67.4	53.9	$21,755
Burr Middle School	Public	6-8	400 Wethersfield Avenue	Hartford	06114	Capitol Planning Region	Hartford School District	No	No	No	Yes	(860) 695-3080	259	18	14.3	81.9%	6 (2.3%)	33 (12.7%)	207 (79.9%)	9 (3.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.5%)	4.3	258^th of 258 public middle schools	0.0%		3.5	251^st of 252 public middle schools	0.4%	7		11.0			12.2	2439.0	11.0			2403.0	2406.0	2405.0	$22,614
Betances STEM Magnet School	Public, Magnet	5-8	400 Wethersfield Avenue	Hartford	06114	Capitol Planning Region	Hartford School District	No	Yes	No	Yes	(860) 695-2970	206	16	12.8	73.3%	16 (7.8%)	38 (18.4%)	123 (59.7%)	17 (8.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (5.8%)	28.2	168^th of 258 public middle schools	34.9%		27	163^rd of 252 public middle schools	35.3%	5	23.4	791.0		21.7	32.0	2479.0	2542.0		2442.0	36.0	2476.0	28.8	$20,059
Milner Middle School	Public	6-8	150 Tower Avenue	Hartford	06112	Capitol Planning Region	Hartford School District	No	No	No	Yes	(860) 695-4380	261	24	10.8	93.5%	4 (1.5%)	71 (27.2%)	178 (68.2%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	6 (2.3%)	4.7	256^th of 258 public middle schools	0.8%		5.4	245^th of 252 public middle schools	2.8%	11		760.0			12.3	10.8	6.7			10.8	12.7	2397.0	$27,922
Academy of Computer Science and Engineering Middle School	Public, Magnet	6-8	337 East River Dr.	East Hartford	06108	Capitol Planning Region	Capitol Region Education Council	No	Yes	No	Yes	(860) 290-5320	669	57	11.7	71.9%	64 (9.6%)	209 (31.2%)	328 (49.0%)	26 (3.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	41 (6.1%)	16.2	202^nd of 258 public middle schools	21.7%		17.1	197^th of 252 public middle schools	21.8%	5		25.3			32.5	29.7	31.9			23.1	18.3	11.8	$27,362

Frequently Asked Questions about Bristow Middle School

How many students attend Bristow Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 326 students attended Bristow Middle School.

What is the racial makeup of Bristow Middle School?

Students at Bristow Middle School are 49% White, 25% Hispanic, 10% Asian, 9% African American, 6% Two or more races.

What district is Bristow Middle School in?

West Hartford School District

Is Bristow Middle School a good school?

Bristow Middle School ranks 69^th of 258 Connecticut middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

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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.