Lakeview High School

Lakeview High School is a public high school in Litchfield, CT, serving 583 students in grades 9-12 as part of Regional School District 20. The school holds a solid 3-star rating, ranking in the 62nd percentile of high schools statewide. Lakeview stands out for its strong English proficiency, with 73.2% of students meeting state standards compared to 55.3% statewide, and its excellent 97.1% graduation rate. Families will also appreciate the favorable 9.8:1 student-teacher ratio, which means relatively small class sizes and more individualized attention.

However, there are two areas of concern that parents should know about. First, chronic absenteeism is a significant outlier — 24.0% of students are chronically absent, nearly double the district rate of 12.4% and well above the state's 16.4%. Among nearby schools, only Wilby High School has a higher rate. Second, science proficiency is the school's biggest academic weakness, with just 40.5% of students meeting state standards compared to the state average of 50.5%. This is especially striking when compared to nearby regional peers like Nonnewaug High School at 77.0% and Shepaug Valley School at 77.2%. Math proficiency is modest at 35.6%, trailing Shepaug Valley (53.4%) and Nonnewaug (52.2%), though it remains slightly above the state average of 31.3%.

Comparisons to nearby schools provide helpful context. Lewis S. Mills High School, the most directly comparable regional school, outperforms Lakeview in every tested subject — especially science (74.4% vs. 40.5%) — but also serves a lower-poverty population. On the other end of the spectrum, Lakeview dramatically outperforms Wilby High School in Waterbury, which faces far greater socioeconomic challenges. Lakeview's high graduation rate despite elevated absenteeism suggests that students who attend regularly perform well, but re-engaging the chronically absent population and strengthening the science curriculum are the clearest opportunities for improvement. With its small class sizes, strong literacy outcomes, and high graduation rates, the school has a solid foundation to build on.