Summary:
Zip code 06226 in Willimantic, Connecticut, is home to two elementary schools—Natchaug School and W. B. Sweeney School—both serving grades K-4 within the Windham School District, a district ranked 141 out of 153 statewide with a 0-star rating. Together they serve about 446 students in a high-need area: 72.65% of Natchaug students and 84.43% of Sweeney students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.
Natchaug stands out for its remarkably low chronic absenteeism rate of 10.2% in 2025-2026, less than half the district's 23.6% and well below the state average of 16.4%, while Sweeney sits at 23.4%. Natchaug also outperformed Sweeney on 2024-2025 4th-grade SBAC tests, with 25% proficient in ELA and 32.5% in math, versus 18.2% and 25% at Sweeney. However, Natchaug's state ranking slipped to 452 out of 491 (8th percentile) in 2025-2026, while Sweeney's has declined steadily from 393rd in 2022-2023 to 445th in 2024-2025.
Both schools perform well below Connecticut state averages—every reported SBAC proficiency rate falls far short of the roughly 50% statewide baseline. Sweeney spends slightly more per student ($16,995 versus $16,142 at Natchaug) yet its test scores are generally lower, suggesting the extra spending has not translated into better outcomes. The two schools have nearly identical student-teacher ratios (10.1 at Natchaug, 10.0 at Sweeney), so staffing alone does not explain the gap. The most actionable takeaway is Natchaug's success in keeping attendance strong despite a similarly high-need population, which may offer a model for improving outcomes across the Windham School District.
Thank you for your feedback!