Summary:
Zip code 06517 in Hamden, CT is home to two public elementary schools—Spring Glen School and Ridge Hill School—both serving grades PK through 6 within the Hamden School District, which ranks 132 out of 153 districts in Connecticut. Spring Glen School is the clear academic leader in the area, ranking 199th out of 491 schools statewide (59th percentile, 3 stars) for 2025–26, while Ridge Hill School ranks 306th (38th percentile, 2 stars). Spring Glen posts combined ELA and math proficiency of about 60.6%, compared to Ridge Hill's 41.0%, placing Spring Glen roughly 11 points above the state average and Ridge Hill about 9 points below it. Ridge Hill does have a few bright spots, however, including 3rd grade ELA and 5th grade math scores that exceed state averages, along with 5th grade science proficiency of 53.7% in 2024–25.
One of the most notable findings is that Ridge Hill actually spends more per student ($20,453) than Spring Glen ($16,621), yet achieves substantially lower test scores. The gap appears closely tied to demographics: Ridge Hill has a free/reduced-price lunch rate of 46.42%, more than double Spring Glen's 22.19%. Despite these differences, both schools share nearly identical student-teacher ratios (12.3 vs. 12.6) and remarkably low chronic absenteeism—7.8% at Spring Glen and 8.4% at Ridge Hill—both far below the district average of 21.5% and the state average of 16.4%.
Spring Glen's ranking has slipped over the past three years, from 146th (4 stars) in 2023–24 to 199th (3 stars) in 2025–26, and its 4th grade results in both ELA and math fell below state averages, suggesting a possible grade-level challenge. Ridge Hill, meanwhile, has remained stable and improved slightly, moving from 320th to 306th. For parents, Spring Glen is clearly the higher-performing school overall, while Ridge Hill offers a solid attendance environment and some grade-level strengths despite facing greater economic challenges.
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