Bristow Middle School

Q: Is Bristow Middle School a good school?

Bristow Middle School ranks 68 th of 250 Connecticut middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Bristow Middle School is a public middle school in West Hartford, Connecticut, serving 315 students in grades 6-8. The school is part of the highly-ranked West Hartford School District, which is among the top 50 districts in the state.

Bristow Middle School stands out for its strong academic performance, with students consistently scoring above state and district averages on standardized tests in English Language Arts and Mathematics. The school also boasts a more diverse student population compared to nearby King Philip Middle School and Sedgwick Middle School, with a student body that is 51.43% White, 8.89% African American, 24.13% Hispanic, and 10.16% Asian. Bristow's performance across different student subgroups, including White and Special Education students, is also impressive, with the school ranking among the top middle schools in Connecticut.

While Bristow Middle School's overall performance is excellent, the nearby King Philip Middle School and Sedgwick Middle School also perform well, suggesting that the West Hartford School District as a whole provides a strong educational environment for its middle school students. Additionally, Bristow's relatively low percentage of free and reduced-price lunch recipients (26.03%) compared to nearby Hartford-based schools indicates that the school serves a more economically diverse student population within the West Hartford community.

Detail:

Public 6-8

34 Highland St.
West Hartford, CT 06102

(860) 231-2100

District: West Hartford School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
68^th of 250 Connecticut Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $23,697

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

Student/teacher ratio: 10.7

Number of students: 315

Racial breakdown:

White:

51.4%

Hispanic:

24.1%

Asian:

10.2%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 26%

See top rated Connecticut middle schools

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Bristow Middle School ranks better than 72.8% of middle schools in Connecticut. It also ranks 2^nd among 3 ranked middle schools in the West Hartford School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 72.98. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Bristow Middle School has the largest middle school student body size in the West Hartford School District. (See more...)

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Teachers

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Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Bristow Middle School is $23,697, which is the highest among 3 middle schools in the West Hartford School District!

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Bristow Middle School:

SchoolDigger ranks Bristow Middle School 68^th of 250 Connecticut public middle schools. (See Bristow Middle School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Female students:

Male students:

White students:

West Hartford School District:

SchoolDigger ranks West Hartford School District 48^th of 158 Connecticut school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Rating:

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Rank History for Bristow Middle School

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Rank History for all students at Bristow Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CT State Percentile
2006	70.31	83^rd	248	66.5%
2007	73.42	73^rd	250	70.8%
2008	78.03	40^th	252	84.1%
2009	77.61	49^th	255	80.8%
2010	76.71	66^th	268	75.4%
2011	78.63	47^th	269	82.5%
2012	74.81	75^th	272	72.4%
2013	73.22	96^th	278	65.5%
2015	85.78	42^nd	280	85.0%
2016	84.55	32^nd	246	87.0%
2017	85.69	27^th	250	89.2%
2018	78.07	59^th	249	76.3%
2019	80.25	59^th	259	77.2%
2021	85.45	38^th	275	86.2%
2022	76.89	59^th	250	76.4%
2023	79.29	51^st	249	79.5%
2024	72.98	68^th	250	72.8%

See the entire list of Connecticut Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Bristow Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CT State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	79.63	29^th	244	88.1%

See the entire list of Best Connecticut Middle Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Bristow Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CT State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	74.75	42^nd	218	80.7%

See the entire list of Best Connecticut Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Bristow Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CT State Percentile
2018	67.60	64^th	160	60.0%
2019	71.56	51^st	169	69.8%
2021	84.81	27^th	235	88.5%
2022	72.80	50^th	166	69.9%
2023	77.68	33^rd	160	79.4%
2024	62.98	63^rd	161	60.9%

See the entire list of Best Connecticut Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Bristow Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CT State Percentile
2018	73.72	44^th	164	73.2%
2019	76.75	47^th	167	71.9%
2021	81.28	44^th	224	80.4%
2022	72.22	51^st	169	69.8%
2023	74.02	42^nd	158	73.4%
2024	67.27	57^th	157	63.7%

See the entire list of Best Connecticut Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at Bristow Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CT State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	51.37	18^th	27	33.3%

See the entire list of Best Connecticut Middle Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for White students at Bristow Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CT State Percentile
2018	84.18	18^th	168	89.3%
2019	83.66	19^th	166	88.6%
2021	89.97	6^th	175	96.6%
2022	78.24	26^th	151	82.8%
2023	81.93	17^th	158	89.2%
2024	75.56	28^th	154	81.8%

See the entire list of Best Connecticut Middle Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Connecticut Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Connecticut State Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:

by a student
Thursday, May 14, 2020

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

Enrollment information for Bristow Middle School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2006	2	1	4	6	0	n/a	n/a	13
2007	279	44	30	62	1	n/a	n/a	416
2008	287	35	28	58	1	n/a	n/a	409
2009	299	37	27	56	1	n/a	n/a	420
2010	295	38	31	56	0	n/a	n/a	420
2011	276	33	32	64	1	0	17	423
2012	275	36	42	54	0	0	16	423
2013	268	35	43	49	1	0	24	420
2014	262	30	53	47	2	0	24	418
2015	253	29	53	55	3	0	28	421
2016	251	26	60	53	0	0	32	422
2017	256	28	53	53	0	0	27	417
2018	261	36	49	53	0	0	21	420
2019	260	37	47	59	0	0	14	417
2020	243	27	42	58	0	0	16	386
2021	202	28	40	58	0	0	21	349
2022	176	25	24	68	0	0	16	309
2023	162	28	32	76	0	0	17	315

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Bristow Middle School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2006	13	15.4	0.8	76.9
2007	416	29.4	14.1	13.5
2008	409	34.7	11.8	12.2
2009	420	37.5	12.7	15.2
2010	420	34.4	12.1	18.6
2011	423	33.3	12.7	18
2012	423	35.3	11.9	19.4
2013	420	35.8	11.7	19.5
2014	418	35.6	11.7	19.4
2015	421	34.0	12.3	17.6
2016	422	35.0	12.0	17.5
2017	417	35.8	11.6	17
2018	420	39.6	10.6	18.3
2019	417	33.9	12.3	23.3
2020	386	32.9	11.7	24.9
2021	349	30.5	11.4	23.5
2022	309	27.1	11.4	28.2
2023	315	29.3	10.7	26

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Bristow Middle School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2006	13	15.4	0.8	76.9
2007	416	29.4	14.1	13.5
2008	409	34.7	11.8	12.2
2009	420	37.5	12.7	15.2
2010	420	34.4	12.1	18.6
2011	423	33.3	12.7	18
2012	423	35.3	11.9	19.4
2013	420	35.8	11.7	19.5
2014	418	35.6	11.7	19.4
2015	421	34.0	12.3	17.6
2016	422	35.0	12.0	17.5
2017	417	35.8	11.6	17
2018	420	39.6	10.6	18.3
2019	417	33.9	12.3	23.3
2020	386	32.9	11.7	24.9
2021	349	30.5	11.4	23.5
2022	309	27.1	11.4	28.2
2023	315	29.3	10.7	26

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Bristow Middle School

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2018	$17,312
2019	$18,556
2020	$19,476
2021	$20,859
2022	$23,638
2023	$23,697

Data source: Connecticut Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Bristow Middle School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 59^th of 259 Middle schools	Ranks 51^st of 249 Middle schools	2.3%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
6th Grade English Language Arts (Bristow Middle School)	71.1	66	5.1%
6th Grade English Language Arts (West Hartford School District)	68.3	61.4	6.9%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Connecticut)	55.3	48	7.3%
6th Grade Mathematics (Bristow Middle School)	67.6	67	0.6%
6th Grade Mathematics (West Hartford School District)	57.1	58.3	1.2%
6th Grade Mathematics (Connecticut)	45.4	39.6	5.8%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Bristow Middle School)	72.2	59	13.2%
7th Grade English Language Arts (West Hartford School District)	70.9	60.9	10%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Connecticut)	56.1	48.8	7.3%
7th Grade Mathematics (Bristow Middle School)	55.3	51	4.3%
7th Grade Mathematics (West Hartford School District)	55.5	55.4	0.1%
7th Grade Mathematics (Connecticut)	46.1	39.9	6.2%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Bristow Middle School)	78.8	69.2	9.6%
8th Grade English Language Arts (West Hartford School District)	73.1	63.1	10%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Connecticut)	55.8	48.5	7.3%
8th Grade Mathematics (Bristow Middle School)	61.4	63.5	2.1%
8th Grade Mathematics (West Hartford School District)	61	54.1	6.9%
8th Grade Mathematics (Connecticut)	43.5	36.2	7.3%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	417	315	24.5%
African American	37	28	24.3%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	47	32	31.9%
Hispanic	59	76	28.8%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	260	162	37.7%
Two or More Races	14	17	21.4%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	23.3%	26%	2.8%

Schools Near Bristow Middle School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				NGSS Science (2024)		SBAC English Language Arts (2024)				SBAC Mathematics (2024)				Per Pupil Expenditures (2023)
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/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	NGSS Science 5th Grade	NGSS Science 8th 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 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	Hartford County	West Hartford School District	No	No	No	No	(860) 231-2100	315	29	10.7	26.0%	162 (51.4%)	28 (8.9%)	76 (24.1%)	32 (10.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (5.4%)	73	68^th of 250 public middle schools	72.8%		79.3	51^st of 249 public middle schools	79.5%	17		62.1		51.8	66.7	69.1		47.3	65.7	53.8	$23,697
Renzulli Gifted and Talented Academy	Public	4-8	85 Woodland Street	Hartford	06105	Hartford County	Hartford School District	No	No	No	Yes	(860) 695-2140	119	9	13.5	72.3%	29 (24.4%)	35 (29.4%)	46 (38.7%)	5 (4.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (3.4%)								(n/a)		86.7				90.0					$23,075
M. L. King Junior Middle School	Public	6-8	25 Ridgefield Street	Hartford	06112	Hartford County	Hartford School District	No	No	No	Yes	(860) 695-3980	203	24	8.6	87.2%	6 (3.0%)	113 (55.7%)	75 (36.9%)	5 (2.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (2.0%)	8.5	227^th of 250 public middle schools	9.2%		7.3	232^nd of 249 public middle schools	6.8%	5		21.0			9.0	19.2				10.3	$33,346
McDonough Middle School	Public	6-8	111 Hillside Avenue	Hartford	06106	Hartford County	Hartford School District	No	No	No	Yes	(860) 695-4260	317	23	13.7	82.6%	19 (6.0%)	31 (9.8%)	261 (82.3%)	4 (1.3%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3.8	247^th of 250 public middle schools	1.2%		4.1	245^th of 249 public middle schools	1.6%	2		7.5		7.8	5.5	11.8		5.9			$22,621
King Philip Middle School	Public	6-8	100 King Philip Dr.	West Hartford	06117	Hartford County	West Hartford School District	No	No	No	No	(860) 233-8236	815	74	10.9	26.5%	421 (51.7%)	79 (9.7%)	176 (21.6%)	82 (10.1%)	3 (0.4%)	2 (0.2%)	51 (6.3%)	80.2	46^th of 250 public middle schools	81.6%		77.3	56^th of 249 public middle schools	77.5%	10		62.5		68.8	62.7	68.6		62.8	64.0	56.4	$20,755
Sedgwick Middle School	Public	6-8	128 Sedgwick Rd.	West Hartford	06107	Hartford County	West Hartford School District	No	No	No	No	(860) 570-6500	866	79	11.0	28.3%	470 (54.3%)	61 (7.0%)	200 (23.1%)	89 (10.3%)	3 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	41 (4.7%)	67.7	85^th of 250 public middle schools	66.0%		69.5	77^th of 249 public middle schools	69.1%	8		53.8		62.5	59.6	55.1		55.0	55.0	46.5	$20,711
Burr Middle School	Public	6-8	400 Wethersfield Avenue	Hartford	06114	Hartford County	Hartford School District	No	No	No	Yes	(860) 695-3080	277	29	9.5	85.6%	7 (2.5%)	45 (16.2%)	213 (76.9%)	10 (3.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.7%)	3.4	249^th of 250 public middle schools	0.4%		3.6	247^th of 249 public middle schools	0.8%	2		5.8		8.3	7.1						$27,155
Betances STEM Magnet School	Public, Magnet	5-8	400 Wethersfield Avenue	Hartford	06114	Hartford County	Hartford School District	No	Yes	No	Yes	(860) 695-2970	210	18	12.0	77.1%	19 (9.0%)	45 (21.4%)	121 (57.6%)	18 (8.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (3.3%)	15.6	198^th of 250 public middle schools	20.8%		16.3	194^th of 249 public middle schools	22.1%	4	25.5		29.4	35.8	23.9	26.5	19.6	18.9	19.6	12.2	$23,219
Milner Middle School	Public	6-8	150 Tower Avenue	Hartford	06112	Hartford County	Hartford School District	No	No	No	Yes	(860) 695-4380	284	28	10.1	91.2%	4 (1.4%)	106 (37.3%)	169 (59.5%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	3 (1.1%)	6.5	240^th of 250 public middle schools	4.0%		5.3	241^st of 249 public middle schools	3.2%	1		18.5		5.2	14.1	17.6					$29,788
Academy of Computer Science and and Engineering Middle School	Public, Magnet	6-8	337 East River Dr.	East Hartford	06108	Hartford County	Capitol Region Education Council	No	Yes	No	Yes	(860) 290-5320	642	55	11.6	74.6%	69 (10.7%)	188 (29.3%)	320 (49.8%)	19 (3.0%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.2%)	39 (6.1%)	14.2	204^th of 250 public middle schools	18.4%		14.7	200^th of 249 public middle schools	19.7%	4		24.0		27.6	27.2	26.9		17.0	17.8	11.8	$26,047

Frequently Asked Questions about Bristow Middle School

What is the racial makeup of Bristow Middle School?

Students at Bristow Middle School are 51% White, 24% Hispanic, 10% Asian, 9% African American, 5% Two or more races.

How many students attend Bristow Middle School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 315 students attended Bristow Middle School.

What district is Bristow Middle School in?

West Hartford School District

Is Bristow Middle School a good school?

Bristow Middle School ranks 68^th of 250 Connecticut middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

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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.