Essex Elementary School

Q: Is Essex Elementary School a good school?

Essex Elementary School ranks 115 th of 497 Connecticut elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Essex Elementary School is a public elementary school serving around 300 students in grades PK-6 in Centerbrook, Connecticut. The school is part of the Essex School District, which is ranked 49 out of 158 districts in the state and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Essex Elementary School consistently performs well above the state average on standardized tests, with 68.8% of 3rd graders, 65.8% of 4th graders, 73.2% of 5th graders, and 63.9% of 6th graders proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to the state averages of 45.9%, 49.4%, 51.4%, and 48.1% respectively. In mathematics, the school had 68.8% of 3rd graders, 71.1% of 4th graders, 65.9% of 5th graders, and 63.9% of 6th graders proficient or better, compared to the state averages of 51.3%, 49.7%, 43.1%, and 41.4%. The school also has a lower student-teacher ratio of 11.8 and spends more per student at $23,127, compared to the $20,000-$24,000 range for the nearby Regional School District 18, Clinton School District, Westbrook School District, Old Saybrook School District, Chester School District, and Deep River School District.

While Essex Elementary School's academic performance is impressive, the school has a relatively homogeneous student population, with 86.67% of students identifying as White. This is higher than the nearby Lewin G. Joel Junior School and Daisy Ingraham School, which have more diverse student bodies. The school's focus on academic excellence, smaller class sizes, and higher spending per student are key factors that contribute to its success, but there may be opportunities to further enhance the educational experience for students, such as increasing racial diversity or providing more specialized programs or resources.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-6

108 Main St.
Centerbrook, CT 06409

(860) 767-8215

District: Essex School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
115^th of 497 Connecticut Elementary Schools

Students who attend Essex Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	John Winthrop Middle School
High:	Valley Regional High School

Student/teacher ratio: 11.8

Number of students: 300

Racial breakdown:

White:

86.7%

Hispanic:

8.3%

Two or more races:

4.3%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 23%

See top rated Connecticut elementary schools

Compare Essex Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Essex Elementary School ranks better than 76.9% of elementary schools in Connecticut. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 79.48. (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

Teachers

Compare Details

Compare

Finance

Compare Details

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Essex Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Essex Elementary School 115^th of 497 Connecticut public elementary schools. (See Essex Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

White students:

Essex School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Essex School District 49^th of 158 Connecticut school districts. (See district ranking list.)

What do you think?

Your rating for Essex Elementary School?

(Ranking FAQ)

Rank History for Essex Elementary School

Compare

Rank History for all students at Essex Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CT State Percentile
2006	74.21	174^th	570	69.5%
2007	78.51	111^th	568	80.5%
2008	79.86	88^th	565	84.4%
2009	78.40	110^th	566	80.6%
2010	79.72	96^th	579	83.4%
2011	76.50	141^st	565	75.0%
2012	75.01	156^th	564	72.3%
2013	76.71	142^nd	557	74.5%
2015	82.60	103^rd	551	81.3%
2016	85.14	80^th	518	84.6%
2017	80.97	116^th	519	77.6%
2018	73.68	160^th	532	69.9%
2019	87.01	59^th	522	88.7%
2021	83.98	94^th	538	82.5%
2022	85.09	72^nd	490	85.3%
2023	82.08	101^st	491	79.4%
2024	79.48	115^th	497	76.9%

See the entire list of Connecticut Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Female students at Essex Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CT State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	85.73	60^th	455	86.8%

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

Rank History for Male students at Essex Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CT State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	89.33	44^th	445	90.1%

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

Rank History for White students at Essex Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CT State Percentile
2018	60.98	127^th	296	57.1%
2019	81.62	34^th	295	88.5%
2021	72.64	85^th	327	74.0%
2022	76.62	46^th	252	81.7%
2023	68.61	86^th	262	67.2%
2024	63.00	106^th	250	57.6%

See the entire list of Best Connecticut Elementary 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

We're sorry, but no reviews have been submitted for Essex Elementary School.

If you have first-hand knowledge about Essex Elementary School, submit a rating!

No reviews have been submitted!

Enrollment information for Essex Elementary School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1988	425	4	2	1	0	n/a	n/a	432
1989	437	2	4	2	0	n/a	n/a	445
1990	462	6	4	1	n/a	n/a	n/a	473
1991	487	4	2	4	0	n/a	n/a	497
1992	497	4	3	4	0	n/a	n/a	508
1993	498	3	3	1	0	n/a	n/a	505
1994	491	2	3	2	0	n/a	n/a	498
1995	485	0	7	5	0	n/a	n/a	497
1996	485	0	7	5	0	n/a	n/a	497
1997	503	0	6	12	0	n/a	n/a	521
1998	486	1	8	12	0	n/a	n/a	507
1999	473	3	10	16	0	n/a	n/a	502
2000	518	5	7	13	0	n/a	n/a	543
2001	537	4	5	14	1	n/a	n/a	561
2002	528	6	8	9	0	n/a	n/a	551
2003	528	6	8	9	0	n/a	n/a	551
2004	522	9	10	15	0	n/a	n/a	556
2005	515	8	11	9	0	n/a	n/a	543
2006	522	8	13	9	0	n/a	n/a	552
2007	523	5	13	9	0	n/a	n/a	550
2008	507	10	14	17	1	n/a	n/a	549
2009	546	13	15	18	2	n/a	n/a	594
2010	540	17	20	16	0	n/a	n/a	593
2011	549	8	19	14	0	0	3	593
2012	512	8	19	15	0	0	4	558
2013	470	8	17	19	1	1	12	528
2014	447	6	15	22	0	1	17	508
2015	394	4	12	22	0	0	19	451
2016	363	5	9	26	0	0	14	417
2017	313	4	5	30	0	0	16	368
2018	287	4	6	28	0	0	18	343
2019	281	4	4	24	0	0	19	332
2020	280	3	5	25	0	0	17	330
2021	265	2	6	25	0	0	13	311
2022	253	2	2	29	0	0	14	300
2023	260	1	1	25	0	0	13	300

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 Essex Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	432	23.0	18.7	n/a
1989	445	27.0	16.4	n/a
1990	473	26.0	18.1	n/a
1991	497	25.6	19.4	n/a
1992	508	24.6	20.6	3.9
1993	505	26.6	19.0	0.4
1994	498	26.6	18.7	5.4
1995	497	34.1	14.6	4.4
1996	497	34.1	14.6	4.4
1997	521	35.7	14.6	3.6
1998	507	35.3	14.4	3.7
1999	502	35.5	14.1	6.6
2000	543	36.7	14.8	6.3
2001	561	n/a	0.0	n/a
2002	551	40.6	13.6	5.3
2003	551	40.6	13.6	5.3
2004	556	42.3	13.1	5.2
2005	543	40.2	13.5	n/a
2006	552	40.2	13.7	2.9
2007	550	43.1	12.8	3.3
2008	549	44.6	12.3	3.3
2009	594	49.0	13.1	4.2
2010	593	48.9	12.1	6.4
2011	593	48.8	12.1	6.2
2012	558	51.8	10.7	8.4
2013	528	n/a	n/a	11.6
2014	508	n/a	n/a	11.6
2015	451	43.0	10.4	9.3
2016	417	42.0	9.9	10.1
2017	368	37.0	9.9	11.1
2018	343	35.2	9.7	13.4
2019	332	30.8	10.7	23.2
2020	330	33.8	9.7	22.7
2021	311	30.8	10.0	20.3
2022	300	27.1	11.0	22.7
2023	300	25.3	11.8	23

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 Essex Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	432	23.0	18.7	n/a
1989	445	27.0	16.4	n/a
1990	473	26.0	18.1	n/a
1991	497	25.6	19.4	n/a
1992	508	24.6	20.6	3.9
1993	505	26.6	19.0	0.4
1994	498	26.6	18.7	5.4
1995	497	34.1	14.6	4.4
1996	497	34.1	14.6	4.4
1997	521	35.7	14.6	3.6
1998	507	35.3	14.4	3.7
1999	502	35.5	14.1	6.6
2000	543	36.7	14.8	6.3
2001	561	n/a	0.0	n/a
2002	551	40.6	13.6	5.3
2003	551	40.6	13.6	5.3
2004	556	42.3	13.1	5.2
2005	543	40.2	13.5	n/a
2006	552	40.2	13.7	2.9
2007	550	43.1	12.8	3.3
2008	549	44.6	12.3	3.3
2009	594	49.0	13.1	4.2
2010	593	48.9	12.1	6.4
2011	593	48.8	12.1	6.2
2012	558	51.8	10.7	8.4
2013	528	n/a	n/a	11.6
2014	508	n/a	n/a	11.6
2015	451	43.0	10.4	9.3
2016	417	42.0	9.9	10.1
2017	368	37.0	9.9	11.1
2018	343	35.2	9.7	13.4
2019	332	30.8	10.7	23.2
2020	330	33.8	9.7	22.7
2021	311	30.8	10.0	20.3
2022	300	27.1	11.0	22.7
2023	300	25.3	11.8	23

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 Essex Elementary School

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2018	$21,790
2019	$23,127
2020	$21,510
2021	$23,727
2022	$24,902
2023	$26,691

Data source: Connecticut Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Essex Elementary 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 522 Elementary schools	Ranks 101^st of 491 Elementary schools	9.3%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Essex Elementary School)	86	65.9	20.1%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Essex School District)	86	65.9	20.1%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Connecticut)	54.3	46.7	7.6%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Essex Elementary School)	86	82.9	3.1%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Essex School District)	86	82.9	3.1%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Connecticut)	55	49.8	5.2%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Essex Elementary School)	76.9	75	1.9%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Essex School District)	75	75
4th Grade English Language Arts (Connecticut)	54.6	48.8	5.8%
4th Grade Mathematics (Essex Elementary School)	71.8	67.5	4.3%
4th Grade Mathematics (Essex School District)	70	67.5	2.5%
4th Grade Mathematics (Connecticut)	52.5	48.3	4.2%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Essex Elementary School)	86.9	66.7	20.2%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Essex School District)	86.9	66.7	20.2%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Connecticut)	58.1	51.3	6.8%
5th Grade Mathematics (Essex Elementary School)	68.9	55.6	13.3%
5th Grade Mathematics (Essex School District)	68.9	55.6	13.3%
5th Grade Mathematics (Connecticut)	46.5	41.8	4.7%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Essex Elementary School)	78.9	83.3	4.4%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Essex School District)	76.9	83.3	6.4%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Connecticut)	55.3	48	7.3%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	332	300	9.6%
African American	4	1	75%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	4	1	75%
Hispanic	24	25	4.2%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	281	260	7.5%
Two or More Races	19	13	31.6%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	23.2%	23%	0.2%

Schools Near Essex Elementary 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	SBAC English Language Arts 3rd Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 4th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 5th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 6th Grade	SBAC Mathematics 3rd Grade	SBAC Mathematics 4th Grade	SBAC Mathematics 5th Grade	SBAC Mathematics 6th Grade	Total
Essex Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	108 Main St.	Centerbrook	06409	Middlesex County	Essex School District	No	No	No	Yes	(860) 767-8215	300	25	11.8	23.0%	260 (86.7%)	1 (0.3%)	25 (8.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (4.3%)	79.5	115^th of 497 public elementary schools	76.9%		82.1	101^st of 491 public elementary schools	79.4%	14	70.7	68.8	65.8	73.2	63.9	68.8	71.1	65.9	63.9	$26,691
Deep River Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	12 River St.	Deep River	06417	Middlesex County	Deep River School District	No	No	No	Yes	(860) 526-5319	192	19	10.3	35.4%	161 (83.9%)	1 (0.5%)	22 (11.5%)	1 (0.5%)	1 (0.5%)	1 (0.5%)	5 (2.6%)	82.8	92^nd of 497 public elementary schools	81.5%		85.2	74^th of 491 public elementary schools	84.9%	18			69.0	72.0	63.6	77.8	82.8			$30,986
Chester Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	23 Ridge Rd.	Chester	06412	Middlesex County	Chester School District	No	No	No	Yes	(860) 526-5797	222	18	11.5	26.1%	200 (90.1%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (5.9%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (3.6%)	90.2	34^th of 497 public elementary schools	93.2%		88.5	49^th of 491 public elementary schools	90.0%	15			78.8		75.7		81.8			$25,577
Daisy Ingraham School	Public	PK, KG-4	105 Goodspeed Dr.	Westbrook	06498	Middlesex County	Westbrook School District	No	No	No	Yes	(860) 399-7925	252	29	8.6	30.2%	167 (66.3%)	1 (0.4%)	72 (28.6%)	4 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (3.2%)	62.7	200^th of 497 public elementary schools	59.8%					(n/a)		51.1				64.4	60.5			$26,559
Kathleen E. Goodwin School	Public	PK, KG-4	80 Old Boston Post Rd.	Old Saybrook	06475	Middlesex County	Old Saybrook School District	No	No	No	Yes	(860) 395-3165	401	41	9.7	23.7%	309 (77.1%)	2 (0.5%)	66 (16.5%)	14 (3.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.5%)	54.1	233^rd of 497 public elementary schools	53.1%		77.1	130^th of 491 public elementary schools	73.5%	103		48.1				55.6	56.7			$22,732
Lyme Consolidated School	Public	K-5	478 Hamburg Road	Lyme	06371	New London County	Regional School District 18	No	No	No	Yes	(860) 434-1233	207	18	11.4	16.4%	180 (87.0%)	1 (0.5%)	15 (7.2%)	2 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (4.3%)	81.8	98^th of 497 public elementary schools	80.3%		86.8	63^rd of 491 public elementary schools	87.2%	35		76.5	76.9	58.8		88.2		61.8		$22,678
Lewin G. Joel Junior School	Public	PK, KG-4	137A Glenwood Rd.	Clinton	06413	Middlesex County	Clinton School District	No	No	No	Yes	(860) 664-6501	549	51	10.7	39.7%	384 (69.9%)	4 (0.7%)	128 (23.3%)	17 (3.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (2.9%)	59.2	213^th of 497 public elementary schools	57.1%		51.5	236^th of 491 public elementary schools	51.9%	23		54.3	48.4			59.0	65.3			$21,768
Killingworth Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-3	340 Route 81	Higganum	06419	Middlesex County	Regional School District 17	No	No	No	No	(860) 663-1121	265	24	11.2	12.1%	237 (89.4%)	1 (0.4%)	15 (5.7%)	2 (0.8%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (3.4%)								(n/a)		63.3								$22,705
Haddam-Killingworth Intermediate School	Public	4-5	451 Route 81	Killingworth	06419	Middlesex County	Regional School District 17	No	No	No	No	(860) 663-1241	260	28	9.3	15.0%	234 (90.0%)	4 (1.5%)	11 (4.2%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (3.5%)	76.5	135^th of 497 public elementary schools	72.8%		82.7	98^th of 491 public elementary schools	80.0%	37	73.7		65.0	68.2			66.9	62.1		$18,597
Mile Creek School	Public	K-5	205 Mile Creek Rd.	Old Lyme	06371	New London County	Regional School District 18	No	No	No	Yes	(860) 434-2209	310	27	11.5	13.5%	269 (86.8%)	1 (0.3%)	20 (6.5%)	6 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (4.5%)	84.5	79^th of 497 public elementary schools	84.1%		86.2	70^th of 491 public elementary schools	85.7%	9	68.9	76.2	77.6	73.9		76.2	77.6	64.4		$19,602

Frequently Asked Questions about Essex Elementary School

Is Essex Elementary School a good school?

Essex Elementary School ranks 115^th of 497 Connecticut elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What district is Essex Elementary School in?

Essex School District

What is the racial makeup of Essex Elementary School?

Students at Essex Elementary School are 87% White, 8% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of Essex Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Essex Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : John Winthrop Middle School
High : Valley Regional High School

How many students attend Essex Elementary School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 300 students attended Essex Elementary School.

Rate Essex Elementary School!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

CTConnecticut Elementary School Rankings

CTConnecticut District Rankings

Schools in Centerbrook, CT

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Essex Elementary School!

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.