Is Ridge Hill School a good school?

Ridge Hill School ranks 320 th of 497 Connecticut elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Ridge Hill School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 294 students attended Ridge Hill School.

What is the racial makeup of Ridge Hill School?

Students at Ridge Hill School are 31% White, 27% Hispanic, 26% African American, 9% Asian, 7% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of Ridge Hill School attend?

Students who attend Ridge Hill School usually go on to attend: Middle : Hamden Middle School High : Hamden High School

Ridge Hill School

Summary:

Ridge Hill School is an elementary school in Hamden, Connecticut, serving 294 students in grades PK-6 as part of the Hamden School District. While the school has a more diverse student population compared to nearby Spring Glen School, its academic performance, as measured by test scores, is generally lower than the state and local averages.

Ridge Hill School has a significantly higher percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch at 55.78%, compared to 23.51% at Spring Glen School. However, the school has a lower student-teacher ratio of 11.7, compared to 13.9 at Spring Glen School. While Ridge Hill School's overall academic performance is lower than the state and district averages, it performs relatively well for certain student subgroups, such as special education students and students from low socioeconomic backgrounds.

When compared to other nearby schools, such as those in the New Haven School District, Ridge Hill School generally underperforms academically. However, its diverse student population and lower student-teacher ratio could be potential strengths that the school can build upon to improve student outcomes. Further investigation into the school's resources, teaching practices, and student demographics could provide more insights into the drivers of its performance.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-6

120 Carew Rd.
Hamden, CT 06517

(203) 407-2035

District: Hamden School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
320^th of 497 Connecticut Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $23,484

Students who attend Ridge Hill School usually attend:

Middle:	Hamden Middle School
High:	Hamden High School

Student/teacher ratio: 11.7

Number of students: 294

Racial breakdown:

White:

30.6%

Hispanic:

27.2%

African American:

25.5%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 55.8%

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Compare Ridge Hill School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Ridge Hill School ranks worse than 64.4% of elementary schools in Connecticut. It also ranks 5^th among 8 ranked elementary schools in the Hamden School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 30.77. (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 Ridge Hill School has the largest elementary school student body size in the Hamden School District. (See more...)

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Teachers

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Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Ridge Hill School is $23,484, which is the 3^rd highest among 8 elementary schools in the Hamden School District.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Ridge Hill School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

Hamden School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Hamden School District 126^th of 158 Connecticut school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Ridge Hill School

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Rank History for all students at Ridge Hill School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CT State Percentile
2006	26.74	462^nd	570	18.9%
2007	31.78	444^th	568	21.8%
2008	30.19	447^th	565	20.9%
2009	37.43	431^st	566	23.9%
2010	39.31	427^th	579	26.3%
2011	22.59	475^th	565	15.9%
2012	17.03	486^th	564	13.8%
2013	25.47	455^th	557	18.3%
2015	43.44	331^st	551	39.9%
2016	30.66	354^th	518	31.7%
2017	26.99	379^th	519	27.0%
2018	27.23	384^th	532	27.8%
2019	30.06	367^th	522	29.7%
2021	32.66	351^st	538	34.8%
2022	38.96	293^rd	490	40.2%
2023	29.53	326^th	491	33.6%
2024	30.77	320^th	497	35.6%

See the entire list of Connecticut Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Ridge Hill School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CT State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	66.75	100^th	371	73.0%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Ridge Hill School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CT State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	69.72	69^th	302	77.2%

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

Rank History for Female students at Ridge Hill School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CT State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	17.00	368^th	455	19.1%

See the entire list of Best Connecticut Elementary Schools for Female 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: 4)

50%

Reviews:

by a parent
Thursday, September 13, 2018

When I moved to this district I enrolled my children in the local private school due to Ridge Hill's school ratings. After a year, I realized my children were not getting the education I was paying for. I sent them to Ridge Hill the following year and they have both excelled in reading and mathematics. We've also found a warm, diverse community of friends. My only regret is not enrolling them sooner. Close Quote

by a parent
Monday, March 18, 2013

Ridge Hill School is a diamond in the rough! It has small class sizes (approx. 17) with extraordinary teachers. The open classrooms, which would be overwhelming for some parents who weren't educated this way, allow lots of room for exploration centers and movement. The grounds are expansive and have the potential to be remarkable if the time, energy and financial resources were invested. I would not hesitate to recommend this school for families that are looking for a small, diverse, community-based school. We would welcome your involvement and participation to create a wonderful learning environment for all! Close Quote

Enrollment information for Ridge Hill School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1988	373	88	7	14	0	n/a	n/a	482
1989	377	90	9	16	0	n/a	n/a	492
1990	391	98	5	23	n/a	n/a	n/a	517
1991	381	120	5	28	0	n/a	n/a	534
1992	397	132	8	18	0	n/a	n/a	555
1993	392	152	10	35	0	n/a	n/a	589
1994	375	177	9	36	0	n/a	n/a	597
1995	356	261	14	35	0	n/a	n/a	666
1996	356	261	14	35	0	n/a	n/a	666
1997	346	286	14	31	0	n/a	n/a	677
1998	249	128	14	41	0	n/a	n/a	432
1999	229	143	18	42	0	n/a	n/a	432
2000	190	146	17	52	0	n/a	n/a	405
2001	174	143	16	50	0	n/a	n/a	383
2002	154	118	16	47	0	n/a	n/a	335
2003	154	118	16	47	0	n/a	n/a	335
2004	160	109	16	51	0	n/a	n/a	336
2005	149	114	33	67	0	n/a	n/a	363
2006	158	143	36	77	1	n/a	n/a	415
2007	103	131	25	64	3	n/a	n/a	326
2008	102	133	28	81	4	n/a	n/a	348
2009	76	136	28	72	2	n/a	n/a	314
2010	85	130	27	71	1	n/a	n/a	314
2011	88	134	25	88	1	0	5	341
2012	73	126	25	88	1	0	8	321
2013	79	120	28	98	1	0	8	334
2014	69	97	21	100	1	0	11	299
2015	74	107	29	100	0	0	12	322
2016	79	102	28	96	0	0	12	317
2017	87	103	30	99	0	0	17	336
2018	82	91	33	98	0	0	15	319
2019	83	84	24	103	0	0	11	305
2020	95	77	27	86	0	0	18	303
2021	89	75	27	89	0	0	14	294
2022	99	65	25	78	0	0	18	285
2023	90	75	27	80	0	0	22	294

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 Ridge Hill School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	482	26.0	18.5	n/a
1989	492	29.0	16.9	n/a
1990	517	30.0	17.2	n/a
1991	534	30.0	17.8	n/a
1992	555	31.3	17.7	19.1
1993	589	29.7	19.8	2.4
1994	597	33.5	17.8	32.2
1995	666	35.3	18.9	44.3
1996	666	35.3	18.9	44.3
1997	677	39.8	17.0	38.6
1998	432	32.2	13.4	25.7
1999	432	27.3	15.8	37.7
2000	405	29.0	14.0	44
2001	383	27.5	13.9	n/a
2002	335	22.9	14.6	34.3
2003	335	22.9	14.6	34.3
2004	336	24.0	14.0	43.8
2005	363	24.7	14.7	n/a
2006	415	24.2	17.1	38.3
2007	326	24.2	13.5	42.3
2008	348	22.3	15.6	44.8
2009	314	28.6	13.0	51.6
2010	314	23.1	13.5	47.5
2011	341	28.3	12.0	57.5
2012	321	28.4	11.3	59.8
2013	334	29.2	11.4	62
2014	299	26.5	11.2	62.9
2015	322	26.0	12.3	63
2016	317	25.0	12.6	64
2017	336	25.7	13.0	53.9
2018	319	24.7	12.9	54.2
2019	305	23.0	13.2	61.6
2020	303	22.0	13.7	62.7
2021	294	26.0	11.3	55.4
2022	285	25.0	11.4	52.6
2023	294	25.0	11.7	55.8

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 Ridge Hill School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	482	26.0	18.5	n/a
1989	492	29.0	16.9	n/a
1990	517	30.0	17.2	n/a
1991	534	30.0	17.8	n/a
1992	555	31.3	17.7	19.1
1993	589	29.7	19.8	2.4
1994	597	33.5	17.8	32.2
1995	666	35.3	18.9	44.3
1996	666	35.3	18.9	44.3
1997	677	39.8	17.0	38.6
1998	432	32.2	13.4	25.7
1999	432	27.3	15.8	37.7
2000	405	29.0	14.0	44
2001	383	27.5	13.9	n/a
2002	335	22.9	14.6	34.3
2003	335	22.9	14.6	34.3
2004	336	24.0	14.0	43.8
2005	363	24.7	14.7	n/a
2006	415	24.2	17.1	38.3
2007	326	24.2	13.5	42.3
2008	348	22.3	15.6	44.8
2009	314	28.6	13.0	51.6
2010	314	23.1	13.5	47.5
2011	341	28.3	12.0	57.5
2012	321	28.4	11.3	59.8
2013	334	29.2	11.4	62
2014	299	26.5	11.2	62.9
2015	322	26.0	12.3	63
2016	317	25.0	12.6	64
2017	336	25.7	13.0	53.9
2018	319	24.7	12.9	54.2
2019	305	23.0	13.2	61.6
2020	303	22.0	13.7	62.7
2021	294	26.0	11.3	55.4
2022	285	25.0	11.4	52.6
2023	294	25.0	11.7	55.8

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 Ridge Hill School

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2018	$18,735
2019	$20,453
2020	$21,173
2021	$23,205
2022	$24,501
2023	$23,484

Data source: Connecticut Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Ridge Hill 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 367^th of 522 Elementary schools	Ranks 326^th of 491 Elementary schools	3.9%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Ridge Hill School)	48.9	37	11.9%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Hamden School District)	48.6	39.2	9.4%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Connecticut)	54.3	45.5	8.8%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Ridge Hill School)	38.6	27.3	11.3%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Hamden School District)	49.6	39.2	10.4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Connecticut)	54.6	48.8	5.8%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Ridge Hill School)	51.2	50	1.2%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Hamden School District)	54.8	47.2	7.6%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Connecticut)	58.1	51.9	6.2%
5th Grade Mathematics (Ridge Hill School)	31.7	38.7	7%
5th Grade Mathematics (Hamden School District)	46.6	37.2	9.4%
5th Grade Mathematics (Connecticut)	46.5	41.8	4.7%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Ridge Hill School)	32.7	54	21.3%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Hamden School District)	49.6	48	1.6%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Connecticut)	55.3	47.9	7.4%
6th Grade Mathematics (Ridge Hill School)	43.6	35.9	7.7%
6th Grade Mathematics (Hamden School District)	43.1	42.5	0.6%
6th Grade Mathematics (Connecticut)	45.4	39.6	5.8%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	305	294	3.6%
African American	84	75	10.7%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	24	27	12.5%
Hispanic	103	80	22.3%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	83	90	8.4%
Two or More Races	11	22	100%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	61.6%	55.8%	5.9%

Schools Near Ridge Hill 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 3rd Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 4th 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 3rd Grade	SBAC Mathematics 4th Grade	SBAC Mathematics 5th Grade	SBAC Mathematics 6th Grade	SBAC Mathematics 7th Grade	SBAC Mathematics 8th Grade	Total
Ridge Hill School	Public	PK, KG-6	120 Carew Rd.	Hamden	06517	New Haven County	Hamden School District	No	No	No	Yes	(203) 407-2035	294	25	11.7	55.8%	90 (30.6%)	75 (25.5%)	80 (27.2%)	27 (9.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (7.5%)	30.8	320^th of 497 public elementary schools	35.6%		29.5	326^th of 491 public elementary schools	33.6%	6	33.3		40.9	45.3	20.0				47.7	32.1		47.4			$23,484
Spring Glen School	Public	K-6	1908 Whitney Ave.	Hamden	06517	New Haven County	Hamden School District	No	No	No	No	(203) 407-2045	370	27	13.9	23.5%	226 (61.1%)	50 (13.5%)	61 (16.5%)	12 (3.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	20 (5.4%)	74.7	146^th of 497 public elementary schools	70.6%		79.3	119^th of 491 public elementary schools	75.8%	27	64.9		71.2	74.5	57.9	60.0			72.4	74.5	57.9	53.3			$21,542
Ridge Road Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1341 Ridge Rd.	North Haven	06473	New Haven County	North Haven School District	No	No	No	No	(203) 248-4050	422	30	13.9	22.3%	284 (67.3%)	30 (7.1%)	51 (12.1%)	35 (8.3%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (5.0%)	78.3	123^rd of 497 public elementary schools	75.3%		75	140^th of 491 public elementary schools	71.5%	17	67.7		64.5	73.6	71.0				72.6	65.3	62.9				$17,869
Worthington Hooker School	Public	K-8	180 Canner St.	New Haven	06511	New Haven County	New Haven School District	No	No	No	No	(475) 220-7200	371	31	11.8	24.8%	156 (42.0%)	74 (19.9%)	46 (12.4%)	75 (20.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (5.4%)	67.8	181^st of 497 public elementary schools	63.6%		79.6	115^th of 491 public elementary schools	76.6%	66	68.1	66.7	59.0	44.9	76.6	65.1	67.4	69.8	66.7	45.8	70.2		58.7	55.8	$18,934
Ross/Woodward School	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-8	185 Barnes Ave.	New Haven	06513	New Haven County	New Haven School District	No	Yes	No	Yes	(475) 220-3100	603	44	13.7	76.9%	53 (8.8%)	213 (35.3%)	294 (48.8%)	17 (2.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (4.3%)	7.8	458^th of 497 public elementary schools	7.8%		6.9	464^th of 491 public elementary schools	5.5%	6	27.3	12.5	12.0	21.3	16.7	20.4		25.0		11.5	12.1				$19,002
Clinton Avenue School	Public	K-8	293 Clinton Ave.	New Haven	06513	New Haven County	New Haven School District	No	No	No	Yes	(475) 220-3300	450	41	10.9	77.6%	18 (4.0%)	52 (11.6%)	363 (80.7%)	6 (1.3%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	8 (1.8%)	8.5	449^th of 497 public elementary schools	9.7%		5.6	473^rd of 491 public elementary schools	3.7%	24	24.1	28.8			14.0	17.8	19.2	25.0							$19,414
East Rock Community Magnet School	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-8	133 Nash St.	New Haven	06511	New Haven County	New Haven School District	No	Yes	No	No	(475) 220-5900	449	45	9.9	76.8%	51 (11.4%)	158 (35.2%)	194 (43.2%)	23 (5.1%)	3 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	19 (4.2%)	9.5	442^nd of 497 public elementary schools	11.1%		9.4	436^th of 491 public elementary schools	11.2%	6	22.0	13.5		22.4		23.8		11.8		14.3					$21,213
Bishop Woods Architecture and Design Magnet School	Public, Magnet	K-8	1481 Quinnipiac Avenue	New Haven	06513	New Haven County	New Haven School District	No	Yes	No	No	(475) 220-7300	438	34	12.8	83.6%	28 (6.4%)	152 (34.7%)	232 (53.0%)	6 (1.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (4.3%)	11.3	425^th of 497 public elementary schools	14.5%		13.1	407^th of 491 public elementary schools	17.1%	18	24.5	16.7	19.1		25.5	22.9									$18,868
Church Street School	Public	PK, KG-6	95 Church St.	Hamden	06514	New Haven County	Hamden School District	No	No	No	Yes	(203) 407-2020	277	25	11.1	68.2%	11 (4.0%)	102 (36.8%)	139 (50.2%)	13 (4.7%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	10 (3.6%)	12.8	415^th of 497 public elementary schools	16.5%		15.8	388^th of 491 public elementary schools	21.0%	27				21.1	31.1	16.3				34.2	21.7	14.0			$23,963
Celentano BioTech Health and Medical Magnet School	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-8	400 Canner Street	New Haven	06511	New Haven County	New Haven School District	No	Yes	No	Yes	(475) 220-3400	364	34	10.6	81.9%	19 (5.2%)	189 (51.9%)	131 (36.0%)	12 (3.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	11 (3.0%)	8.4	450^th of 497 public elementary schools	9.5%		9	444^th of 491 public elementary schools	9.6%	6	21.6				18.9					18.8					$20,224

Ridge Hill School

Hamden School District:

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Ridge Hill School

Rank History for all students at Ridge Hill School

Rank History for Special Education students at Ridge Hill School

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Ridge Hill School

Rank History for Female students at Ridge Hill School

Review counts

Enrollment information for Ridge Hill School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Ridge Hill School

Student/Teacher Ratio Ridge Hill School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Ridge Hill School

Impact of COVID-19 on Ridge Hill School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Ridge Hill School