House of Arts Letters and Science (HALS) Academy

Summary:

The House of Arts Letters and Science (HALS) Academy is a remarkable public middle school located in New Britain, Connecticut, serving grades 6-8 with a student population of 140. Despite being part of the New Britain School District, which is ranked 150 out of 151 districts in the state and has a 0-star rating, HALS Academy consistently outperforms its surrounding schools and the state as a whole.

HALS Academy's academic performance is truly exceptional, with 81.6% of 6th-grade students and 91.3% of 8th-grade students proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to just 16.8% and 16.4% for the New Britain School District, respectively. In mathematics, 89.6% of 6th-grade students and 82.2% of 8th-grade students at HALS Academy were proficient or better, compared to 9.6% and 7.7% for the district. This exceptional performance has earned HALS Academy a ranking of 1 out of 249 middle schools in Connecticut for the 2022-2023 school year and a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger.

HALS Academy's success extends beyond just overall academic achievement, as the school also excels in serving diverse student populations. In the 2020-2021 school year, the school ranked 1 out of 244 Connecticut middle schools for special education students and 1 out of 218 for low socioeconomic status students. This impressive track record, combined with the school's diverse student body, which is 36.43% White, 15.71% African American, 42.14% Hispanic, and 0.71% Asian, makes HALS Academy a standout institution within the New Britain School District and the state of Connecticut.

Detail:

Public 6-8

40 Goodwin St
New Britain, CT 06051

(860) 826-1866

District: New Britain School District

Students who attend House of Arts Letters and Science (HALS) Academy usually attend:

High:

New Britain High School

Feeder schools for House of Arts Letters and Science (HALS) Academy:

Elementary:	Chamberlain Elementary School
	DiLoreto Elementary & Middle School
	Gaffney Elementary School
	Holmes Elementary School
	More...
	Jefferson Elementary School
	Lincoln Elementary School
	Northend Elementary School
	Smalley Elementary School
	Smith Elementary School
	Vance Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio: 16.2

Number of students: 140

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

42.1%

White:

36.4%

African American:

15.7%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 50%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details House of Arts Letters and Science (HALS) Academy is not ranked due for the most recent year due to insufficient test score data. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 97.12. (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

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Teachers

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Finance

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Schooldigger Rankings:

House of Arts Letters and Science (HALS) Academy was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

New Britain School District:

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

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Rank History for House of Arts Letters and Science (HALS) Academy

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Rank History for all students at House of Arts Letters and Science (HALS) Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CT State Percentile
2009	85.80	2^nd	255	99.2%
2010	86.81	1^st	268	99.6%
2011	85.42	1^st	269	99.6%
2012	82.73	3^rd	272	98.9%
2013	85.50	1^st	278	99.6%
2015	96.06	1^st	280	99.6%
2016	91.99	4^th	246	98.4%
2017	93.94	3^rd	250	98.8%
2018	96.87	1^st	249	99.6%
2019	97.29	1^st	259	99.6%
2021	92.73	12^th	275	95.6%
2022	96.64	1^st	250	99.6%
2023	97.12	1^st	249	99.6%

See the entire list of Connecticut Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at House of Arts Letters and Science (HALS) Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CT State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	99.07	1^st	244	99.6%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at House of Arts Letters and Science (HALS) Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CT State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	98.27	1^st	218	99.5%

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

Rank History for Female students at House of Arts Letters and Science (HALS) Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CT State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	80.83	42^nd	235	82.1%

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

Rank History for Male students at House of Arts Letters and Science (HALS) Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CT State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	97.00	2^nd	224	99.1%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at House of Arts Letters and Science (HALS) Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CT State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	99.84	1^st	99	99.0%

See the entire list of Best Connecticut Middle Schools for Hispanic 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

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Enrollment information for House of Arts Letters and Science (HALS) Academy

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2007	81	27	10	39	0	n/a	n/a	157
2008	83	21	7	44	0	n/a	n/a	155
2009	83	29	7	43	0	n/a	n/a	162
2010	74	27	9	44	1	n/a	n/a	155
2011	61	26	10	51	3	0	5	156
2012	78	24	8	49	1	0	5	165
2013	77	28	7	51	1	0	5	169
2014	78	19	9	55	0	0	6	167
2015	73	16	8	55	2	0	5	159
2016	72	16	8	47	2	0	4	149
2017	71	22	6	45	2	0	1	147
2018	66	20	8	54	0	0	4	152
2019	61	15	9	58	0	0	5	148
2020	54	14	13	63	0	0	9	153
2021	57	19	8	69	0	0	10	163
2022	51	18	4	65	0	0	8	146
2023	51	22	1	59	0	0	7	140

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 House of Arts Letters and Science (HALS) Academy

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2007	157	7.5	20.9	36.9
2008	155	9.2	16.8	34.2
2009	162	9.1	18.8	37.7
2010	155	8.2	18.9	46.5
2011	156	8.2	19.0	51.3
2012	165	7.0	23.5	53.3
2013	169	7.1	23.8	59.2
2014	167	8.3	20.1	56.3
2015	159	7.0	22.7	52.8
2016	149	10.0	14.9	56.4
2017	147	10.0	14.7	59.2
2018	152	1.6	95.0	60.5
2019	148	8.3	17.8	67.6
2020	153	8.3	18.4	49
2021	163	8.6	18.9	44.2
2022	146	8.4	17.3	48.6
2023	140	8.6	16.2	50

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 House of Arts Letters and Science (HALS) Academy

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2007	157	7.5	20.9	36.9
2008	155	9.2	16.8	34.2
2009	162	9.1	18.8	37.7
2010	155	8.2	18.9	46.5
2011	156	8.2	19.0	51.3
2012	165	7.0	23.5	53.3
2013	169	7.1	23.8	59.2
2014	167	8.3	20.1	56.3
2015	159	7.0	22.7	52.8
2016	149	10.0	14.9	56.4
2017	147	10.0	14.7	59.2
2018	152	1.6	95.0	60.5
2019	148	8.3	17.8	67.6
2020	153	8.3	18.4	49
2021	163	8.6	18.9	44.2
2022	146	8.4	17.3	48.6
2023	140	8.6	16.2	50

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 House of Arts Letters and Science (HALS) Academy

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2018	$12,682
2019	$13,315
2020	$12,712
2021	$13,925
2022	$16,859
2023	$17,262

Data source: Connecticut Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on House of Arts Letters and Science (HALS) Academy

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 1^st of 259 Middle schools	Ranks 1^st of 249 Middle schools	0%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
6th Grade Mathematics (House of Arts Letters and Science (HALS) Academy)	89.3	89.6	0.3%
6th Grade Mathematics (New Britain School District)	9.5	9.6	0.1%
6th Grade Mathematics (Connecticut)	45.4	39.6	5.8%
7th Grade Mathematics (House of Arts Letters and Science (HALS) Academy)	84.4	70.8	13.6%
7th Grade Mathematics (New Britain School District)	9	7.7	1.3%
7th Grade Mathematics (Connecticut)	46.1	37.9	8.2%
8th Grade Mathematics (House of Arts Letters and Science (HALS) Academy)	84.8	82.2	2.6%
8th Grade Mathematics (New Britain School District)	9.5	7.7	1.8%
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	148	140	5.4%
African American	15	22	46.7%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	9	1	88.9%
Hispanic	58	59	1.7%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	61	51	16.4%
Two or More Races	5	7	40%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	67.6%	50%	17.6%

Schools Near House of Arts Letters and Science (HALS) Academy

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
House of Arts Letters and Science (HALS) Academy	Public	6-8	40 Goodwin St	New Britain	06051	Hartford County	New Britain School District	No	No	No	Yes	(860) 826-1866	140	9	16.2	50.0%	51 (36.4%)	22 (15.7%)	59 (42.1%)	1 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (5.0%)								(n/a)				89.6				82.6			$17,262
John Wallace Middle School	Public	5-8	71 Halleran Drive	Newington	06111	Hartford County	Newington School District	No	No	No	Yes	(860) 667-5888	586	49	11.9	32.1%	332 (56.7%)	37 (6.3%)	126 (21.5%)	59 (10.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	31 (5.3%)	55.5	109^th of 250 public middle schools	56.4%		58.6	103^rd of 249 public middle schools	58.6%	6	57.7	56.6	46.6	50.8	55.3	48.0	35.0	38.6	50.7	37.2	$19,947
Slade Middle School	Public	6-8	183 Steele St.	New Britain	06052	Hartford County	New Britain School District	No	No	No	Yes	(860) 225-6395	795	68	11.7	76.7%	88 (11.1%)	95 (11.9%)	559 (70.3%)	14 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	35 (4.4%)	5.6	244^th of 250 public middle schools	2.4%		4.9	242^nd of 249 public middle schools	2.8%	2		11.3		12.0	17.8	17.2		4.9	3.6	6.4	$21,576
Pulaski Middle School	Public	6-8	757 Farmington Ave.	New Britain	06053	Hartford County	New Britain School District	No	No	No	Yes	(860) 225-7665	867	65	13.3	79.8%	151 (17.4%)	93 (10.7%)	574 (66.2%)	15 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.2%)	31 (3.6%)	3.2	250^th of 250 public middle schools	0.0%		3.8	246^th of 249 public middle schools	1.2%	4		9.4		2.8	6.5	8.1			3.0		$18,818
Martin Kellogg Middle School	Public	5-8	155 Harding Avenue	Newington	06111	Hartford County	Newington School District	No	No	No	Yes	(860) 666-5418	555	48	11.4	38.0%	270 (48.6%)	34 (6.1%)	173 (31.2%)	51 (9.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (4.9%)	54.7	111^th of 250 public middle schools	55.6%		52.6	118^th of 249 public middle schools	52.6%	7	55.2	47.6	46.9	43.8	55.5	48.3	33.3	42.5	48.6	46.9	$20,926
Catherine M. McGee Middle School	Public	6-8	899 Norton Rd.	Berlin	06037	Hartford County	Berlin School District	No	No	No	Yes	(860) 828-0323	582	56	10.3	22.2%	454 (78.0%)	10 (1.7%)	74 (12.7%)	26 (4.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (3.1%)	78.3	58^th of 250 public middle schools	76.8%		74.3	67^th of 249 public middle schools	73.1%	9		60.5		68.2	65.9	56.6		66.7	64.3	56.3	$21,085
Irving A. Robbins Middle School	Public	7-8	20 Wolf Pit Rd.	Farmington	06032	Hartford County	Farmington School District	No	No	No	Yes	(860) 677-2683	625	57	11.0	16.5%	308 (49.3%)	34 (5.4%)	77 (12.3%)	160 (25.6%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (6.7%)	89.9	18^th of 250 public middle schools	92.8%		91.2	17^th of 249 public middle schools	93.2%	1					77.3	77.3			67.2	66.6	$21,054
Albert D. Griswold Middle School	Public	6-8	144 Bailey Rd.	Rocky Hill	06067	Hartford County	Rocky Hill School District	No	No	No	Yes	(860) 258-7741	633	52	12.2	20.1%	322 (50.9%)	21 (3.3%)	77 (12.2%)	188 (29.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (3.8%)	87.5	26^th of 250 public middle schools	89.6%		85.2	36^th of 249 public middle schools	85.5%	10		72.7		75.5	72.7	74.3		67.2	66.0	62.8	$18,907
Silas Deane Middle School	Public	7-8	551 Silas Deane Hwy.	Wethersfield	06109	Hartford County	Wethersfield School District	No	No	No	No	(860) 571-8300	574	51	11.2	30.5%	386 (67.2%)	27 (4.7%)	117 (20.4%)	28 (4.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (2.6%)	67.8	84^th of 250 public middle schools	66.4%		59.7	101^st of 249 public middle schools	59.4%	17		57.7			61.8	60.8			49.1	46.0	$18,823
Cromwell Middle School	Public	6-8	6 Captain James Mann Memorial	Cromwell	06416	Middlesex County	Cromwell School District	No	No	No	Yes	(860) 632-4853	483	43	11.3	26.5%	337 (69.8%)	30 (6.2%)	64 (13.3%)	29 (6.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	20 (4.1%)	69.1	77^th of 250 public middle schools	69.2%		66.9	83^rd of 249 public middle schools	66.7%	6		55.7		65.1	61.8	61.7		53.6	49.1	46.3	$17,979

Frequently Asked Questions about House of Arts Letters and Science (HALS) Academy

What is the racial makeup of House of Arts Letters and Science (HALS) Academy?

Students at House of Arts Letters and Science (HALS) Academy are 42% Hispanic, 36% White, 16% African American, 5% Two or more races.

What district is House of Arts Letters and Science (HALS) Academy in?

New Britain School District

How many students attend House of Arts Letters and Science (HALS) Academy?

In the 2022-23 school year, 140 students attended House of Arts Letters and Science (HALS) Academy.

What high school do graduates of House of Arts Letters and Science (HALS) Academy attend?

Students who attend House of Arts Letters and Science (HALS) Academy usually go on to attend New Britain High School

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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.