Is Nichols School a good school?

Nichols School ranks in the bottom 24.7% of Connecticut elementary schools.

How many students attend Nichols School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 441 students attended Nichols School.

What is the racial makeup of Nichols School?

Students at Nichols School are 48% Hispanic, 23% African American, 21% White, 5% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

What schools do graduates of Nichols School attend?

Students who attend Nichols School usually go on to attend: Middle : David Wooster Middle School High : Stratford High School

Nichols School

Summary:

Nichols School is an elementary school in Stratford, Connecticut, serving 441 students from kindergarten to 6th grade. The school faces significant challenges, consistently underperforming academically compared to the Stratford School District and the state of Connecticut.

Nichols School's academic performance is a major concern, with only 20.5% of 3rd graders proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 32% for the district and 45.9% for the state. The school also has a low statewide ranking, placing in the bottom quarter of Connecticut elementary schools, and struggles to support certain student subgroups, such as those from low socioeconomic backgrounds. Additionally, Nichols School has a high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, at 53.74%, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage among the student population.

When compared to other nearby elementary schools in the Stratford School District, such as Wilcoxson School and Eli Whitney School, Nichols School consistently underperforms, suggesting that the unique needs of its diverse student population are not being adequately addressed. Addressing these challenges will require a comprehensive, data-driven approach to improve student outcomes and support the school's community.

Detail:

Public K-6

396 Nichols Avenue
Stratford, CT 06614

(203) 385-4294

District: Stratford School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
374^th of 497 Connecticut Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $19,522

Students who attend Nichols School usually attend:

Middle:	David Wooster Middle School
High:	Stratford High School

Student/teacher ratio: 16.5

Number of students: 441

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

48.1%

African American:

23.1%

White:

20.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 53.7%

See top rated Connecticut elementary schools

Compare Nichols School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Nichols School ranks worse than 75.3% of elementary schools in Connecticut. It also ranks 7^th among 8 ranked elementary schools in the Stratford School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 18.57. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Student population at Nichols School is diverse. Racial makeup is: Hispanic (48.1%), African American (23.1%), White (20.9%). (See more...)

Compare Details 53.7% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Nichols School is 16.5, which is the highest among 8 elementary schools in the Stratford School District! (See more...)

Compare Nichols School employs 26.7 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Nichols School is $19,522. 6 elementary schools in the Stratford School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Nichols School:

SchoolDigger ranks Nichols School 374^th of 497 Connecticut public elementary schools. (See Nichols School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Hispanic students:

Stratford School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Stratford School District 140^th of 158 Connecticut school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Nichols School

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Rank History for all students at Nichols School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CT State Percentile
2006	57.61	319^th	570	44.0%
2007	55.35	337^th	568	40.7%
2008	59.53	313^th	565	44.6%
2009	51.91	362^nd	566	36.0%
2010	57.57	326^th	579	43.7%
2011	55.26	333^rd	565	41.1%
2012	57.22	323^rd	564	42.7%
2013	47.89	360^th	557	35.4%
2015	21.73	435^th	551	21.1%
2016	20.04	404^th	518	22.0%
2017	17.42	410^th	519	21.0%
2018	22.64	404^th	532	24.1%
2019	23.91	400^th	522	23.4%
2021	28.53	374^th	538	30.5%
2022	26.93	341^st	490	30.4%
2023	23.57	350^th	491	28.7%
2024	18.57	374^th	497	24.7%

See the entire list of Connecticut Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Nichols School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CT State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	46.51	188^th	371	49.3%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Nichols School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CT State Percentile
2019	31.50	44^th	60	26.7%
2021	57.68	104^th	302	65.6%
2023	29.35	51^st	72	29.2%
2024	24.99	57^th	70	18.6%

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

Rank History for Female students at Nichols School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CT State Percentile
2021	27.03	324^th	455	28.8%
2022	24.22	186^th	234	20.5%
2023	27.47	169^th	230	26.5%
2024	13.95	203^rd	237	14.3%

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

Rank History for Male students at Nichols School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CT State Percentile
2018	15.55	229^th	262	12.6%
2019	18.53	209^th	247	15.4%
2021	23.32	336^th	445	24.5%
2022	26.29	179^th	232	22.8%
2023	18.24	191^st	231	17.3%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Nichols School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CT State Percentile
2018	41.53	57^th	101	43.6%
2019	51.97	44^th	112	60.7%
2021	52.89	68^th	173	60.7%
2022	60.17	30^th	99	69.7%
2023	57.02	33^rd	108	69.4%
2024	41.64	61^st	111	45.0%

See the entire list of Best Connecticut Elementary 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 Nichols School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1988	277	11	8	3	0	n/a	n/a	299
1989	277	13	6	5	0	n/a	n/a	301
1990	281	16	2	3	n/a	n/a	n/a	302
1991	300	10	2	5	0	n/a	n/a	317
1992	351	13	6	10	0	n/a	n/a	380
1993	395	32	13	26	0	n/a	n/a	466
1994	375	24	17	33	3	n/a	n/a	452
1995	417	43	20	43	0	n/a	n/a	523
1996	417	43	20	43	0	n/a	n/a	523
1997	400	50	18	40	0	n/a	n/a	508
1998	380	62	18	45	0	n/a	n/a	505
1999	390	61	17	46	0	n/a	n/a	514
2000	363	61	19	48	2	n/a	n/a	493
2001	335	63	11	65	0	n/a	n/a	474
2002	275	69	23	56	0	n/a	n/a	423
2003	275	69	23	56	0	n/a	n/a	423
2004	242	72	18	73	3	n/a	n/a	408
2005	226	84	13	79	2	n/a	n/a	404
2006	235	110	18	88	2	n/a	n/a	453
2007	223	102	17	98	1	n/a	n/a	441
2008	218	88	15	108	1	n/a	n/a	430
2009	199	78	14	106	1	n/a	n/a	398
2010	224	83	14	115	1	n/a	n/a	437
2011	182	76	20	138	4	2	0	422
2012	178	81	18	138	3	0	12	430
2013	185	78	17	146	1	0	10	437
2014	179	88	14	138	1	0	11	431
2015	180	91	15	149	2	0	15	452
2016	166	84	15	142	1	0	11	419
2017	148	84	12	156	1	0	11	412
2018	133	85	10	146	1	1	16	392
2019	137	93	11	184	0	0	23	448
2020	129	95	6	213	2	0	31	476
2021	117	106	12	193	1	1	25	455
2022	103	98	10	209	1	2	23	446
2023	92	102	10	212	0	2	23	441

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 Nichols School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	299	14.0	21.3	n/a
1989	301	14.0	21.5	n/a
1990	302	14.0	21.5	n/a
1991	317	15.0	21.1	n/a
1992	380	20.3	18.7	6.1
1993	466	22.8	20.4	0.4
1994	452	20.7	21.8	20.1
1995	523	22.8	22.9	27.7
1996	523	22.8	22.9	27.7
1997	508	25.0	20.3	19.1
1998	505	26.5	19.1	13.1
1999	514	27.8	18.5	25.3
2000	493	27.6	17.9	24.5
2001	474	28.4	16.7	n/a
2002	423	27.2	15.6	25.3
2003	423	27.2	15.6	25.3
2004	408	27.0	15.1	27.9
2005	404	23.2	17.4	n/a
2006	453	24.2	18.7	39.1
2007	441	25.7	17.2	33.8
2008	430	27.0	15.9	36
2009	398	29.8	14.6	24.4
2010	437	25.7	17.0	36.4
2011	422	27.3	15.4	48.6
2012	430	26.1	16.4	51.2
2013	437	27.0	16.1	54.2
2014	431	27.1	15.8	53.8
2015	452	30.0	15.0	54
2016	419	32.0	13.0	58.2
2017	412	30.3	13.5	51.5
2018	392	31.3	12.5	52.3
2019	448	27.7	16.1	60
2020	476	27.7	17.1	45.2
2021	455	28.7	15.8	38.7
2022	446	26.7	16.7	42.2
2023	441	26.7	16.5	53.7

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 Nichols School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	299	14.0	21.3	n/a
1989	301	14.0	21.5	n/a
1990	302	14.0	21.5	n/a
1991	317	15.0	21.1	n/a
1992	380	20.3	18.7	6.1
1993	466	22.8	20.4	0.4
1994	452	20.7	21.8	20.1
1995	523	22.8	22.9	27.7
1996	523	22.8	22.9	27.7
1997	508	25.0	20.3	19.1
1998	505	26.5	19.1	13.1
1999	514	27.8	18.5	25.3
2000	493	27.6	17.9	24.5
2001	474	28.4	16.7	n/a
2002	423	27.2	15.6	25.3
2003	423	27.2	15.6	25.3
2004	408	27.0	15.1	27.9
2005	404	23.2	17.4	n/a
2006	453	24.2	18.7	39.1
2007	441	25.7	17.2	33.8
2008	430	27.0	15.9	36
2009	398	29.8	14.6	24.4
2010	437	25.7	17.0	36.4
2011	422	27.3	15.4	48.6
2012	430	26.1	16.4	51.2
2013	437	27.0	16.1	54.2
2014	431	27.1	15.8	53.8
2015	452	30.0	15.0	54
2016	419	32.0	13.0	58.2
2017	412	30.3	13.5	51.5
2018	392	31.3	12.5	52.3
2019	448	27.7	16.1	60
2020	476	27.7	17.1	45.2
2021	455	28.7	15.8	38.7
2022	446	26.7	16.7	42.2
2023	441	26.7	16.5	53.7

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 Nichols School

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2018	$16,084
2019	$15,996
2020	$15,660
2021	$17,102
2022	$17,770
2023	$19,522

Data source: Connecticut Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Nichols 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 400^th of 522 Elementary schools	Ranks 350^th of 491 Elementary schools	5.3%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Nichols School)	35.8	19.7	16.1%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Stratford School District)	42	39.2	2.8%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Connecticut)	54.3	45.5	8.8%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Nichols School)	34.3	16.9	17.4%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Stratford School District)	42.6	36	6.6%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Connecticut)	55	49.8	5.2%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Nichols School)	43.5	46.7	3.2%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Stratford School District)	46.1	42	4.1%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Connecticut)	54.6	48.8	5.8%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Nichols School)	44.7	31.9	12.8%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Stratford School District)	51.7	40.6	11.1%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Connecticut)	58.1	51.3	6.8%
5th Grade Mathematics (Nichols School)	40.8	29	11.8%
5th Grade Mathematics (Stratford School District)	39.2	32	7.2%
5th Grade Mathematics (Connecticut)	46.5	41.8	4.7%
6th Grade Mathematics (Nichols School)	28.2	23.1	5.1%
6th Grade Mathematics (Stratford School District)	35.8	27.3	8.5%
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	448	441	1.6%
African American	93	102	9.7%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	11	10	9.1%
Hispanic	184	212	15.2%
Pacific Islander	0	2
White	137	92	32.8%
Two or More Races	23	23
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	60%	53.7%	6.3%

Schools Near Nichols 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
Nichols School	Public	K-6	396 Nichols Avenue	Stratford	06614	Fairfield County	Stratford School District	No	No	No	Yes	(203) 385-4294	441	27	16.5	53.7%	92 (20.9%)	102 (23.1%)	212 (48.1%)	10 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	23 (5.2%)	18.6	374^th of 497 public elementary schools	24.7%		23.6	350^th of 491 public elementary schools	28.7%	24	42.9		20.5	19.1	35.1	28.2			17.9	16.2	40.3	14.1			$19,522
Franklin School	Public	K-6	1895 Barnum Avenue	Stratford	06615	Fairfield County	Stratford School District	No	No	No	Yes	(203) 385-4190	262	23	11.6	59.9%	29 (11.1%)	92 (35.1%)	125 (47.7%)	7 (2.7%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (3.1%)	22.1	359^th of 497 public elementary schools	27.8%		23.4	351^st of 491 public elementary schools	28.5%	8	32.0		31.4	22.7		20.9			57.1	25.0		32.6			$20,989
Wilcoxson School	Public	K-6	600 Wilcoxson Avenue	Stratford	06614	Fairfield County	Stratford School District	No	No	No	Yes	(203) 385-4196	365	26	13.9	39.7%	170 (46.6%)	70 (19.2%)	95 (26.0%)	10 (2.7%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.3%)	17 (4.7%)	34.6	311^th of 497 public elementary schools	37.4%		47.6	251^st of 491 public elementary schools	48.9%	60			43.5	46.2	47.5	40.7			43.5		35.0	27.1			$20,169
Six-Six Magnet School	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-8	601 Pearl Harbor St.	Bridgeport	06610	Fairfield County	Cooperative Educational Services	No	Yes	No	Yes	(203) 365-8200	457	43	10.6	43.5%	109 (23.9%)	94 (20.6%)	200 (43.8%)	30 (6.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (5.3%)	35.9	304^th of 497 public elementary schools	38.8%		41.4	276^th of 491 public elementary schools	43.8%	28			37.8	47.6			37.5	56.8		26.2	36.1	52.9	25.0		$22,536
Second Hill Lane School	Public	K-6	65 Second Hill Lane	Stratford	06614	Fairfield County	Stratford School District	No	No	No	Yes	(203) 385-4292	594	47	12.5	46.5%	133 (22.4%)	97 (16.3%)	322 (54.2%)	11 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	30 (5.1%)	29.1	332^nd of 497 public elementary schools	33.2%		32.6	318^th of 491 public elementary schools	35.2%	14	45.8		35.8	45.2	30.2	37.8			45.7	31.0	24.0	37.8			$17,511
Multicultural Magnet School	Public, Magnet	K-8	700 Palisade Ave.	Bridgeport	06610	Fairfield County	Bridgeport School District	No	Yes	No	Yes	(203) 576-7505	396	31	12.9	82.1%	69 (17.4%)	32 (8.1%)	266 (67.2%)	4 (1.0%)	18 (4.5%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.8%)	16.9	383^rd of 497 public elementary schools	22.9%		14.2	400^th of 491 public elementary schools	18.5%	17			22.2				67.3	70.0		39.1	25.0	15.2	54.5	34.0	$18,217
High Horizons Magnet School	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-8	700 Palisade Ave.	Bridgeport	06610	Fairfield County	Bridgeport School District	No	Yes	No	Yes	(203) 576-7807	414	31	13.1	79.2%	47 (11.4%)	146 (35.3%)	201 (48.6%)	8 (1.9%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.2%)	14.2	403^rd of 497 public elementary schools	18.9%		10.4	425^th of 491 public elementary schools	13.4%	22	30.0	26.7	36.4	20.4		22.9	61.2			12.2			44.9	26.7	$16,798
Hall School	Public	PK, KG-6	290 Clermont Ave.	Bridgeport	06610	Fairfield County	Bridgeport School District	No	No	No	Yes	(203) 576-7560	183	17	10.7	92.9%	11 (6.0%)	82 (44.8%)	79 (43.2%)	4 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (3.8%)								(n/a)															$19,804
Edison School	Public	PK, KG-6	115 Boston Terrace	Bridgeport	06610	Fairfield County	Bridgeport School District	No	No	No	Yes	(203) 576-7183	184	16	11.5	84.8%	15 (8.2%)	62 (33.7%)	93 (50.5%)	4 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	9 (4.9%)								(n/a)															$18,879
Eli Whitney School	Public	K-6	1130 Huntington Road	Stratford	06615	Fairfield County	Stratford School District	No	No	No	Yes	(203) 385-4198	461	32	14.2	34.3%	178 (38.6%)	91 (19.7%)	163 (35.4%)	10 (2.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (3.9%)	68.6	176^th of 497 public elementary schools	64.6%		74.2	146^th of 491 public elementary schools	70.3%	30	55.4		46.8	64.1	71.6	56.1			67.7	70.3	63.5	52.4			$20,316

Nichols School

Nichols School:

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Stratford School District:

What do you think?

Rank History for Nichols School

Rank History for all students at Nichols School

Rank History for Special Education students at Nichols School

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Nichols School

Rank History for Female students at Nichols School

Rank History for Male students at Nichols School

Rank History for Hispanic students at Nichols School

Enrollment information for Nichols School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Nichols School

Student/Teacher Ratio Nichols School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Nichols School

Impact of COVID-19 on Nichols School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Nichols School

Nichols School

Franklin School

Wilcoxson School

Six-Six Magnet School

Second Hill Lane School

Multicultural Magnet School

High Horizons Magnet School

Hall School

Edison School

Eli Whitney School

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