Sprague School

Summary:

Sprague School is an elementary school in Waterbury, Connecticut, serving 407 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the Waterbury School District, which is ranked 148 out of 151 districts in the state and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Sprague School stands out for several key reasons. It has a significantly higher percentage of Hispanic students (71.99%) compared to nearby schools, which range from 51.86% to 67.03% Hispanic. Academically, Sprague consistently ranks among the lowest-performing elementary schools in Connecticut, with only 11.3-12.9% of students proficient in English Language Arts and 7.9-11.3% proficient in Math - well below state and district averages. The school also has an exceptionally high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 65.96% to 82.31%, higher than the surrounding schools. Additionally, Sprague has a relatively high student-teacher ratio, ranging from 11.5 to 16.6, compared to 8.3 to 17.9 in nearby schools.

While the nearby Carrington School has a similar demographic makeup, it is performing significantly better than Sprague. This suggests that the challenges faced by Sprague School may be more severe or unique compared to its neighbors in the Waterbury School District. Despite having funding and resources on par with surrounding schools, Sprague's consistently low performance indicates that targeted interventions and support may be necessary to improve educational outcomes for its students.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

1443 Thomaston Ave.
Waterbury, CT 06704

(203) 574-8189

District: Waterbury School District

Per Pupil Expenditures: $16,976

Students who attend Sprague School usually attend:

Middle:	North End Middle School
High:	Wilby High School

Student/teacher ratio: 16.6

Number of students: 407

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

72.0%

African American:

17.9%

White:

6.4%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 82.3%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Sprague School 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 3.66. (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 Sprague School has the largest elementary school student body size in the Waterbury School District. (See more...)

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Teachers

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Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Sprague School is $16,976. 12 elementary schools in the Waterbury School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger Rankings:

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

Waterbury School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Waterbury School District 151^st of 158 Connecticut school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Sprague School

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Rank History for all students at Sprague School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CT State Percentile
2006	9.39	528^th	570	7.4%
2007	8.26	528^th	568	7.0%
2008	5.26	537^th	565	5.0%
2009	6.15	535^th	566	5.5%
2010	15.73	507^th	579	12.4%
2011	17.36	492^nd	565	12.9%
2012	10.35	518^th	564	8.2%
2013	6.79	526^th	557	5.6%
2015	5.06	538^th	551	2.4%
2016	3.09	506^th	518	2.3%
2017	3.07	508^th	519	2.1%
2018	2.82	524^th	532	1.5%
2019	4.82	490^th	522	6.1%
2021	17.27	430^th	538	20.1%
2022	7.16	455^th	490	7.1%
2023	3.66	488^th	491	0.6%

See the entire list of Connecticut Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Sprague School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CT State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	35.01	238^th	371	35.8%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Sprague School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CT State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	37.57	183^rd	302	39.4%

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

Rank History for Female students at Sprague School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CT State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	13.25	385^th	455	15.4%

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

Rank History for Male students at Sprague School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CT State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	17.63	362^nd	445	18.7%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Sprague School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CT State Percentile
2019	22.15	92^nd	112	17.9%
2021	57.41	62^nd	173	64.2%
2022	12.07	93^rd	99	6.1%

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 Department of Education

Review counts

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100%

Reviews:
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Enrollment information for Sprague School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1988	203	101	5	94	0	n/a	n/a	403
1989	193	118	2	121	1	n/a	n/a	435
1990	182	111	3	129	1	n/a	n/a	426
1991	176	125	2	139	2	n/a	n/a	444
1992	168	122	2	162	2	n/a	n/a	456
1993	167	112	7	161	2	n/a	n/a	449
1994	176	135	5	173	4	n/a	n/a	493
1995	140	140	5	163	2	n/a	n/a	450
1996	140	140	5	163	2	n/a	n/a	450
1997	120	143	3	166	0	n/a	n/a	432
1998	114	138	7	177	0	n/a	n/a	436
1999	124	141	8	192	2	n/a	n/a	467
2000	119	156	7	225	3	n/a	n/a	510
2001	118	146	4	245	2	n/a	n/a	515
2002	87	135	9	231	1	n/a	n/a	463
2003	87	135	9	231	1	n/a	n/a	463
2004	80	129	5	244	1	n/a	n/a	459
2005	70	131	2	267	0	n/a	n/a	470
2006	81	142	3	313	0	n/a	n/a	539
2007	86	146	4	268	1	n/a	n/a	505
2008	57	138	6	287	0	n/a	n/a	488
2009	53	127	7	290	2	n/a	n/a	479
2010	54	122	4	277	0	n/a	n/a	457
2011	39	116	0	277	0	0	4	436
2012	36	89	4	234	1	0	6	370
2013	50	100	5	239	1	0	5	400
2014	69	116	6	271	1	0	9	472
2015	63	102	6	271	1	0	18	461
2016	59	89	4	291	2	0	20	465
2017	60	96	2	292	1	0	25	476
2018	67	104	0	326	1	0	24	522
2019	54	89	4	330	0	0	27	504
2020	45	99	1	322	0	0	22	489
2021	31	78	0	264	0	0	15	388
2022	28	82	1	296	0	0	19	426
2023	26	73	4	293	0	0	11	407

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 Sprague School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	403	18.0	22.3	n/a
1989	435	19.0	22.8	n/a
1990	426	19.0	22.4	n/a
1991	444	22.0	20.1	n/a
1992	456	23.4	19.4	55.9
1993	449	27.3	16.4	6
1994	493	23.5	21.0	75.5
1995	450	29.3	15.4	73.3
1996	450	29.3	15.4	73.3
1997	432	27.2	15.9	82.2
1998	436	28.2	15.5	62.4
1999	467	32.4	14.4	78.2
2000	510	30.1	16.9	85.7
2001	515	32.3	15.9	n/a
2002	463	29.3	15.8	76.9
2003	463	29.3	15.8	76.9
2004	459	28.3	16.2	75.6
2005	470	29.7	15.8	n/a
2006	539	28.9	18.7	71.6
2007	505	28.5	17.7	84.2
2008	488	31.0	15.7	84.2
2009	479	31.7	16.7	78.5
2010	457	31.6	14.4	85.3
2011	436	30.1	14.4	86
2012	370	29.6	12.5	87.6
2013	400	30.5	13.1	92.8
2014	472	32.0	14.7	92.4
2015	461	34.0	13.5	77.7
2016	465	34.0	13.6	77
2017	476	36.5	13.0	67
2018	522	35.0	14.9	73.8
2019	504	35.9	14.0	69.6
2020	489	37.1	13.1	86.3
2021	388	32.6	11.9	80.4
2022	426	37.0	11.5	66
2023	407	24.5	16.6	82.3

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 Sprague School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	403	18.0	22.3	n/a
1989	435	19.0	22.8	n/a
1990	426	19.0	22.4	n/a
1991	444	22.0	20.1	n/a
1992	456	23.4	19.4	55.9
1993	449	27.3	16.4	6
1994	493	23.5	21.0	75.5
1995	450	29.3	15.4	73.3
1996	450	29.3	15.4	73.3
1997	432	27.2	15.9	82.2
1998	436	28.2	15.5	62.4
1999	467	32.4	14.4	78.2
2000	510	30.1	16.9	85.7
2001	515	32.3	15.9	n/a
2002	463	29.3	15.8	76.9
2003	463	29.3	15.8	76.9
2004	459	28.3	16.2	75.6
2005	470	29.7	15.8	n/a
2006	539	28.9	18.7	71.6
2007	505	28.5	17.7	84.2
2008	488	31.0	15.7	84.2
2009	479	31.7	16.7	78.5
2010	457	31.6	14.4	85.3
2011	436	30.1	14.4	86
2012	370	29.6	12.5	87.6
2013	400	30.5	13.1	92.8
2014	472	32.0	14.7	92.4
2015	461	34.0	13.5	77.7
2016	465	34.0	13.6	77
2017	476	36.5	13.0	67
2018	522	35.0	14.9	73.8
2019	504	35.9	14.0	69.6
2020	489	37.1	13.1	86.3
2021	388	32.6	11.9	80.4
2022	426	37.0	11.5	66
2023	407	24.5	16.6	82.3

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 Sprague School

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2018	$14,624
2019	$13,944
2020	$13,797
2021	$16,062
2022	$15,397
2023	$16,976

Data source: Connecticut Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Sprague 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 490^th of 522 Elementary schools	Ranks 488^th of 491 Elementary schools	5.5%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Sprague School)	20.4	9.7	10.7%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Waterbury School District)	32.4	20.6	11.8%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Connecticut)	54.3	46.7	7.6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Sprague School)	9.9	11.3	1.4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Waterbury School District)	31.2	21.7	9.5%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Connecticut)	54.6	48.8	5.8%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Sprague School)	27.8	12.9	14.9%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Waterbury School District)	33.9	25.2	8.7%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Connecticut)	58.1	51.3	6.8%
5th Grade Mathematics (Sprague School)	19.4	10	9.4%
5th Grade Mathematics (Waterbury School District)	21.7	13.5	8.2%
5th Grade Mathematics (Connecticut)	46.5	38.8	7.7%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	504	407	19.2%
African American	89	73	18%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	4	4
Hispanic	330	293	11.2%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	54	26	51.9%
Two or More Races	27	11	59.3%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	69.6%	82.3%	12.7%

Schools Near Sprague 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	Total
Sprague School	Public	PK, KG-5	1443 Thomaston Ave.	Waterbury	06704	New Haven County	Waterbury School District	No	No	No	Yes	(203) 574-8189	407	25	16.6	82.3%	26 (6.4%)	73 (17.9%)	293 (72.0%)	4 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (2.7%)								(n/a)	26.2												$16,976
F. J. Kingsbury School	Public	PK, KG-5	220 Columbia Blvd.	Waterbury	06710	New Haven County	Waterbury School District	No	No	No	Yes	(203) 574-8172	439	27	16.3	80.2%	21 (4.8%)	123 (28.0%)	260 (59.2%)	9 (2.1%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (5.7%)	13.3	410^th of 497 public elementary schools	17.5%		6.9	463^rd of 491 public elementary schools	5.7%	53	30.5		9.2	34.7	32.9				12.3	29.3	14.6		$16,792
Regan School	Public	PK, KG-5	2780 North Main St.	Waterbury	06704	New Haven County	Waterbury School District	No	No	No	Yes	(203) 574-8187	246	15	16.9	67.9%	28 (11.4%)	47 (19.1%)	153 (62.2%)	6 (2.4%)	5 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.8%)	32.3	314^th of 497 public elementary schools	36.8%		35.3	300^th of 491 public elementary schools	38.9%	14									70.6	15.2	31.6		$16,586
Brass City Charter School	Public, Charter	PK, KG-8	289 Willow St.	Waterbury	06710	New Haven County	Brass City Charter School District	Yes	No	No	Yes	(203) 527-5942	360	32	11.2	57.2%	18 (5.0%)	118 (32.8%)	189 (52.5%)	12 (3.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (6.4%)	37.5	295^th of 497 public elementary schools	40.6%		23.1	354^th of 491 public elementary schools	27.9%	59		38.7	78.9	36.1		23.5			86.8	19.4	16.2	20.6	$16,231
Bunker Hill School	Public	PK, KG-5	170 Bunker Hill Ave.	Waterbury	06708	New Haven County	Waterbury School District	No	No	No	Yes	(203) 574-8183	468	32	14.6	75.6%	40 (8.5%)	104 (22.2%)	288 (61.5%)	4 (0.9%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (6.4%)	7	465^th of 497 public elementary schools	6.4%		7.1	462^nd of 491 public elementary schools	5.9%	3	21.2		24.2	12.5	19.7				12.9	19.4	9.1		$17,655
Bucks Hill School	Public	PK, KG-5	330 Bucks Hill Rd.	Waterbury	06704	New Haven County	Waterbury School District	No	No	No	Yes	(203) 574-8182	294	35	8.3	81.0%	15 (5.1%)	44 (15.0%)	226 (76.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (3.1%)	12.3	420^th of 497 public elementary schools	15.5%		8.8	445^th of 491 public elementary schools	9.4%	25	28.0		29.3	16.0	17.6				39.0	16.7			$21,574
Driggs School	Public	PK, KG-5	77 Woodlawn Terrace	Waterbury	06710	New Haven County	Waterbury School District	No	No	No	Yes	(203) 574-8160	462	27	16.9	77.7%	33 (7.1%)	114 (24.7%)	276 (59.7%)	12 (2.6%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (5.2%)	3.9	492^nd of 497 public elementary schools	1.0%		6.8	465^th of 491 public elementary schools	5.3%	27	11.3			14.7					10.9				$17,463
Reed School	Public	PK, KG-8	33 Griggs Street	Waterbury	06704	New Haven County	Waterbury School District	No	No	No	Yes	(203) 574-8180	455	39	11.5	84.8%	19 (4.2%)	113 (24.8%)	305 (67.0%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (3.5%)	6.3	474^th of 497 public elementary schools	4.6%		5.5	474^th of 491 public elementary schools	3.5%		16.0			12.8	18.0	21.3	12.3		14.6				$17,089
Carrington School	Public	PK, KG-8	24 Kenmore Ave.	Waterbury	06708	New Haven County	Waterbury School District	No	No	No	Yes	(203) 574-8184	457	25	17.9	68.3%	85 (18.6%)	90 (19.7%)	237 (51.9%)	14 (3.1%)	6 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (5.5%)	21.5	360^th of 497 public elementary schools	27.6%		23.3	352^nd of 491 public elementary schools	28.3%	8			42.6	30.0	32.0	25.5		21.2	42.6	38.0	18.0	23.6	$16,504
Polk School	Public	3-5	435 Buckingham St.	Oakville	06779	Litchfield County	Watertown School District	No	No	No	Yes	(860) 945-4840	321	25	13.1	43.9%	253 (78.8%)	14 (4.4%)	26 (8.1%)	5 (1.6%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (6.5%)	38	294^th of 497 public elementary schools	40.8%		41.8	274^th of 491 public elementary schools	44.2%	20	51.0		41.7	37.5	47.9				43.8	44.6	42.7		$18,701

Frequently Asked Questions about Sprague School

What district is Sprague School in?

Waterbury School District

What schools do graduates of Sprague School attend?

Students who attend Sprague School usually go on to attend:

Middle : North End Middle School
High : Wilby High School

What is the racial makeup of Sprague School?

Students at Sprague School are 72% Hispanic, 18% African American, 6% White, 3% Two or more races.

How many students attend Sprague School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 407 students attended Sprague 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.