Is Polk School a good school?

Polk School ranks 294 th of 497 Connecticut elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Polk School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 321 students attended Polk School.

What is the racial makeup of Polk School?

Students at Polk School are 79% White, 8% Hispanic, 7% Two or more races, 4% African American, 2% Asian.

What schools do graduates of Polk School attend?

Students who attend Polk School usually go on to attend: Middle : Swift Middle School High : Watertown High School

Polk School

Summary:

Polk School is an elementary school serving grades 3-5 in the Watertown School District in Oakville, CT. With 321 students, the school has a predominantly White student population (78.82% in 2022-2023) and is rated 2 out of 5 stars by SchoolDigger, ranking 294 out of 497 Connecticut elementary schools for the 2023-2024 school year.

Polk School faces some academic challenges, with student performance on standardized tests generally lower than the Watertown School District and the state of Connecticut averages. However, the school has a relatively low student-teacher ratio of 13.1 and exceptional performance for its special education students, ranking 38 out of 371 Connecticut elementary schools in 2020-2021 with a 5 out of 5 star rating. Compared to nearby schools, Polk School outperforms many in the Waterbury School District, which has a higher percentage of students from low-income backgrounds.

While Polk School's overall performance is lower than the nearby Fletcher W. Judson School, the school has some notable strengths, such as its low student-teacher ratio and exceptional performance for special education students. However, the school's declining statewide rank and shifting racial demographics are trends to monitor, as the school faces challenges in student academic performance and socioeconomic status.

Detail:

Public 3-5

435 Buckingham St.
Oakville, CT 06779

(860) 945-4840

District: Watertown School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
294^th of 497 Connecticut Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $18,701

Students who attend Polk School usually attend:

Middle:	Swift Middle School
High:	Watertown High School

Student/teacher ratio: 13.1

Number of students: 321

Racial breakdown:

White:

78.8%

Hispanic:

8.1%

Two or more races:

6.5%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 43.9%

See top rated Connecticut elementary schools

Compare Polk School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Polk School ranks worse than 59.2% of elementary schools in Connecticut. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 38.03. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (78.8%), Hispanic (8.1%), two or more races (6.5%). (See more...)

Compare Details 43.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the highest percentage in the Watertown School District. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Polk School is 13.1, which is the lowest among 3 elementary schools in the Watertown School District! (See more...)

Compare Polk School employs 24.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Polk School is $18,701, which is the highest among 3 elementary schools in the Watertown School District!

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Polk School:

SchoolDigger ranks Polk School 294^th of 497 Connecticut public elementary schools. (See Polk School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

White students:

Watertown School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Watertown School District 105^th of 158 Connecticut school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Your rating for Polk School?

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Rank History for Polk School

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Rank History for all students at Polk School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CT State Percentile
2006	57.76	316^th	570	44.6%
2007	60.19	298^th	568	47.5%
2008	61.09	299^th	565	47.1%
2009	57.19	328^th	566	42.0%
2010	62.60	299^th	579	48.4%
2011	52.69	349^th	565	38.2%
2012	56.55	330^th	564	41.5%
2013	60.84	287^th	557	48.5%
2015	57.68	259^th	551	53.0%
2016	43.86	298^th	518	42.5%
2017	60.13	221^st	519	57.4%
2018	55.61	251^st	532	52.8%
2019	67.01	199^th	522	61.9%
2021	59.00	236^th	538	56.1%
2022	48.20	257^th	490	47.6%
2023	41.83	274^th	491	44.2%
2024	38.03	294^th	497	40.8%

See the entire list of Connecticut Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Polk School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CT State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	83.67	38^th	371	89.8%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Polk School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CT State Percentile
2019	90.51	5^th	60	91.7%
2021	89.87	17^th	302	94.4%
2022	68.89	11^th	70	84.3%
2023	68.65	13^th	72	81.9%
2024	56.77	22^nd	70	68.6%

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

Rank History for Female students at Polk School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CT State Percentile
2018	38.32	169^th	259	34.7%
2019	55.79	132^nd	242	45.5%
2021	62.49	184^th	455	59.6%
2022	45.25	144^th	234	38.5%
2023	27.05	171^st	230	25.7%
2024	22.35	180^th	237	24.1%

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

Rank History for Male students at Polk School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CT State Percentile
2018	50.84	156^th	262	40.5%
2019	65.80	107^th	247	56.7%
2021	47.74	227^th	445	49.0%
2022	34.01	162^nd	232	30.2%
2023	28.06	167^th	231	27.7%
2024	25.94	176^th	233	24.5%

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

Rank History for White students at Polk School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CT State Percentile
2018	21.49	254^th	296	14.2%
2019	39.72	206^th	295	30.2%
2021	26.72	260^th	327	20.5%
2022	14.70	235^th	252	6.7%
2023	7.80	254^th	262	3.1%
2024	7.15	243^rd	250	2.8%

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

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Enrollment information for Polk School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1988	280	7	7	2	0	n/a	n/a	296
1989	294	3	6	0	0	n/a	n/a	303
1990	297	2	6	n/a	1	n/a	n/a	306
1991	485	3	12	3	0	n/a	n/a	503
1992	563	4	0	2	0	n/a	n/a	569
1993	570	6	6	1	0	n/a	n/a	583
1994	571	6	15	6	0	n/a	n/a	598
1995	595	0	7	5	0	n/a	n/a	607
1996	595	0	7	5	0	n/a	n/a	607
1997	574	2	13	10	0	n/a	n/a	599
1998	586	4	4	10	1	n/a	n/a	605
1999	586	6	6	11	2	n/a	n/a	611
2000	582	11	11	14	1	n/a	n/a	619
2001	412	5	6	16	0	n/a	n/a	439
2002	415	5	9	15	4	n/a	n/a	448
2003	415	5	9	15	4	n/a	n/a	448
2004	422	5	10	11	3	n/a	n/a	451
2005	396	4	9	8	1	n/a	n/a	418
2006	402	5	12	12	1	n/a	n/a	432
2007	336	7	13	12	0	n/a	n/a	368
2008	323	2	14	16	1	n/a	n/a	356
2009	329	3	15	23	3	n/a	n/a	373
2010	340	10	13	25	2	n/a	n/a	390
2011	312	9	12	29	0	0	6	368
2012	293	7	12	25	0	0	8	345
2013	284	11	8	25	0	0	9	337
2014	286	13	7	26	0	0	6	338
2015	297	9	7	26	0	0	9	348
2016	303	7	9	31	1	0	9	360
2017	272	7	7	31	0	0	8	325
2018	266	15	4	34	0	0	8	327
2019	251	13	2	33	0	0	6	305
2020	239	8	1	44	1	0	10	303
2021	252	9	3	42	1	0	10	317
2022	253	11	3	34	2	0	14	317
2023	253	14	5	26	2	0	21	321

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 Polk School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	296	16.0	18.5	n/a
1989	303	16.0	18.9	n/a
1990	306	18.0	17.0	n/a
1991	503	22.5	22.3	n/a
1992	569	31.0	18.3	8.1
1993	583	31.9	18.3	0.7
1994	598	33.1	18.1	12.4
1995	607	35.0	17.3	13
1996	607	35.0	17.3	13
1997	599	36.4	16.5	8.2
1998	605	37.7	16.0	7.9
1999	611	35.7	17.1	15.1
2000	619	34.7	17.8	11.6
2001	439	26.2	16.8	n/a
2002	448	28.4	15.8	15
2003	448	28.4	15.8	15
2004	451	26.5	17.0	16.4
2005	418	22.2	18.8	n/a
2006	432	21.1	20.5	13.9
2007	368	21.9	16.8	17.4
2008	356	23.3	15.3	16.6
2009	373	27.5	14.6	20.4
2010	390	24.8	15.6	21.3
2011	368	22.5	16.3	22.6
2012	345	21.8	15.7	22.6
2013	337	23.4	14.3	29.1
2014	338	24.2	13.9	30.8
2015	348	23.0	15.1	29
2016	360	26.0	13.8	28.1
2017	325	24.2	13.3	28.9
2018	327	22.8	14.3	34.3
2019	305	21.8	13.9	44.3
2020	303	21.6	14.0	50.5
2021	317	23.5	13.4	51.1
2022	317	23.0	13.7	47
2023	321	24.5	13.1	43.9

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 Polk School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	296	16.0	18.5	n/a
1989	303	16.0	18.9	n/a
1990	306	18.0	17.0	n/a
1991	503	22.5	22.3	n/a
1992	569	31.0	18.3	8.1
1993	583	31.9	18.3	0.7
1994	598	33.1	18.1	12.4
1995	607	35.0	17.3	13
1996	607	35.0	17.3	13
1997	599	36.4	16.5	8.2
1998	605	37.7	16.0	7.9
1999	611	35.7	17.1	15.1
2000	619	34.7	17.8	11.6
2001	439	26.2	16.8	n/a
2002	448	28.4	15.8	15
2003	448	28.4	15.8	15
2004	451	26.5	17.0	16.4
2005	418	22.2	18.8	n/a
2006	432	21.1	20.5	13.9
2007	368	21.9	16.8	17.4
2008	356	23.3	15.3	16.6
2009	373	27.5	14.6	20.4
2010	390	24.8	15.6	21.3
2011	368	22.5	16.3	22.6
2012	345	21.8	15.7	22.6
2013	337	23.4	14.3	29.1
2014	338	24.2	13.9	30.8
2015	348	23.0	15.1	29
2016	360	26.0	13.8	28.1
2017	325	24.2	13.3	28.9
2018	327	22.8	14.3	34.3
2019	305	21.8	13.9	44.3
2020	303	21.6	14.0	50.5
2021	317	23.5	13.4	51.1
2022	317	23.0	13.7	47
2023	321	24.5	13.1	43.9

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 Polk School

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2018	$15,246
2019	$15,671
2020	$16,841
2021	$17,204
2022	$17,683
2023	$18,701

Data source: Connecticut Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Polk 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 199^th of 522 Elementary schools	Ranks 274^th of 491 Elementary schools	17.7%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Polk School)	59.4	41.7	17.7%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Watertown School District)	61.7	41.9	19.8%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Connecticut)	54.3	45.5	8.8%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Polk School)	68	45.4	22.6%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Watertown School District)	70.3	47.1	23.2%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Connecticut)	55	49.8	5.2%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Polk School)	71.8	42.7	29.1%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Watertown School District)	68	48.5	19.5%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Connecticut)	54.6	48.8	5.8%
4th Grade Mathematics (Polk School)	74.8	49	25.8%
4th Grade Mathematics (Watertown School District)	69.5	53.6	15.9%
4th Grade Mathematics (Connecticut)	52.5	48.3	4.2%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Polk School)	62.1	46.6	15.5%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Watertown School District)	64.6	44.1	20.5%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Connecticut)	58.1	51.3	6.8%
5th Grade Mathematics (Polk School)	54.4	39	15.4%
5th Grade Mathematics (Watertown School District)	53.3	33.2	20.1%
5th Grade Mathematics (Connecticut)	46.5	41.8	4.7%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	305	321	5.2%
African American	13	14	7.7%
American Indian	0	2
Asian	2	5	150%
Hispanic	33	26	21.2%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	251	253	0.8%
Two or More Races	6	21	250%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	44.3%	43.9%	0.3%

Schools Near Polk 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 8th Grade	SBAC Mathematics 3rd Grade	SBAC Mathematics 4th Grade	SBAC Mathematics 5th Grade	SBAC Mathematics 6th Grade	Total
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
John Trumbull Primary School	Public	PK, KG-2	779 Buckingham St.	Oakville	06779	Litchfield County	Watertown School District	No	No	No	Yes	(860) 945-2776	639	45	14.2	36.6%	497 (77.8%)	19 (3.0%)	80 (12.5%)	8 (1.3%)	1 (0.2%)	4 (0.6%)	30 (4.7%)								(n/a)												$17,787
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
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
Fletcher W. Judson School	Public	3-5	124 Hamilton Lane	Watertown	06795	Litchfield County	Watertown School District	No	No	No	No	(860) 945-4850	287	20	14.7	27.9%	241 (84.0%)	12 (4.2%)	17 (5.9%)	4 (1.4%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.7%)	10 (3.5%)	56.8	217^th of 497 public elementary schools	56.3%		43.4	267^th of 491 public elementary schools	45.6%	50	57.9		62.2	56.9	50.5			57.3	62.4	36.8		$17,545
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
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
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
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
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

Polk School

Polk School:

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Watertown School District:

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Rank History for Polk School

Rank History for all students at Polk School

Rank History for Special Education students at Polk School

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Polk School

Rank History for Female students at Polk School

Rank History for Male students at Polk School

Rank History for White students at Polk School

Enrollment information for Polk School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Polk School

Student/Teacher Ratio Polk School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Polk School

Impact of COVID-19 on Polk School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Polk School

Polk School

John Trumbull Primary School

Carrington School

Sprague School

Fletcher W. Judson School

Bunker Hill School

F. J. Kingsbury School

Brass City Charter School

Bucks Hill School

Regan School

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