The top reported proficiency rate is 51% in English language arts. The lowest is 31% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Interdistrict School for Arts and Comm District
The Interdistrict School for Arts and Communication is a small middle-grades district serving roughly students in grades six through eight, with a recent expansion adding grade four in the current school year and grade five beginning next year. This shift represents a lasting structural change that opens the school's arts-focused pathway to younger students and will grow enrollment capacity notably over time.
The school draws students from across the region; the enrollment is predominantly Hispanic, with a substantial Black student population and smaller shares of white, multiracial, and Asian students. Free-or-reduced-price-lunch data was not available in the district records, so a parent seeking that context would want to ask the school directly.
On state testing, the picture is mixed. In English language arts, grade six and seven students show moderate proficiency, with about half of grade seven meeting standards. Grade eight ELA results were not disclosed, likely due to small group sizes that states suppress for privacy. In math, proficiency is notably lower across all grades. Grade six shows the strongest performance among those tested; grades seven and eight trail considerably, with roughly a quarter to a third of students meeting standards. Grade four results were also suppressed. Science testing, available only for grade eight, shows participation was strong but the proficiency rate was not released. Overall, proficiency across all tested subjects places this district in the bottom quartile among the Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region's districts.
Chronic absenteeism runs below the regional midpoint, a strength relative to many peers in the region. Per-pupil spending is in the lower range compared to other districts in the planning region, though this reflects the school's size and status rather than a constraint on resources available to students.
The school carries relevant history that any enrolling family should understand. The state Board of Education placed the school on probation in 2021, citing both a sudden and substantial spike in special education billing rates charged to sending districts and governance shortcomings. This probationary status was extended in 2022 but was later lifted. The episode is publicly documented and warrants a direct conversation with the school about oversight, billing practices, and any changes made since.
More recently, the school has moved to strengthen its academics. In 2022 the board approved adding STEM-focused courses and funded a campus expansion that created the school's first real science laboratory plus new music and computer spaces. This work, supported by federal pandemic relief funds and a bank loan, broadens what was originally a primarily arts-focused program, bringing science into the mix for middle-grade students.
The school is best understood as an arts-integrated pathway for families seeking a specialized, smaller-school environment. Given the lower math proficiency and the school's history, a parent would be wise to talk directly with staff about academic support structures, special education services and billing, and how the earlier grades are being rolled out. The expansion downward to grade four is recent enough that families should ask about curriculum continuity and staffing as the school manages growth.
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