The top reported proficiency rate is 37% in English language arts. The lowest is 25% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Carmen Arace Intermediate School
Carmen Arace Intermediate School serves fifth and sixth grades in Bloomfield, a suburban town north of Hartford anchored by the Cigna corporate headquarters and anchored by the Cigna corporate headquarters and marked by mixed development patterns—dense neighborhoods in the south and east, more rural character to the north and west. The school sits in a community with a majority-Black population and relatively high adult educational attainment, in a town experiencing steady growth and active redevelopment of its center and industrial sites.
The school's recent testing results show below-average proficiency across Connecticut. In English language arts, proficiency—the share of students scoring at levels deemed grade-level proficient—runs in the mid-range by grade: fifth grade is near the lower boundary, sixth grade slightly higher. In math, proficiency drops notably in both grades, with fewer than one in three students meeting the standard in fifth grade and fewer than one in four in sixth grade. Science proficiency, measured by the state's NGSS assessment, sits in between. Across all three subjects and both grades combined, the school's overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile among the Capitol Region's districts. This is a meaningful gap a parent would want to understand further with the school—whether it reflects staffing constraints, student need, or other factors.
The school's student body is predominantly Black, with a substantial majority qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, a marker of economic need. The enrollment is small, divided roughly evenly between the two grades. Demographic data on students receiving special education services or English language instruction was not available.
Carmen Arace is in transition. The district has announced that the school will close at the end of this school year. For 2026-2027, the district is reorganizing its grade structure: Metacomet Elementary will move to grades three through five, and a new Carmen Arace Middle School will serve grades six through eight. This means fifth graders currently at Carmen Arace will move to Metacomet, and sixth graders will move to a new building. For families with children in these grades, this is a structural shift—different buildings, different peer groups, a new transition point in their child's education—worth understanding and discussing with the district.
Beyond the building closure, the district faces real budget pressure. For 2025-2026, the town council approved an education budget well below what the school board had sought, triggering reduction-in-force notices to teachers and increases in class sizes. A 2024 town-wide property revaluation also creates uncertainty: the town can phase in resulting assessment increases over several years, which affects what homeowners will pay in property taxes that fund schools.
Bloomfield itself is car-oriented, organized around state highways rather than a walkable center, though the town has designated a Bloomfield Center District to encourage downtown revitalization. Public libraries, parks including a renovated Filley Park, and state park lands offer outdoor and civic anchors. CTtransit provides bus service across multiple routes. The housing market sits near the state benchmark; monthly mortgage and rent costs are moderately high relative to income in the area.
The school is a regular public intermediate school with no magnet or charter designation. No program offerings or detailed staffing data were available. For parents considering this school, the key realities are the below-average test results, the structural reorganization happening now, the budget constraints affecting staffing and class size, and the need to clarify with the district what the transition to a new building and grade span will mean for their child's learning environment and continuity.
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