Norton School, Cheshire CT - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Norton School

Norton School is a kindergarten-through-sixth-grade public school in Cheshire, serving a mid-sized enrollment spread across seven grade bands. The school sits in a suburban residential town that has been growing steadily, with new housing development and a major school modernization underway.

Academically, Norton shows solid proficiency across tested subjects. In English language arts, students perform at a high level, with the strongest results appearing in sixth grade. Math proficiency is also generally strong across grades three through six, though fourth grade shows a noticeable dip compared to the other tested grades. Science proficiency data for fifth grade was suppressed for privacy reasons, so a full picture of science outcomes is incomplete. Overall, when proficiency is averaged across all tested subjects and grades, Norton places in the top quartile among districts in the Naugatuck Valley Planning Region, a positioning that reflects consistent mid-to-high-level achievement relative to its county peers.

The school's student population is predominantly white, with smaller shares of students identifying as Asian, Hispanic, Black, or multiracial. A modest portion of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, suggesting the school sits in a relatively stable economic area. The school does not report data on students with individualized education plans or English learners; these figures may either be absent from the district's public records or fall below reporting thresholds.

The immediate context matters for parents considering Norton. Cheshire has been experiencing active growth: new residential development, new corporate parks, and significant investment in public infrastructure, including the school modernization itself. The town retains agricultural heritage and substantial open space alongside suburban neighborhoods. The Farmington Canal Heritage Trail passes through town and serves as a community asset. Housing values in the zip code are above state and national averages, and rental costs are moderately high relative to median household income.

A major structural change is coming. In November 2022, Cheshire voters approved a substantial referendum to build two new elementary schools and close three older buildings, with openings planned for fall 2026. Norton is one of the two schools being rebuilt. This means the current Norton building will be replaced, and elementary attendance zones will be redrawn. Families currently in attendance areas assigned to close schools, particularly Chapman Elementary, face reassignment to other buildings and potentially new bus routes and drop-off times beginning in the 2026-27 school year. The district is offering waiver options to request a different school, though waivered students do not receive guaranteed bus service. For families considering Norton, understanding which attendance zone you are in and how that zone may change is essential preparation. A parent may want to look into the specific redistricting proposals and timeline with the district directly, as these changes will reshape the elementary landscape across Cheshire within the next year or two.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 380%

School 80% · District 78% · ▲ 3 pts above district

▲ 26 pts above state median · ▲ 28 pts above county median

Grade 466%

School 66% · District 73% · ▼ 7 pts below district

▲ 13 pts above state median · ▲ 21 pts above county median

Grade 579%

School 79% · District 83% · ▼ 4 pts below district

▲ 36 pts above state median · ▲ 42 pts above county median

Grade 674%

School 74% · District 78% · ▼ 3 pts below district

▲ 35 pts above state median · ▲ 38 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 382%

School 82% · District 69% · ▲ 13 pts above district

▲ 33 pts above state median · ▲ 36 pts above county median

Grade 475%

School 75% · District 74% · ▲ 2 pts above district

▲ 19 pts above state median · ▲ 25 pts above county median

Grade 579%

School 79% · District 83% · ▼ 4 pts below district

▲ 22 pts above state median · ▲ 31 pts above county median

Grade 687%

School 87% · District 80% · ▲ 7 pts above district

▲ 35 pts above state median · ▲ 39 pts above county median

This schoolCheshire School District, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.