Ann Antolini School, New Hartford CT

Original Research by School Decision on Ann Antolini School

Ann Antolini School serves grades 3 through 6 in New Hartford, a small rural town in the northwest corner of Connecticut. The school enrolls a modest number of students, the majority of whom are white, with a Hispanic population making up a smaller share. About a quarter of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.

The school's academic profile shows mixed results across the grade band. In third grade, proficiency rates are strongest, with solid performance in both English language arts and math. By fourth grade, a notable dip occurs, particularly in math, where proficiency falls sharply. Fifth and sixth grades stabilize somewhat, though they remain below third-grade levels across both subjects. In science, tested only in fifth grade, proficiency is moderate. Across all tested grades and subjects, the school's overall proficiency falls below the midpoint among districts in the Northwest Hills Planning Region.

This pattern suggests that students arriving in third grade are performing adequately, but the transition through upper elementary grades presents a challenge. A parent considering this school may want to discuss with administrators what instructional approaches are in place for grades 4 through 6, where proficiency rates dip most noticeably.

Under Connecticut's Right to Read law, the district implemented a science-of-reading curriculum in early grades during 2023 through 2025, now fully in effect. This represents a lasting, evidence-based shift in how early literacy is taught across the elementary grades.

New Hartford itself is a primarily rural community anchored by parks, farms, and small historic villages rather than commercial sprawl. The Farmington River runs through the downtown, supporting recreational activities like fishing and kayaking. The town has modest growth, with policy focused on preserving open space and directing development to existing centers rather than clearing new land. Housing values in the area are modest relative to the state. The broader economic context shows steady employment and a comparatively older population.

A significant development affecting New Hartford families is an ongoing School Facility Utilization Task Force launched in early 2026. The district's elementary schools are running well below capacity; the school board is actively studying options for consolidation, which could include closing a building and reassigning students. Families should be aware that this decision could change which school children attend and carry substantial future tax implications for the town. Additionally, school budget referendums have passed with notably narrower margins in recent years, signaling growing taxpayer sensitivity to education spending.

From seventh grade onward, students transition to Northwestern Regional School District No. 7, a four-town regional district serving Barkhamsted, Colebrook, New Hartford, and Norfolk, where they attend high school on a shared campus.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 372%

School 72% · District 72%

▲ 17 pts above state median · ▲ 8 pts above county median

Grade 449%

School 49% · District 49%

▼ 4 pts below state median · ▼ 20 pts below county median

Grade 556%

School 56% · District 56%

▲ 13 pts above state median

Grade 640%

School 40% · District 40%

▲ 1 pts above state median

English language arts

Grade 373%

School 73% · District 73%

▲ 25 pts above state median · ▲ 8 pts above county median

Grade 464%

School 64% · District 64%

▲ 8 pts above state median · ▲ 5 pts above county median

Grade 560%

School 60% · District 60%

▲ 3 pts above state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

Grade 660%

School 60% · District 60%

▲ 9 pts above state median · ▼ 4 pts below county median

Science

Grade 562%

School 62% · District 62%

▲ 10 pts above state median

This schoolNew Hartford 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.