Mauro-sheridan Magnet School, New Haven CT

Original Research by School Decision on Mauro-sheridan Magnet School

Mauro-Sheridan Magnet School is a pre-K through eighth grade school in New Haven serving a student body that is economically vulnerable and racially diverse. About two-thirds of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, and roughly half the school identifies as Black, with substantial populations of Hispanic, white, and Asian students. The school enrolls a modest size typical of its grade band.

The school's academic profile shows a mixed picture that parents should weigh carefully. In mathematics, proficiency across tested grades ranges from roughly a quarter of seventh graders performing at or above proficiency to about half of fourth graders. Reading shows more consistency, with proficiency rates hovering in the mid-range across the tested grades; sixth grade performs notably better than fourth grade. Science proficiency data is more limited, with eighth grade at about a third meeting proficiency and fifth grade data suppressed for privacy. When averaged across all tested subjects, the school's overall proficiency sits below the midpoint among county districts—a meaningful signal that academic performance here lags the broader region.

A key context for families is the district-wide reading overhaul of 2023, which moved New Haven Public Schools toward phonics-based instruction. Since implementation, reading growth has improved at a rate exceeding the state as a whole, suggesting the school benefits from district-wide curriculum alignment. Reading instruction for younger students now follows a structured block approach. This is a substantive, documented change that created consistency across schools in the same district.

The school operates within a district facing sustained budget pressures. Pandemic relief funding has ended, and the district carried large unfunded deficits into the 2024-25 school year. This has created risks around unfilled positions and potential class size increases, though a teacher contract through 2026 caps standard class sizes at 26 for kindergarten through second grade and 27 for grades three and above. For families considering the school, this budget instability is worth asking about in real time, as staffing and classroom composition can shift.

New Haven itself is in active growth, with substantial housing development underway and the city actively implementing a "science of reading" literacy framework district-wide. The city's downtown is walkable and anchored by civic institutions and Yale, and neighborhoods surrounding the school are accessible by transit. Housing values in the area are moderate relative to the state, and rents are on par with national patterns.

For a parent or resident evaluating this school, the key trade-off is clear: the school is embedded in a district that has made intentional, measurable changes to reading instruction and sits in a city experiencing economic revitalization, but current academic proficiency is below regional norms and the district is under budget strain. A parent may want to look into the school's specific literacy implementation, current staffing levels, and the district's near-term financial trajectory with school leadership directly.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 342%

School 42% · District 21% · ▲ 20 pts above district

▼ 13 pts below state median · ▼ 9 pts below county median

Grade 451%

School 51% · District 20% · ▲ 31 pts above district

▼ 2 pts below state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

Grade 537%

School 37% · District 13% · ▲ 24 pts above district

▼ 6 pts below state median · ▼ 7 pts below county median

Grade 648%

School 48% · District 17% · ▲ 31 pts above district

▲ 9 pts above state median · ▲ 15 pts above county median

Grade 727%

School 27% · District 19% · ▲ 9 pts above district

▼ 16 pts below state median · ▼ 5 pts below county median

Grade 832%

School 32% · District 14% · ▲ 18 pts above district

▼ 7 pts below state median · ▲ 10 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 346%

School 46% · District 17% · ▲ 29 pts above district

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

Grade 435%

School 35% · District 20% · ▲ 15 pts above district

▼ 22 pts below state median · ▼ 22 pts below county median

Grade 549%

School 49% · District 23% · ▲ 26 pts above district

▼ 8 pts below state median · ▼ 7 pts below county median

Grade 652%

School 52% · District 26% · ▲ 27 pts above district

▲ 1 pts above state median · ▲ 6 pts above county median

Science

Grade 830%

School 30% · District 25% · ▲ 6 pts above district

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

This schoolNew Haven 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.