The top reported proficiency rate is 30% in Science. The lowest is 11% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Nathan Hale Arts Magnet School
Nathan Hale Arts Magnet School serves kindergarten through fifth grade in New London, Connecticut, as part of the district's three-pathway all-magnet system. The school sits within a city that has been in active growth, buoyed by submarine-industry expansion and new urban housing, and it draws students from more than forty towns and twenty-five sending districts, though city residents receive priority for enrollment.
The school serves a student body that is predominantly Hispanic and Latino, with a substantial share of Black and multiracial students and smaller populations of white, Asian, and other students. A substantial majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and most come from lower-income households. The enrollment is small for its grade band, and students span all six grades from kindergarten through fifth.
State testing results show a school in significant academic difficulty. In the most recent testing cycle, proficiency in English language arts across all grades was in the low range, with fifth grade performing slightly better than earlier grades. Math proficiency was even lower, with only a modest share of students meeting state standards across all tested grades. Science proficiency, available for fifth grade only, was stronger than math but still well below what is typical statewide. When measured against other districts in Southeastern Connecticut, Nathan Hale sits well below the middle on overall academic proficiency. A parent may want to look into these results further with the school to understand the context—whether test results are capturing instruction and learning as intended, or whether particular grade levels or subject areas are where focused support is concentrated. State testing data does not show the breakdown by subgroup, so it is not clear whether proficiency rates differ by race, income, or language background, and that is a question worth asking the school directly.
The school's identity centers on visual and performing arts, which is one of the district's three magnet pathways and its defining program focus. This means curriculum is designed around arts integration and exposure, and students experience theater, visual art, music, and dance as part of their regular learning. For families drawn to a school where arts and creativity are central to daily instruction, not peripheral, this is a match. The school does not appear to offer specialized STEM or International Baccalaureate programming; those pathways are housed in other district buildings.
New London itself is a small coastal city with a revitalized downtown, strong arts and cultural calendar, and deep maritime heritage. The housing market has been stable with modest appreciation, and the city is in the early stages of substantial new residential development driven by regional employment growth. Most of New London's rental and home-owning market is accessible without extraordinary income, and renters' costs as a share of household income fall below the national norm. The city has robust public transit via Union Station, local buses, microtransit, and ferry service, making it walkable in and near the downtown core, though car dependency increases in outer neighborhoods.
The district itself is undergoing significant structural change. In April 2026, the Board of Education voted to close another elementary magnet school due to budget constraints and to restructure grade levels district-wide. Nathan Hale's current configuration of kindergarten through fifth grade will shift to kindergarten through fourth, with fifth graders moving into a new middle school band of fifth through seventh grade. This is a lasting and substantial change that will affect where children attend school and when they transition between buildings. For families considering Nathan Hale, understanding how this restructuring affects enrollment, class size, and the school's partnership with a newly configured middle school is worth pursuing directly with the district.
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