The top reported proficiency rate is 30% in Science. The lowest is 18% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Samuel Huntington School
Samuel Huntington School is a small elementary school in Norwich serving prekindergarten through fifth grade, with an enrollment of about a couple hundred students. The school sits in a city that is undergoing significant change: Norwich is pursuing active downtown revitalization with new residential construction, and the school district itself is in the midst of a major consolidation and building program, reducing from seven to four elementary schools by the end of the decade. Families considering this school should understand both the immediate academic profile and the longer-term district context that will reshape attendance zones and facilities.
Academically, Samuel Huntington's state assessment results show persistently low proficiency across tested grades and subjects. In English language arts, proficiency ranges from roughly one-quarter to one-third of students across grades three through five. In mathematics, the picture is bleaker: fewer than one-fifth of fourth and fifth graders met proficiency standards, and third-grade results were suppressed due to small tested counts. Science proficiency in fifth grade sat at roughly one-third. Across all tested subjects and grades, the school's overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile of elementary schools in the Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region. These are the kinds of results a parent may want to look into further with the school itself, particularly around what support and intervention structures are in place for students who are not yet meeting grade-level standards.
The school enrolls a diverse student body: roughly one-third of students identify as Hispanic, about one-quarter as white, one-sixth as Black, and a mix of Asian and multiracial students. About two-thirds of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, placing the school in a high-need context economically. State data on special education enrollment and English learner enrollment was not available.
Norwich as a place is a small city with a mix of downtown commercial core and older residential neighborhoods. It is car-dependent overall but has a genuinely walkable historic downtown district with restaurants, libraries, and civic anchors. The city is seeing investment: new housing units were completed in 2025, mixed-use downtown projects are underway, and regional employers including Backus Hospital and Three Rivers Community College anchor the local economy. Housing values in the 06360 zip code have been rising modestly year-over-year, and the median rent is in the mid-range for the region.
The larger context for families is the district's School Construction Program, approved by voters a few years ago. The district is consolidating from fourteen buildings to eight, which means shrinking from seven to four elementary schools. New schools are moving into construction; the remaining new buildings are still in design. More important to families: the district has announced an elementary redistricting plan taking effect in the 2027-2028 school year, meaning that many children's assigned neighborhood school will change when the new buildings open. Samuel Huntington's current status in that plan is part of what a parent would want to clarify directly with the district, since the consolidation will affect enrollment and potentially the building's long-term role.
For a family considering Norwich and this school, the picture is one of academic performance that is below the regional average, a diverse and economically vulnerable student population, and a district in active transition. The school itself may offer strong community supports and teaching, but the state test results suggest academic needs are substantial. The district's building program creates both opportunity—new facilities are coming—and uncertainty about which school your child will ultimately attend as zones shift over the next year or two. A parent would want to speak directly with school and district leaders about intervention and support structures, the timeline for redistricting decisions, and what the transition means for continuity.
See more original research from School Decision →