The top reported proficiency rate is 56% in Math. The lowest is 54% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Frederick Brewster School
Frederick Brewster School serves pre-kindergarten through grade two in Durham, Connecticut, a former farming village in the Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region. The school is a regular public elementary serving about two hundred thirty students, with roughly a fifth qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. The student body is predominantly white, with a smaller share of Hispanic students and very few other racial or ethnic groups represented.
The school sits on Tuttle Road off Route 68, in a town defined by tree-lined residential streets, a historic Main Street anchored by Greek Revival and Colonial homes, and strong agricultural heritage. Durham is decidedly white-collar, with a substantial portion of its workforce in management, teaching, sales, and computer-related occupations, and many residents working from home. The town hosts the annual Durham Fair each September, billed as the largest volunteer agricultural fair in New England. Housing values in the zip code are moderately above the state benchmark, and the area is growing slowly.
State testing data from 2018-19 is the most recent available for this school. At grade three, the school's proficiency rate in English language arts was just over half of students, and in mathematics a bit more than half. These results sit in the bottom quartile relative to other districts in the county. It is important to note that this school serves only pre-kindergarten through grade two, so grade three assessment data comes from students who have since moved forward; the data point shows how this cohort performed after leaving the school. Current grade levels at Brewster are not state-tested, which is typical for early grades. A parent may want to ask the school directly about recent literacy and numeracy outcomes in the younger grades and about instructional approaches in reading and mathematics.
The district has undergone a significant structural change. In June 2024, voters in both Durham and Middlefield approved a referendum to consolidate Regional School District 13 into a three-school model: pre-K through grade five at Memorial School in Middlefield, grades six through eight at Strong Middle School in Durham, and grades nine through twelve at Coginchaug Regional High School in Durham. Under this realignment, Frederick Brewster School will close once the transition occurs. Memorial School is being renovated and expanded to serve all young elementary students from both towns. The district has submitted a state construction grant application to help offset costs, with annual bond service roughly offset by savings from closing two buildings.
For families considering Durham, this closure is a lasting change affecting school assignment at every level. Current Brewster families will transition their children to Memorial in Middlefield; any new family enrolling would be entering a school building with a defined end date. The district's operating budget has risen steadily over recent years, with annual increases that directly affect property-tax obligations in both towns, as the budget is voted on annually at referendum.
The district sits in a car-oriented landscape. Durham lies along Routes 17 and 68 with no local fixed-route transit; schools cluster near the town center on or near Pickett Lane, with Brewster positioned separately on Tuttle Road. Town civic life centers on the Durham Public Library, the Recreation Department and Community Center, and Allyn Brook Park, which hosts summer concerts and offers trails, a playground, and sports courts.
See more original research from School Decision →