Maloney Interdistrict Magnet School, Waterbury CT

Original Research by School Decision on Maloney Interdistrict Magnet School

Maloney Interdistrict Magnet School is a public elementary school serving pre-kindergarten through fifth grade in Waterbury, a former manufacturing city in the Naugatuck Valley region of Connecticut. The school draws students from multiple districts, a built-in characteristic of magnet schools designed to diversify enrollment and offer specialized programming across a wide geographic footprint.

The school enrolls a moderate-sized population with substantial diversity. More than half the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch. The racial and ethnic composition is predominantly Hispanic, with meaningful representation of white, Black, and multiracial students and a smaller Asian population. Data on special education enrollment and English learners was not available.

In state standardized testing, Maloney's results reflect uneven performance across grades and subjects. In English language arts, fifth graders show the strongest proficiency, while third graders are notably weaker. Math shows a declining trend as grades advance: third graders outperform their fourth and fifth grade peers, with fifth-grade proficiency dropping noticeably lower. Fifth-grade science proficiency matches the ELA result for that grade. Testing participation is full across all grades and subjects. The school's overall proficiency index places it above the midpoint among Naugatuck Valley Planning Region districts.

The context matters. Waterbury itself is a mixed-use city with a manufacturing heritage, now undergoing downtown revitalization centered on its arts and education district. Housing values have risen modestly in recent years. The city is served by a major metro commuter rail line, hospitals, and a community college. The Waterbury School District recently adopted universal free meals for all students and received approval to continue its evidence-based early reading curriculum under the state's Right to Read requirement. The district also established the Waterbury Promise, a last-dollar college scholarship for local high school graduates attending Connecticut colleges, a meaningful economic pathway for families.

As a magnet school, Maloney's draw extends beyond the immediate neighborhood, which distinguishes it from traditional neighborhood schools. The school's programming or specialized focus was not available in the data provided. Parents considering this school may want to reach out directly to learn what curricular or instructional approach defines the magnet designation and how it serves the interdistrict population.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 351%

School 51% · District 28% · ▲ 23 pts above district

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

Grade 445%

School 45% · District 27% · ▲ 18 pts above district

▼ 8 pts below state median · even with county median

Grade 539%

School 39% · District 18% · ▲ 22 pts above district

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

English language arts

Grade 346%

School 46% · District 23% · ▲ 22 pts above district

▼ 3 pts below state median · even with county median

Grade 451%

School 51% · District 28% · ▲ 23 pts above district

▼ 6 pts below state median · even with county median

Grade 559%

School 59% · District 28% · ▲ 31 pts above district

▲ 2 pts above state median · ▲ 11 pts above county median

Science

Grade 559%

School 59% · District 30% · ▲ 29 pts above district

▲ 7 pts above state median · ▲ 12 pts above county median

This schoolWaterbury 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.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 5Lower-income51%Higher-income75%24 pp gap