H. S. Chase School, Waterbury CT

Original Research by School Decision on H. S. Chase School

H. S. Chase School is a public elementary school in Waterbury serving prekindergarten through fifth grade, with an enrollment spread across seven grade levels. The school draws a student population that reflects Waterbury's demographics: a substantial majority identify as Hispanic or Latino, with a significant share Black, and smaller shares Asian, white, and multiracial. The school operates within the Waterbury School District, which recently extended universal free breakfast and lunch to all its schools and received approval to continue its existing science-of-reading curriculum in early grades under Connecticut's Right to Read law.

The school's most recent state testing data shows proficiency rates that vary significantly by grade and subject, a pattern worth understanding if you have a child entering the upper elementary grades. In mathematics, third-grade students show proficiency around the midpoint, fourth-grade proficiency falls slightly below that, and fifth-grade proficiency drops substantially. English language arts follows a similar downward trend across grades, with third grade at roughly a third of students meeting proficiency, fourth grade somewhat higher, and fifth grade dropping again. Science proficiency, measured only in fifth grade, sits around a third of tested students. The school's overall proficiency index across tested subjects and grades places it in the bottom quartile relative to the other districts in the Naugatuck Valley Planning Region. A parent may want to look into this further with the school, particularly what interventions or supports are in place for upper-elementary students and whether specific instructional shifts are planned.

Nearly four out of five students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a measure of economic need that often correlates with the resources families can direct toward school support outside the classroom. The school's housing market sits in Waterbury, a mixed-use former manufacturing city where home values remain moderate compared to state averages and rental costs are accessible, though the affordability calculus depends on household income. Waterbury itself is undergoing downtown-focused revitalization with transit improvements and new housing, and the city center has walkable retail and civic amenities, while residential neighborhoods vary from dense urban blocks to quieter suburban streets.

The school is one of multiple elementary buildings in the Waterbury district. Participation in state assessments was complete across grades tested, meaning results reflect the full cohort. No data were available on the school's special education enrollment, English learner population, staffing levels, or discipline practices, so families seeking details on those elements should ask the school directly.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 352%

School 52% · District 28% · ▲ 24 pts above district

▼ 2 pts below state median · even with county median

Grade 449%

School 49% · District 27% · ▲ 23 pts above district

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

Grade 511%

School 11% · District 18% · ▼ 6 pts below district

▼ 32 pts below state median · ▼ 25 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 334%

School 34% · District 23% · ▲ 11 pts above district

▼ 14 pts below state median · ▼ 12 pts below county median

Grade 444%

School 44% · District 28% · ▲ 16 pts above district

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

Grade 525%

School 25% · District 28% · ▼ 2 pts below district

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

Science

Grade 530%

School 30% · District 30% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▼ 22 pts below state median · ▼ 16 pts below 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.