Highcrest School, Wethersfield CT

Original Research by School Decision on Highcrest School

Highcrest School serves kindergarten through sixth grade in Wethersfield, a mixed-use town south of Hartford along the Connecticut River. The school enrolls a student body that is roughly evenly split between white students and students of color, with a modest share qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. The enrollment spans all elementary grades fairly evenly, with slightly larger cohorts in the upper grades.

On Connecticut's Smarter Balanced Assessment, Highcrest's proficiency rates cluster in the mid-to-high range across tested grades and subjects. In math, students in third grade performed solidly, with about two-thirds meeting or exceeding proficiency. Fourth-grade math results were not reported. Fifth and sixth grade math proficiency fell slightly lower but remained in the low-to-mid 60s. In English language arts, third-grade proficiency was just above half, rising substantially in fourth grade to nearly 60 percent and then jumping to a notably stronger performance in fifth grade. Sixth-grade ELA proficiency sat in the mid-60s. Science testing occurs in fifth grade, where about two-thirds of students met proficiency. Across all tested subjects and grades, the school's overall proficiency index positions it above the midpoint among districts in the Capitol Planning Region.

The school sits within Wethersfield School District during a period of substantial capital investment. Voters approved a major bond referendum in early 2026 funding a brand-new Highcrest Elementary School building, along with renovations to two other elementary schools in the district. The state reimbursement rate for these projects is high, materially reducing the local property tax burden. For families considering a move to Wethersfield, this construction signals generational reshaping of elementary facilities, though the transition period and phased tax impacts warrant direct conversation with the district about timeline and details. The district also approved a new literacy curriculum districtwide in spring 2024, a change that touches reading instruction across all grades.

Wethersfield itself combines historic neighborhoods, a walkable village core in Old Wethersfield, and commercial corridors along Silas Deane Highway. The town is the home of several state agency headquarters and healthcare employment clusters. Housing values in the town's ZIP code reflect a market above the national benchmark and near the state benchmark, with rents following a similar pattern. The town offers substantial parkland and a ten-mile biking trail connecting schools and recreation areas, though transit beyond local bus service requires travel to Hartford.

Highcrest is a regular public school with no specialized program designation. State testing data was the primary academic measure available; information on staff composition, attendance, discipline, or specialized student support services was not provided. A parent considering the school may want to inquire directly with the district about staffing, English learner services, special education capacity, and the specific timeline and scope of the new building project.

See more original research from School Decision →

Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 368%

School 68% · District 56% · ▲ 12 pts above district

▲ 13 pts above state median · ▲ 14 pts above county median

Grade 563%

School 63% · District 51% · ▲ 12 pts above district

▲ 20 pts above state median · ▲ 15 pts above county median

Grade 665%

School 65% · District 58% · ▲ 8 pts above district

▲ 26 pts above state median · ▲ 22 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 352%

School 52% · District 53% · ▼ 1 pts below district

▲ 4 pts above state median · ▲ 4 pts above county median

Grade 459%

School 59% · District 59%

▲ 2 pts above state median · ▲ 1 pts above county median

Grade 575%

School 75% · District 64% · ▲ 11 pts above district

▲ 18 pts above state median · ▲ 16 pts above county median

Grade 667%

School 67% · District 64% · ▲ 3 pts above district

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

Science

Grade 567%

School 67% · District 63% · ▲ 4 pts above district

▲ 15 pts above state median · ▲ 13 pts above county median

This schoolWethersfield 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.