[nadia32]

Hi- another question re: Ridgefield Schools. Looking at a house zoned for Branchville Elementary. I believe all the schools in Ridgefield are excellent, but would Branchville be at the bottom of the order or towards the top of the schools in Ridgefield.Also, Is one middle school preferred over another? The house is quite a distance from the elementary school- about a 15 minute drive. Is that the norm in Ridgefield or more rural (or whatever we would call it) communities? thanks!

[Raider111]

A good friend of ours is a teacher in that school. She enjoys it. Comparing schools in Ridgefield is like (insert cliche here) splitting hairs, knit picking, and so on.
A 15 minute drive to a school is not out of the ordinary for towns like Ridgefield or similar. I know in Newtown for example a bus ride to the High school could be a 1/2 hour trip or more.

[JayCT]

School systems in Connecticut are small so the differences in schools within just about any town really is kind of minimal. The differences are more likely related to the socio-economic make up of the students and their families. In a town like Ridgefield this is not much of an issue. As an example, my kids went to what is considered the worst school in Glastonbury (Naubuc), but they got an excellent education. If you look at the schools Connecticut Mastery Test results you would see that the school performs way above the state averages on the test, yet in town the school is somewhat looked down on. What I tell people that make comments like this is that my kids were exposed to things that they would not have seen if they went to one of the other schools in town. This include racial and economic diversity as well as more individualized teaching. That said, if you are still concerned about this, check the website below for more information about the schools in Ridgefield. I think you will see that you have nothing to worry about. Jay

State Department of Education - CEDaR

[FutureTown]

Honestly, the difference in Elementary schools are minimal because I believe Ridgefield only has one middle school, so, the Elementary schools put their effort into preparing them for what comes next.

To quench your worries, let's put it this way. The worst school in Ridgefield is better than the best schools in majority of the towns here in Connecticut. You have nothing to worry about. If I was you as a parent, I would probably check personal ratings of teachers, infrastructure, and which area of the town you like. School shouldn't be an issue if you're looking anywhere in Ridgefield.