Norwalk was granted a town charter by the Connecticut General Court in 1651. On May 29, 1678, town records mention the establishment of community-supported teaching activities with a passage that reads: The school that was established in the 1670s was located near the Ludlow Square area of East Norwalk. In the 2005-06 fiscal year, the school system spent $26.7 million on special education services, nearly 20 percent of the total school budget. The State Education Department announced on January 28, 2008 that Norwalk was one of twelve districts in the state that it would help to close student achievement gaps.
In the 2005-06 school year 42.3 percent of the school's 640 students qualified for free or reduced-price lunches. A total of 40.3 percent of students come from homes where the primary language is not English. The primary language for many students is Spanish, but students also come from homes where Chinese or Haitian Creole are spoken. The school building was constructed in the late 1950s. On May 14, 2007, several state legislators toured the school in an attempt by Fairfield County lawmakers to educate them about the need for more state education funding in the richest county in the state.
Roton Middle School
In the 2002-03 school year 27.5 percent of the school's 517 students qualified for free or reduced-price lunches. A total of 34.2 percent of students come from homes where the primary language is not English. The school building was constructed in 1966.
Elementary schools
There are twelve elementary schools in the Norwalk public school district, for grades K-5:
Brookside
Columbus
Cranbury
Fox Run
Jefferson
Kendall
Marvin
Naramake
Rowayton
Silvermine
Tracey
Wolfpit
Radon levels in 2007-2008
State-mandated radon tests in early 2007 found rooms in five elementary schools with levels above the "federal action limit" of 4 picocuries per liter for the colorless, odorless gas. The 700 tests, conducted every five years by state law, found actionable levels of radon in Rowayton, Naramake, Cranbury and Wolfpit elementary schools as well as Richard C. Briggs High School. Mitigation work, including air-suction devices, was done on just over a dozen rooms at the various schools, then a follow-up test was done which found one Wolfpit classroom located farthest away from the air-suction devices still had 5.1 picocuries per liter, so an additional device was installed in early March 2008.
In 2006, all high schools, three of the city's middle schools and nine of its elementary schools, along with a "community school" were cited as falling behind in standards for the federal "No Child Left Behind" Act. Three elementary schools had not met the standards for two years in a row, so students in those schools are offered the choice to go to a Norwalk public school that hasn't been designated as needing improvement. "Whole school" problems are school-wide, "subgroup" problems reflect groups such as white, black, Hispanic, Asian and American-Indian children; English language learners; students with disabilities; and economically disadvantaged students.
Norwalk High School — In the 2006 NCLB report, the school was cited as having "subgroup deficiencies in math."
Brien McMahon High School — In the 2006 NCLB report, the school was cited as having "subgroup deficiencies in math and reading."
Briggs High School — In the 2006 NCLB report, the school was cited as having "whole school deficiencies in math and reading."
West Rocks Middle School — In the 2006 NCLB report, the school was cited as having "subgroup deficiencies in math and reading."
Roton Middle School — In the 2006 NCLB report, the school was cited as having "whole school deficiencies in math."
Ponus Ridge Middle School — In the 2006 NCLB report, the school was cited as having "whole school deficiencies in math."
Brookside — For 2006, the school did not meet NCLB criteria two years in a row, so students will be offered the choice of going to another school. In the report the school was cited as having "subgroup deficiencies in math and reading."
Columbus — In the 2006 NCLB report, the school was cited as having "subgroup deficiencies in math and reading."
Cranbury — In the 2006 NCLB report, the school was cited as having "subgroup deficiencies in math and reading."
Fox Run — In the 2006 NCLB report, the school was cited as having "subgroup deficiencies in math and reading."
Jefferson — In the 2006 NCLB report, the school was cited as having "whole school deficiencies in reading."
Kendall — For 2006, the school did not meet NCLB criteria two years in a row, so students will be offered the choice of going to another school. In the report the school was cited as having "subgroup deficiencies in math and reading."
Marvin — In the 2006 NCLB report, the school was cited as having "whole school deficiencies in math and reading."
Naramake — In the 2006 NCLB report, the school was cited as having "subgroup deficiencies in reading."
Silvermine — For 2006, the school did not meet NCLB criteria two years in a row, so students will be offered the choice of going to another school. In the report the school was cited as having "whole school deficiencies in math and reading."
Side by Side Community charter school — In the 2006 NCLB report, the school was cited as having "subgroup deficiencies in math."
