Public schools in Manchester, CT
13 open public schools with an address in Manchester, operated by 4 education agencies. Compare size, staffing, grade spans, and school type, then confirm assignment with the district.
Public schools
13
NCES preliminary directory 2025–26
Reported students
7,149
13 schools reporting · NCES 2024–25
Median student–teacher ratio
11.7:1
Connecticut median 11.9:1
Charter schools
1
1 magnet · 0 virtual
An overview of Manchester public schools
The federal directory lists 13 public schools in Manchester, CT: 8 elementary, 2 middle, 3 high. The 13 schools that reported 2024–25 membership enrolled 7,149 students, an average of 550 per school. The largest campus is Manchester High School (1,703 students), and the largest elementary school is Waddell School (476).
Manchester School District operates the most schools here (10), and 2 regular districts have at least one Manchester campus, plus 2 charter, service, or other agencies. City names come from school mailing addresses, which often differ from district or municipal boundaries.
Across schools that reported staffing, the median student–teacher ratio is 11.7:1, similar to the statewide school median of 11.9:1. A ratio counts classroom-teacher FTE against total enrollment, so specialized programs and part-time staffing can move it; ask schools for actual class sizes by grade.
School choice options include 1 charter school, 1 magnet school. Application windows and lotteries usually open months before the school year.
Among 3 high and combined schools with 2021–22 civil-rights data, 2 reported students enrolled in AP courses and 3 of 3 reported computer-science classes. Confirm current course catalogs directly with each school.
About 59% of students in reporting schools were eligible for free or reduced-price meals in 2024–25. This describes the community served; it is not a quality signal, and community-eligibility schools can report differently.
School districts and agencies serving Manchester
Manchester School District
Public school district
10 schools in Manchester
Connecticut Technical Education and Career System
State operated agency
1 school in Manchester · 17 total
Hartford School District
Public school district
1 school in Manchester · 41 total
Odyssey Community School District
Independent charter agency
1 school in Manchester
Elementary schools in Manchester
8| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bowers School Manchester School District | KG–04 | 376 | 11.9:1 | |
| Buckley School Manchester School District | KG–04 | 284 | 10.3:1 | |
| Highland Park School Manchester School District | KG–04 | 300 | 10.3:1 | |
| Keeney School Manchester School District | KG–04 | 366 | 12.2:1 | |
| Manchester Preschool Center at Martin Manchester School District | PK–KG | 153 | 13.8:1 | |
| Odyssey Community School Odyssey Community School District · Charter | PK–08 | 410 | 12.4:1 | |
| Verplanck School Manchester School District | KG–04 | 466 | 11.7:1 | |
| Waddell School Manchester School District | KG–04 | 476 | 11.8:1 |
Middle schools in Manchester
2| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elisabeth M. Bennet Academy Manchester School District | 05–08 | 864 | 11:1 | |
| Illing Middle School Manchester School District | 07–08 | 763 | 9.8:1 |
High schools in Manchester
3| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Great Path Academy at CT State Manchester Hartford School District · Magnet | 09–12 | 336 | 13.2:1 | |
| Howell Cheney Technical High School Connecticut Technical Education and Career System · Career and Technical School | 09–12 | 652 | 10.9:1 | |
| Manchester High School Manchester School District | 09–12 | 1,703 | 11.1:1 |
Student demographics
Race and ethnicity share of reported enrollment
- White27.2%
- Hispanic35.5%
- Black23.5%
- Asian8.6%
- American Indian / Alaska Native0.5%
- Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander0.2%
- Multiracial4.4%
Enrollment-weighted across 13 Manchester schools with NCES CCD 2024–25 race/ethnicity counts (7,149 students). Privacy suppression can leave small gaps.
Questions about public schools in Manchester
How many public schools are in Manchester, CT?
The current NCES directory lists 13 open public schools with a location address in Manchester: 8 elementary, 2 middle, 3 high. Together they reported 7,149 students in 2024–25. The count includes charter, alternative, and special-purpose public schools; it excludes private schools.
Which school districts serve Manchester?
Schools with an address in Manchester belong to 4 education agencies, led by Manchester School District (10 schools), Connecticut Technical Education and Career System (1 school), Hartford School District (1 school). A mailing city is not an attendance boundary; confirm the district for a specific address.
What is the largest public high school in Manchester?
Manchester High School reported the largest high-school enrollment in Manchester, with 1,703 students in 2024–25 (grades 09–12). Size is a description of the campus, not a quality measure.
Are there charter schools in Manchester?
Yes. 1 of the 13 public schools in Manchester are identified as charter schools in the NCES directory, including Odyssey Community School. Charter schools are public and tuition-free, but admission usually uses an application or lottery.
What is the typical student–teacher ratio in Manchester schools?
The median reported student–teacher ratio across Manchester public schools is 11.7:1, similar to the Connecticut school median of 11.9:1. The ratio divides enrollment by classroom-teacher FTE; it is not an average class size.
Does living in Manchester guarantee a seat at a specific school?
No. Assignment depends on the district's attendance boundaries, programs, and enrollment rules, which can split a city or cross city lines. Use the district profile and its official boundary or school-locator tool to confirm the assigned school for an exact address.
Nearby Connecticut cities
Sources: NCES Common Core of Data 2025–26 preliminary directory (schools, grades, addresses, charter status) and 2024–25 nonfiscal files (enrollment, teachers, race/ethnicity, meal eligibility); Civil Rights Data Collection 2021–22 (AP and computer science). Cities are grouped by school mailing address. Methodology · All Connecticut cities