Is Frank Ward Strong School a good school?

Frank Ward Strong School ranks 103 rd of 250 Connecticut middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Frank Ward Strong School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 310 students attended Frank Ward Strong School.

What is the racial makeup of Frank Ward Strong School?

Students at Frank Ward Strong School are 87% White, 8% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

What high school do graduates of Frank Ward Strong School attend?

Students who attend Frank Ward Strong School usually go on to attend Coginchaug Regional High School

Frank Ward Strong School

Summary:

Frank Ward Strong School is a public middle school located in Durham, Connecticut, serving 308 students in grades 6-8. The school is part of the Guilford School District, which is ranked 77 out of 158 districts in the state and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Frank Ward Strong School consistently outperforms the state average in English Language Arts and Mathematics proficiency, with proficiency rates ranging from 50% to 62.5% in ELA and 38.9% to 51% in Mathematics, compared to the state averages of 48.1% to 49.5% in ELA and 38.2% to 41.5% in Mathematics. The school has maintained a strong statewide ranking, consistently placing in the top 25% of Connecticut middle schools over the past decade, and currently ranks 103 out of 250 middle schools with a 3-star rating. However, the school's student population is significantly less diverse than the state average, with 84.74% white students and lower percentages of Hispanic and Asian students.

While the school performs well overall, its performance on specific student subgroups is more varied. The school's rankings for female and male students are in the middle range (2-3 stars), while the rankings for white students and students with disabilities are lower (1-2 stars). The school's ranking for low socioeconomic status students is particularly low, at 1 star out of 5. When compared to nearby middle schools, A. Baldwin Middle School and Lincoln Middle School in the Meriden School District and Dag Hammarskjold Middle School in the Wallingford School District have lower overall rankings and academic proficiency rates, while Haddam-Killingworth Middle School in the Regional School District 17 and A. Baldwin Middle School in the Guilford School District outperform Frank Ward Strong School in some areas.

Detail:

Public 6-8

191 Main Street
Durham, CT 06422

(860) 349-7222

District: Regional School District 13

SchoolDigger Rank:
103^rd of 250 Connecticut Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $25,163

Students who attend Frank Ward Strong School usually attend:

High:

Coginchaug Regional High School

Feeder schools for Frank Ward Strong School:

Elementary:	Frederick Brewster School
	John Lyman School
	Middlefield Memorial School

Student/teacher ratio: 10.3

Number of students: 310

Racial breakdown:

White:

87.4%

Hispanic:

7.7%

Two or more races:

3.2%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 17.1%

See top rated Connecticut middle schools

Compare Frank Ward Strong School to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Frank Ward Strong School ranks better than 58.8% of middle schools in Connecticut. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 57.74. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (87.4%), Hispanic (7.7%), two or more races (3.2%). (See more...)

Compare Details 17.1% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Frank Ward Strong School is 10.3. (See more...)

Compare Frank Ward Strong School employs 29.9 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Frank Ward Strong School is $25,163.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Frank Ward Strong School:

SchoolDigger ranks Frank Ward Strong School 103^rd of 250 Connecticut public middle schools. (See Frank Ward Strong School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Female students:

Male students:

White students:

Regional School District 13:

SchoolDigger ranks Regional School District 13 77^th of 158 Connecticut school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Your rating for Frank Ward Strong School?

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Rank History for Frank Ward Strong School

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Rank History for all students at Frank Ward Strong School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CT State Percentile
2006	77.39	49^th	248	80.2%
2007	75.08	65^th	250	74.0%
2008	77.52	43^rd	252	82.9%
2009	78.04	45^th	255	82.4%
2010	76.05	69^th	268	74.3%
2011	76.34	62^nd	269	77.0%
2012	75.06	73^rd	272	73.2%
2013	77.18	59^th	278	78.8%
2015	73.82	81^st	280	71.1%
2016	68.49	80^th	246	67.5%
2017	73.20	70^th	250	72.0%
2018	73.79	72^nd	249	71.1%
2019	81.66	53^rd	259	79.5%
2021	78.87	62^nd	275	77.5%
2022	73.25	70^th	250	72.0%
2023	75.25	61^st	249	75.5%
2024	57.74	103^rd	250	58.8%

See the entire list of Connecticut Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Frank Ward Strong School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CT State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	41.16	141^st	244	42.2%

See the entire list of Best Connecticut Middle Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Frank Ward Strong School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CT State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	25.38	163^rd	218	25.2%

See the entire list of Best Connecticut Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Frank Ward Strong School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CT State Percentile
2018	67.57	65^th	160	59.4%
2019	76.99	34^th	169	79.9%
2021	77.68	51^st	235	78.3%
2022	71.74	53^rd	166	68.1%
2023	66.12	58^th	160	63.8%
2024	46.56	90^th	161	44.1%

See the entire list of Best Connecticut Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Frank Ward Strong School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CT State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	53.98	42^nd	104	59.6%

See the entire list of Best Connecticut Middle Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Frank Ward Strong School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CT State Percentile
2019	73.07	57^th	167	65.9%
2021	69.35	74^th	224	67.0%
2022	62.03	69^th	169	59.2%
2023	67.04	55^th	158	65.2%
2024	45.13	85^th	157	45.9%

See the entire list of Best Connecticut Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for White students at Frank Ward Strong School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CT State Percentile
2018	50.17	89^th	168	47.0%
2019	62.44	65^th	166	60.8%
2021	60.98	70^th	175	60.0%
2022	51.96	73^rd	151	51.7%
2023	53.77	77^th	158	51.3%
2024	29.55	112^th	154	27.3%

See the entire list of Best Connecticut Middle Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Connecticut Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Connecticut State Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Frank Ward Strong School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1988	236	1	1	0	0	n/a	n/a	238
1989	237	3	2	1	0	n/a	n/a	243
1990	207	2	3	3	n/a	n/a	n/a	215
1991	216	4	1	1	0	n/a	n/a	222
1992	247	5	2	0	0	n/a	n/a	254
1993	239	4	0	3	0	n/a	n/a	246
1994	246	3	2	3	1	n/a	n/a	255
1995	260	5	3	0	1	n/a	n/a	269
1996	260	5	3	0	1	n/a	n/a	269
1997	286	2	6	1	1	n/a	n/a	296
1998	303	2	7	3	1	n/a	n/a	316
1999	326	4	4	5	1	n/a	n/a	340
2000	348	2	5	3	0	n/a	n/a	358
2001	319	2	5	3	1	n/a	n/a	330
2002	331	4	2	3	0	n/a	n/a	340
2003	331	4	2	3	0	n/a	n/a	340
2004	346	3	3	6	0	n/a	n/a	358
2005	350	4	2	6	0	n/a	n/a	362
2006	317	4	2	4	0	n/a	n/a	327
2007	339	0	7	5	1	n/a	n/a	352
2008	345	1	8	5	1	n/a	n/a	360
2009	338	3	6	2	1	n/a	n/a	350
2010	334	5	4	3	0	n/a	n/a	346
2011	331	4	5	10	0	0	0	350
2012	328	6	8	15	1	0	0	358
2013	310	2	4	13	0	0	5	334
2014	314	0	4	8	0	0	8	334
2015	309	0	7	10	0	0	12	338
2016	281	1	9	17	0	0	10	318
2017	265	1	8	16	1	0	6	297
2018	255	0	4	18	1	0	9	287
2019	234	0	5	15	0	0	11	265
2020	216	2	4	21	0	0	12	255
2021	291	6	4	32	0	0	9	342
2022	257	4	6	25	0	0	6	298
2023	261	3	5	29	0	0	10	308
2024	271	0	4	24	1	0	10	310

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Frank Ward Strong School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	238	22.0	10.8	n/a
1989	243	21.6	11.2	n/a
1990	215	24.2	8.8	n/a
1991	222	24.2	9.1	n/a
1992	254	22.6	11.2	2
1993	246	21.0	11.7	0
1994	255	22.6	11.3	4.3
1995	269	25.3	10.6	2.6
1996	269	25.3	10.6	2.6
1997	296	25.4	11.7	2.4
1998	316	26.4	12.0	2.8
1999	340	26.9	12.6	3.8
2000	358	27.3	13.1	2.8
2001	330	28.7	11.5	n/a
2002	340	26.1	13.0	9.4
2003	340	26.1	13.0	9.4
2004	358	29.1	12.3	5.3
2005	362	26.8	13.5	n/a
2006	327	27.1	12.1	3.1
2007	352	25.5	13.8	5.4
2008	360	29.3	12.3	4.4
2009	350	30.8	12.1	4.6
2010	346	27.9	12.4	5.5
2011	350	29.9	11.7	7.1
2012	358	29.7	12.0	6.4
2013	334	29.9	11.1	6.6
2014	334	29.0	11.5	6.3
2015	338	27.0	12.5	6.2
2016	318	29.0	10.9	6.6
2017	297	28.7	10.3	8.1
2018	287	28.9	9.9	6.3
2019	265	24.6	10.7	14.3
2020	255	27.0	9.4	18.8
2021	342	32.4	10.5	17.5
2022	298	29.6	10.0	18.1
2023	308	30.4	10.1	14.9
2024	310	29.9	10.3	17.1

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Frank Ward Strong School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	238	22.0	10.8	n/a
1989	243	21.6	11.2	n/a
1990	215	24.2	8.8	n/a
1991	222	24.2	9.1	n/a
1992	254	22.6	11.2	2
1993	246	21.0	11.7	0
1994	255	22.6	11.3	4.3
1995	269	25.3	10.6	2.6
1996	269	25.3	10.6	2.6
1997	296	25.4	11.7	2.4
1998	316	26.4	12.0	2.8
1999	340	26.9	12.6	3.8
2000	358	27.3	13.1	2.8
2001	330	28.7	11.5	n/a
2002	340	26.1	13.0	9.4
2003	340	26.1	13.0	9.4
2004	358	29.1	12.3	5.3
2005	362	26.8	13.5	n/a
2006	327	27.1	12.1	3.1
2007	352	25.5	13.8	5.4
2008	360	29.3	12.3	4.4
2009	350	30.8	12.1	4.6
2010	346	27.9	12.4	5.5
2011	350	29.9	11.7	7.1
2012	358	29.7	12.0	6.4
2013	334	29.9	11.1	6.6
2014	334	29.0	11.5	6.3
2015	338	27.0	12.5	6.2
2016	318	29.0	10.9	6.6
2017	297	28.7	10.3	8.1
2018	287	28.9	9.9	6.3
2019	265	24.6	10.7	14.3
2020	255	27.0	9.4	18.8
2021	342	32.4	10.5	17.5
2022	298	29.6	10.0	18.1
2023	308	30.4	10.1	14.9
2024	310	29.9	10.3	17.1

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Frank Ward Strong School

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2018	$19,939
2019	$21,890
2020	$23,392
2021	$23,526
2022	$26,334
2023	$25,163

Data source: Connecticut Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Frank Ward Strong School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 53^rd of 259 Middle schools	Ranks 61^st of 249 Middle schools	4%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
7th Grade English Language Arts (Frank Ward Strong School)	69.4	51.5	17.9%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Regional School District 13)	69.4	51.5	17.9%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Connecticut)	56.1	48.8	7.3%
7th Grade Mathematics (Frank Ward Strong School)	65.8	55.6	10.2%
7th Grade Mathematics (Regional School District 13)	65.8	55.6	10.2%
7th Grade Mathematics (Connecticut)	46.1	39.9	6.2%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Frank Ward Strong School)	72.7	67.6	5.1%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Regional School District 13)	72.2	66.3	5.9%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Connecticut)	55.8	48.5	7.3%
8th Grade Mathematics (Frank Ward Strong School)	65.7	54.5	11.2%
8th Grade Mathematics (Regional School District 13)	65.3	53.4	11.9%
8th Grade Mathematics (Connecticut)	43.5	36.2	7.3%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	265	308	16.2%
African American	0	3
American Indian	0	0
Asian	5	5
Hispanic	15	29	93.3%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	234	261	11.5%
Two or More Races	11	10	9.1%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	14.3%	14.9%	0.6%

Schools Near Frank Ward Strong School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				NGSS Science (2024)		SBAC English Language Arts (2024)				SBAC Mathematics (2024)				Per Pupil Expenditures (2023)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	NGSS Science 5th Grade	NGSS Science 8th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 5th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 6th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 7th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 8th Grade	SBAC Mathematics 5th Grade	SBAC Mathematics 6th Grade	SBAC Mathematics 7th Grade	SBAC Mathematics 8th Grade	Total
Frank Ward Strong School	Public	6-8	191 Main Street	Durham	06422	Middlesex County	Regional School District 13	No	No	No	Yes	(860) 349-7222	310	30	10.3	17.1%	271 (87.4%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (7.7%)	4 (1.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (3.2%)	57.7	103^rd of 250 public middle schools	58.8%		75.3	61^st of 249 public middle schools	75.5%	42		48.0		51.0	62.5	50.0		38.9	51.0	43.9	$25,163
Beman Middle School	Public	6-8	1 Wilderman's Way	Middletown	06457	Middlesex County	Middletown School District	No	No	No	No	(860) 347-8594	985	82	12.0	47.1%	395 (40.1%)	207 (21.0%)	207 (21.0%)	52 (5.3%)	3 (0.3%)	3 (0.3%)	118 (12.0%)	28.4	157^th of 250 public middle schools	37.2%		26.3	162^nd of 249 public middle schools	34.9%	5		35.0		38.6	42.3	41.9		23.5	23.6	21.6	$21,940
Brownstone Intermediate School	Public	5-6	314 Main St.	Portland	06480	Middlesex County	Portland School District	No	No	No	No	(860) 342-6765	210	18	12.0	26.2%	144 (68.6%)	6 (2.9%)	49 (23.3%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (4.8%)								(n/a)	61.4		69.3	59.0			54.5	54.3			$18,892
Washington Middle School	Public	6-8	1225 North Broad St.	Meriden	06450	New Haven County	Meriden School District	No	No	No	Yes	(203) 235-6606	556	44	12.6	85.4%	100 (18.0%)	76 (13.7%)	341 (61.3%)	8 (1.4%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	25 (4.5%)	27.3	160^th of 250 public middle schools	36.0%		33.5	148^th of 249 public middle schools	40.6%	12				26.1	38.1	50.3		14.9	24.6	29.9	$19,160
Edison Middle School	Public	6-8	1355 North Broad Street	Meriden	06450	New Haven County	Meriden School District	No	No	No	No	(203) 379-2590	777	56	13.7	74.9%	173 (22.3%)	95 (12.2%)	459 (59.1%)	14 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (4.6%)	46.2	126^th of 250 public middle schools	49.6%		47.9	124^th of 249 public middle schools	50.2%	2		41.9		52.2	54.4	49.0		39.4	37.6	25.8	$17,269
Dag Hammarskjold Middle School	Public	6-8	106 Pond Hill Road	Wallingford	06492	New Haven County	Wallingford School District	No	No	No	Yes	(203) 294-3700	564	57	9.9	35.3%	376 (66.7%)	8 (1.4%)	132 (23.4%)	26 (4.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	21 (3.7%)	46.7	125^th of 250 public middle schools	50.0%		34.3	146^th of 249 public middle schools	41.4%	21		52.2		47.7	50.0	48.6		34.9	33.0	37.5	$21,841
Portland Middle School	Public	7-8	93 High Street	Portland	06480	Middlesex County	Portland School District	No	No	No	Yes	(860) 342-1880	211	21	10.0	34.1%	148 (70.1%)	10 (4.7%)	39 (18.5%)	6 (2.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (3.8%)	77.3	60^th of 250 public middle schools	76.0%		66.4	85^th of 249 public middle schools	65.9%	25					64.4	68.9			54.4	56.3	$17,889
James H. Moran Middle School	Public	6-8	141 Hope Hill Road	Wallingford	06492	New Haven County	Wallingford School District	No	No	No	No	(203) 741-2900	528	57	9.3	32.8%	368 (69.7%)	10 (1.9%)	109 (20.6%)	27 (5.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (2.7%)	48	121^st of 250 public middle schools	51.6%		46.4	127^th of 249 public middle schools	49.0%	6		56.0		40.6	46.6	56.8		33.8	37.2	37.5	$21,142
Lincoln Middle School	Public	6-8	164 Centennial Ave.	Meriden	06450	New Haven County	Meriden School District	No	No	No	Yes	(203) 238-2381	662	50	13.1	81.3%	139 (21.0%)	61 (9.2%)	431 (65.1%)	6 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (3.6%)	24.5	169^th of 250 public middle schools	32.4%		28.8	158^th of 249 public middle schools	36.5%	11		28.8		35.7	35.0	41.5		21.5	24.1	22.8	$16,477
Haddam-Killingworth Middle School	Public	6-8	451 Route 81	Killingworth	06419	Middlesex County	Regional School District 17	No	No	No	Yes	(860) 663-1241	395	39	10.0	10.9%	350 (88.6%)	5 (1.3%)	24 (6.1%)	7 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.3%)	79	54^th of 250 public middle schools	78.4%		81.4	46^th of 249 public middle schools	81.5%	8		66.7		67.5	70.2	60.4		64.3	58.9	51.4	$25,126

Frank Ward Strong School

Frank Ward Strong School:

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Regional School District 13:

What do you think?

Rank History for Frank Ward Strong School

Rank History for all students at Frank Ward Strong School

Rank History for Special Education students at Frank Ward Strong School

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Frank Ward Strong School

Rank History for Female students at Frank Ward Strong School

Rank History for Disabled students at Frank Ward Strong School

Rank History for Male students at Frank Ward Strong School

Rank History for White students at Frank Ward Strong School

Enrollment information for Frank Ward Strong School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Frank Ward Strong School

Student/Teacher Ratio Frank Ward Strong School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Frank Ward Strong School

Impact of COVID-19 on Frank Ward Strong School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Frank Ward Strong School

Frequently Asked Questions about Frank Ward Strong School

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