Natchaug School


Natchaug Elementary School is an elementary school located in Willimantic, Connecticut, United States. It has accreditation from the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. The name Natchaug comes from the Native American Nipmuc word meaning "land between the rivers." The school colors are bright green and blue.

Student Composition

The school serves students from kindergarten through fifth grade, after which they move on to Windham Middle School. As of the 2017-18 school year, the majority of students were Hispanic, while 14% of students were Non-Hispanic white and smaller numbers Asian, black, multiracial or of other backgrounds. By contrast, the majority of the staff are white, with only a small number of Hispanic educators. Many of the school's students come from poor families: 95% qualified for free or reduced-price lunch in 2017-18, compared to 37% of Connecticut public school students overall.
Overall, about one in three students is classified as an English Language Learner, versus 7% of students statewide.
Natchaug has had bilingual education programs in place since the 1980s, in accordance with state legislation. Natchaug also currently has a Family Resource Center and before- and after-school programs for its students.

Early History

Natchaug School first opened in 1865, and included a high school until 1897. The school was initially a large wooden building, completed in 1864 and replacing the Old Stone Schoolhouse of earlier decades. In the late 1870s, pupils included several visiting students from China, who had been sent by the Qing dynasty as the educational mission of its Self-Strengthening Movement.
The old school building was torn down in 1914 to make way for the current brick structure.

Recent events

The school was closed from June 2012 to January 2014 due to roof damage. During that time, students attended elementary school classes at Windham Middle School.

Principals

In earlier decades, principals included: