No! Emphatic no! The standardized test scores are not the same as the surrounding suburbs because the student body is not the same. There are so many ESL students here. It’s an awesome experience to grow up here and meet children from different backgrounds. There is a bit of white flight to the wealthier suburbs. Ultimately, you will have to choose where to live based on your values and what kind of life experiences you want for your children, and no one here can do that for you.

Magnet schools draw students from either across Stamford, or (if state funded) across some of the surrounding towns. They were originally used to balance diversity — and Stamford schools were integrated before the state mandated it. Typically they have a different learning philosophy or area of concentration when compared with the other schools. Children are admitted to these schools through a lottery process. My children attended 1 magnet and 2 district schools. They received a great education and awesome opportunities at all three.