Bacon Academy - Colchester, Connecticut/CT

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Bacon Academy

611 Norwich Ave., Colchester, CT, 06415-2142 -

tel: (860)537-2378
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Definition of Terms

Bacon Academy

School Level

High school

Grades Offered

Grades 9 - 12

County

New London County, CT

Students & Faculty

Total Students

745 students

% Male / % Female

50% / 50%

Total Classroom Teachers

68 teachers

Students by Grade

Grade 9 - 44 students

Grade 10 - 254 students

Grade 11 - 226 students

Grade 12 - 221 students

This School

(CT) School Average

Teacher : Student Ratio

1:11

1:18

Students by Ethnicity

This School

(CT) School Average

% American Indian	1%	n/a
% Asian	1%	3%
% Hispanic	2%	17%
% Black	4%	14%
% White	93%	63%

Additional Student Information

This School

(CT) School Average

% Eligible for Free Lunch

n/a

21%

% Eligible for Reduced Lunch

n/a

% Migrant Students Enrolled

n/a

n/a

(CT) Statewide Testing Performance

School Statewide Performance

View Education Department Test Scores

School District Name

Colchester School District

This School's Agency

(CT) District Average

Number of Schools Managed	5	4
Number of Students Managed	3,227 students	1,967 students
District Total Revenue	$35,117,000	$25,820,000
District Expenditure	$32,952,000	$23,657,000
District Revenue / Student	$10,882	$12,537
District Expenditure / Student	$10,211	$12,027
District Graduation Rates	94%	95%

Bacon Academy is a public high school in Colchester, Connecticut, in the United States.
In 1800 a prominent Colchester farmer, Pierpont Bacon, died and left an endowment of thirty-five thousand dollars (equivalent to about four-hundred thousand today). The endowment was to the inhabitants of the First Society of Colchester for the purpose of supporting and maintaining a school…for the instruction of Youth in Reading and writing English, in Artithmetic, Mathimaticks, and the Languages, or such other branches of Learning. This established the academy that bears his name. Bacon Academy’s doors opened to the children of Colchester on the first of November 1803 and from that point forward, prepared many young men and women for the life that lay ahead.
History: In its early days, Bacon Academy had a reputation of quality preparation for colleges around the country. Local children attended the school at no cost, but tuition of two to six dollars (about fifty to seventy dollars today) per term would be levied upon those outside of the district. Bacon’s status was recognized by many prominent fathers of the nineteenth century.
The trustees established that there were to be three terms in a typical school year. The first started in September and ended in December; the second from January to April; and the third from May to August. Early class rolls show that the number of local students would be less in planting and harvesting season, many of them skipping semesters and/or returning either late in the first term or leaving early in the second and zero attendance in the third.
Early Bacon students did not earn a diploma or graduate after four years like today. Instead, the school had a system divided into three branches. In the first branch, a young student learned such subjects as languages, grammar and mathematics. During the second branch, he or she would be taught writing, geometry, and rhetoric. The last branch would be similar to the common or grammar school. Age never factored into a student’s ability. Some students would leave Bacon at fifteen or sixteen if they completed the branches. In 1886, the branch structure was abandoned for the current four-year system and by 1890, the first modern-day commencement occurred with each graduate receiving a diploma.
The school bell would toll at five-thirty in the morning during the first and third term and at seven in the winter for those in branches one and two. During which two scholars would be chosen each day to practice public speaking in front of instructors and other students. Following the speech, the day would begin with the scholars from the common branch joining the others for the Morning Prayer. Afterward, the preceptor (principal) would talk about morals and the studies of his students. This routine was eliminated after 1846 when the bells tolled only for the start of the school day.
Life as a Bacon student was strict. The attitude of the scholar had to be forthright and that of a lady or gentleman. In or out of school, they would have behaved properly and dressed neatly or otherwise punished by means of “reproof, correction, admonition, or expulsion.” While in class, all pupils would sit diligently at their desk and learn the Greek or Latin classics. At home, the student usually studied when not working on their father’s farm or doing chores for their boarding master.
After the centennial celebration the national reputation of the school declined and the Academy was primarily for those in surrounding towns. Eventually Bacon became the public high school for the town. In 1962, the student population in the then 160 year old building on Main Street had exceeded its use and they moved to the new facility adjacent to the grammar school. A major building spurt in the 1980s again forced the construction of another high school less than a mile east. In 1993 the doors opened in the current location.
In 2003, Bacon Academy celebrated its 200th anniversary, kicked off by a special concert from the Bacon Academy Bands, led by director Thomas Kessler. Other events included an all-class reunion, golf tournament, and a town-wide open house at all of the buildings to ever house the school.
Famous Alumni: Stephen F. Austin -- Founder of Austin Texas.
Wilfred Alfred Buckingham -- Republican Senator for Connecticut from 1869-1875.
Ron Wotus -- Major League Baseball player and current bench coach for the San Francisco Giants.
Superman -- Valedictorian of MIT's class of '87.
Source: Wikipedia; it is used under the GNU Free Documentation License. You may redistribute it, verbatim or modified, providing that you comply with the terms of the GFDL
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About This Zip Code (06415)

School Zip (06415)

(CT) State Average

Population (Approximate)

15,303 people

3,282,160 people

% (age 25+) w/College Degree

41%

35%

Population Average Age

36 years old

37 years old

Average Household size

2.7 persons

2.4 persons

Median Household Income

$64,560

$52,927

Avg. # of Rooms in Household

5.9 rooms

5.5 rooms

Median Age of Housing Structure

32 years old

48 years old

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Median Value of Housing Unit
Zipcode (06415)

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% Owning / % Renting

78% / 22%

62% / 38%

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Nearby Schools:


1. Nathan Hale-ray High School - 253 students - view location
2. Lyman Memorial High School - 489 students - view location
3. Montville High School - 684 students - view location
4. East Hampton High School - 420 students - view location
View all schools in: Colchester Town, New London County, Zip 06415

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Note: Data has been gathered from several government and commercial data sources. School data reflects years 2002-04 statistics (most recent years available). Area and demographic data reflects year 2000 statistics. Public School Review does not ensure the timeliness or accuracy of the information on this site.

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