Connecticut 2024

[pcowlax]

As a small defense of hometown Hand, that recent stretch of losing in state finals multiple times were almost all to New Canaan in generally competitive (though not close) games. The top 3-4 FCIAC teams these days are top 10 nationally public schools, NY is down across the board. With that as the standard, it is pretty hard to break through for a title in L or LL (though easier now with option for them to opt up). In the past 10 years, Hand enrollment has dropped from 1300 to 750. Literally. All sports are not what they were and can’t be with losing half of the student body.

What is responsible for that plummet in enrollment?

From various sources:

CT student enrollment continued to decline for the 2023-2024 school year according to recently released data from the Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE). In the past ten years, enrollment has dropped by 33,697 students.

Enrollment reflects the number of students who attend Connecticut schools and is reported at the district level. Attendance levels at private educational institutions are not included in the data.

In the 2014-2015 school year, enrollment for all students was 546,349. For the 2023-2024 school year, enrollment was 512,652. Over the past decade, overall enrollment has decreased each year, except for the 2021-2022 school year, which saw a slight increase over the previous year.

Experts noted some parents opted to home-school their kids while others moved away during the pandemic.

Students with disabilities have also increased as a portion of the student body each year, making up 13.32 percent of enrolled students in 2014-2015 and 17.92 percent in 2023-2024.

Granted, this isn't limited to High School per se, but the numbers are down. People have been having fewer kids for a while now. In 2009 the HS in my town was LL with an enrollment 0f 1,780 students 9-12 - at the time, one of the biggest in Fairfield County behind Danbury, Greenwich, the Stamford and B-Port schools. Now they are around 1,175 - but they only dropped to Class L. That's a massive drop in students for one town but clearly others have followed suit.

Great question FMF, you are a good soldier for asking. And one that is seriously vexing the town. The overall population has not changed at all, there are just fewer and fewer kids. Yes, so go to privates but not I think any more than 10 years ago and nowhere even close to enough to explain this. It has been shockingly rapid. It’s not just empty nesters staying in their houses. Just on my own street during pandemic, when so many were fleeing NYC, we had 3 houses that had been on the market for many months sell very rapidly, all 3500-4000sqft, to elderly couples. It’s bizarre. It’s very possible with interest rates up now young people have hard time buying into towns like Madison (and obviously the FC towns but there will always be at least some young MoTU types who can afford it and can commute) but I can’t imagine being 74 and moving with my 74 yo wife into a 4000sqft, 1.5 acre house. No obvious solution, can’t make the Surf Club more of an awesome draw for families with kids than it is.

[Kismet]

As a small defense of hometown Hand, that recent stretch of losing in state finals multiple times were almost all to New Canaan in generally competitive (though not close) games. The top 3-4 FCIAC teams these days are top 10 nationally public schools, NY is down across the board. With that as the standard, it is pretty hard to break through for a title in L or LL (though easier now with option for them to opt up). In the past 10 years, Hand enrollment has dropped from 1300 to 750. Literally. All sports are not what they were and can’t be with losing half of the student body.

What is responsible for that plummet in enrollment?

From various sources:

CT student enrollment continued to decline for the 2023-2024 school year according to recently released data from the Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE). In the past ten years, enrollment has dropped by 33,697 students.

Enrollment reflects the number of students who attend Connecticut schools and is reported at the district level. Attendance levels at private educational institutions are not included in the data.

In the 2014-2015 school year, enrollment for all students was 546,349. For the 2023-2024 school year, enrollment was 512,652. Over the past decade, overall enrollment has decreased each year, except for the 2021-2022 school year, which saw a slight increase over the previous year.

Experts noted some parents opted to home-school their kids while others moved away during the pandemic.

Students with disabilities have also increased as a portion of the student body each year, making up 13.32 percent of enrolled students in 2014-2015 and 17.92 percent in 2023-2024.

Granted, this isn't limited to High School per se, but the numbers are down. People have been having fewer kids for a while now. In 2009 the HS in my town was LL with an enrollment 0f 1,780 students 9-12 - at the time, one of the biggest in Fairfield County behind Danbury, Greenwich, the Stamford and B-Port schools. Now they are around 1,175 - but they only dropped to Class L. That's a massive drop in students for one town but clearly others have followed suit.

Great question FMF, you are a good soldier for asking. And one that is seriously vexing the town. The overall population has not changed at all, there are just fewer and fewer kids. Yes, so go to privates but not I think any more than 10 years ago and nowhere even close to enough to explain this. It has been shockingly rapid. It’s not just empty nesters staying in their houses. Just on my own street during pandemic, when so many were fleeing NYC, we had 3 houses that had been on the market for many months sell very rapidly, all 3500-4000sqft, to elderly couples. It’s bizarre. It’s very possible with interest rates up now young people have hard time buying into towns like Madison (and obviously the FC towns but there will always be at least some young MoTU types who can afford it and can commute) but I can’t imagine being 74 and moving with my 74 yo wife into a 4000sqft, 1.5 acre house. No obvious solution, can’t make the Surf Club more of an awesome draw for families with kids than it is.

All true but recently enrollments have risen slightly and was an issue for the controversial decision to build a new elementary school and shut down two existing elementary schools.

As far as sports go, you are correct - a lot fewer athletes coming through both boys and girls.

As for real estate - not a large inventory of homes for sale right now especially in the mid-range price tiers.

[justanotherperson]

Agreed. Both King and Greens Farms Academy are producing decent D3 / D2 players but not necessarily high level D1 players. King has done a good job and won the FAA this year and GFA has been a perennial contender, GCDS literally just established their lacrosse in the last few years and has done so with good coaching, a lot of money and beautiful facilities so I think there is always the inital gravitation towards the new shiny thing in town, I suspect they will continue to be good like GFA and King but without constant production of sending players to high level programs, they will come back to the norm and be a good decent day school program, like a 'WIck-lite, type program. Of note, they have 2 commits listed (Wesleyan 24, ND 25) with no commits prior to that except a 23 Kenyon player.

It’s funny because Wick used to be Wick-lite. They were an FAA/Fairchester program (certainly at the top of those leagues) that annually played a few West-1 teams and usually got smoked. About 15-20 years ago a very concerted change of focus at the school occurred and sports went crazy, with lax (and squash) being the biggest examples but football going to another level as well. Will be interesting to see if GCDS follows a similar path. St. Luke’s is another King/GFA type local school.

Hahaha. I love this. Wick was once New Coke and now they are the powerhouse that Diet Coke is. This model unfortunately only works in Fairfield County as no need to board when you have the finances to buy a house in the area or rent an apartment even though one lives in a different part of the country.

You do bring up a good point: I am curious how the landscape will be in 15 years from now. GCDS can go the same model as Wick. Im just not sure why St Lukes / King / GFA havent upped their athletic game

[justanotherperson]

As a small defense of hometown Hand, that recent stretch of losing in state finals multiple times were almost all to New Canaan in generally competitive (though not close) games. The top 3-4 FCIAC teams these days are top 10 nationally public schools, NY is down across the board. With that as the standard, it is pretty hard to break through for a title in L or LL (though easier now with option for them to opt up). In the past 10 years, Hand enrollment has dropped from 1300 to 750. Literally. All sports are not what they were and can’t be with losing half of the student body.

What is responsible for that plummet in enrollment?

From various sources:

CT student enrollment continued to decline for the 2023-2024 school year according to recently released data from the Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE). In the past ten years, enrollment has dropped by 33,697 students.

Enrollment reflects the number of students who attend Connecticut schools and is reported at the district level. Attendance levels at private educational institutions are not included in the data.

In the 2014-2015 school year, enrollment for all students was 546,349. For the 2023-2024 school year, enrollment was 512,652. Over the past decade, overall enrollment has decreased each year, except for the 2021-2022 school year, which saw a slight increase over the previous year.

Experts noted some parents opted to home-school their kids while others moved away during the pandemic.

Students with disabilities have also increased as a portion of the student body each year, making up 13.32 percent of enrolled students in 2014-2015 and 17.92 percent in 2023-2024.

Granted, this isn't limited to High School per se, but the numbers are down. People have been having fewer kids for a while now. In 2009 the HS in my town was LL with an enrollment 0f 1,780 students 9-12 - at the time, one of the biggest in Fairfield County behind Danbury, Greenwich, the Stamford and B-Port schools. Now they are around 1,175 - but they only dropped to Class L. That's a massive drop in students for one town but clearly others have followed suit.

Yes. There is talk amongst college applications about the large population drop in high school applicants that is coming in the next decade because of fewer kids.

I wonder how many end up at private schools, could an increase account for some of the drop in addition to home schooling? I think CT has been neutral with population movement but I dont know the age groups of people moving in vs moving out

[BlueWarrior]

As a small defense of hometown Hand, that recent stretch of losing in state finals multiple times were almost all to New Canaan in generally competitive (though not close) games. The top 3-4 FCIAC teams these days are top 10 nationally public schools, NY is down across the board. With that as the standard, it is pretty hard to break through for a title in L or LL (though easier now with option for them to opt up). In the past 10 years, Hand enrollment has dropped from 1300 to 750. Literally. All sports are not what they were and can’t be with losing half of the student body.

What is responsible for that plummet in enrollment?

From various sources:

CT student enrollment continued to decline for the 2023-2024 school year according to recently released data from the Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE). In the past ten years, enrollment has dropped by 33,697 students.

Enrollment reflects the number of students who attend Connecticut schools and is reported at the district level. Attendance levels at private educational institutions are not included in the data.

In the 2014-2015 school year, enrollment for all students was 546,349. For the 2023-2024 school year, enrollment was 512,652. Over the past decade, overall enrollment has decreased each year, except for the 2021-2022 school year, which saw a slight increase over the previous year.

Experts noted some parents opted to home-school their kids while others moved away during the pandemic.

Students with disabilities have also increased as a portion of the student body each year, making up 13.32 percent of enrolled students in 2014-2015 and 17.92 percent in 2023-2024.

Granted, this isn't limited to High School per se, but the numbers are down. People have been having fewer kids for a while now. In 2009 the HS in my town was LL with an enrollment 0f 1,780 students 9-12 - at the time, one of the biggest in Fairfield County behind Danbury, Greenwich, the Stamford and B-Port schools. Now they are around 1,175 - but they only dropped to Class L. That's a massive drop in students for one town but clearly others have followed suit.

Great question FMF, you are a good soldier for asking. And one that is seriously vexing the town. The overall population has not changed at all, there are just fewer and fewer kids. Yes, so go to privates but not I think any more than 10 years ago and nowhere even close to enough to explain this. It has been shockingly rapid. It’s not just empty nesters staying in their houses. Just on my own street during pandemic, when so many were fleeing NYC, we had 3 houses that had been on the market for many months sell very rapidly, all 3500-4000sqft, to elderly couples. It’s bizarre. It’s very possible with interest rates up now young people have hard time buying into towns like Madison (and obviously the FC towns but there will always be at least some young MoTU types who can afford it and can commute) but I can’t imagine being 74 and moving with my 74 yo wife into a 4000sqft, 1.5 acre house. No obvious solution, can’t make the Surf Club more of an awesome draw for families with kids than it is.

Daniel Hand HS Enrollment (Boys):
- 2018-19: 557
- 2019-20: 542
- 2020-21: 535
- 2021-22: 470
- 2022-23: 432
- 2023-24: 404

[pcowlax]

As a small defense of hometown Hand, that recent stretch of losing in state finals multiple times were almost all to New Canaan in generally competitive (though not close) games. The top 3-4 FCIAC teams these days are top 10 nationally public schools, NY is down across the board. With that as the standard, it is pretty hard to break through for a title in L or LL (though easier now with option for them to opt up). In the past 10 years, Hand enrollment has dropped from 1300 to 750. Literally. All sports are not what they were and can’t be with losing half of the student body.

What is responsible for that plummet in enrollment?

From various sources:

CT student enrollment continued to decline for the 2023-2024 school year according to recently released data from the Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE). In the past ten years, enrollment has dropped by 33,697 students.

Enrollment reflects the number of students who attend Connecticut schools and is reported at the district level. Attendance levels at private educational institutions are not included in the data.

In the 2014-2015 school year, enrollment for all students was 546,349. For the 2023-2024 school year, enrollment was 512,652. Over the past decade, overall enrollment has decreased each year, except for the 2021-2022 school year, which saw a slight increase over the previous year.

Experts noted some parents opted to home-school their kids while others moved away during the pandemic.

Students with disabilities have also increased as a portion of the student body each year, making up 13.32 percent of enrolled students in 2014-2015 and 17.92 percent in 2023-2024.

Granted, this isn't limited to High School per se, but the numbers are down. People have been having fewer kids for a while now. In 2009 the HS in my town was LL with an enrollment 0f 1,780 students 9-12 - at the time, one of the biggest in Fairfield County behind Danbury, Greenwich, the Stamford and B-Port schools. Now they are around 1,175 - but they only dropped to Class L. That's a massive drop in students for one town but clearly others have followed suit.

Great question FMF, you are a good soldier for asking. And one that is seriously vexing the town. The overall population has not changed at all, there are just fewer and fewer kids. Yes, so go to privates but not I think any more than 10 years ago and nowhere even close to enough to explain this. It has been shockingly rapid. It’s not just empty nesters staying in their houses. Just on my own street during pandemic, when so many were fleeing NYC, we had 3 houses that had been on the market for many months sell very rapidly, all 3500-4000sqft, to elderly couples. It’s bizarre. It’s very possible with interest rates up now young people have hard time buying into towns like Madison (and obviously the FC towns but there will always be at least some young MoTU types who can afford it and can commute) but I can’t imagine being 74 and moving with my 74 yo wife into a 4000sqft, 1.5 acre house. No obvious solution, can’t make the Surf Club more of an awesome draw for families with kids than it is.

Daniel Hand HS Enrollment (Boys):
- 2018-19: 557
- 2019-20: 542
- 2020-21: 535
- 2021-22: 470
- 2022-23: 432
- 2023-24: 404

Yup. And go back 5 more years and that 550 was 650.

[Kismet]

Brackets are out at CIAC

LL - 17 teams; 1 play-in
LL - - 22 teams - 6 play-ins
M - 16 teams no play-ins
S - 13 teams no play-ins

Daniel Hand (7-9) is the 1 seed in M

[pcowlax]

Brackets are out at CIAC

LL - 17 teams; 1 play-in
LL - - 22 teams - 6 play-ins
M - 16 teams no play-ins
S - 13 teams no play-ins

Daniel Hand (7-9) is the 1 seed in M

I think you would be hard pressed to find a coach in the M tourney who isn’t glad they are #1, except I guess Barlow who prefer they were 2

[Kismet]

Brackets are out at CIAC

LL - 17 teams; 1 play-in
LL - - 22 teams - 6 play-ins
M - 16 teams no play-ins
S - 13 teams no play-ins

Daniel Hand (7-9) is the 1 seed in M

I think you would be hard pressed to find a coach in the M tourney who isn’t glad they are #1, except I guess Barlow who prefer they were 2

In an overall pretty weak division - Barlow got the tougher bracket but that said isn't much tougher than Hand's ....Hand should not have a game until the finals. Might not be a good thing either.

[Greg29]

Barlow will cruise through their bracket. I think Hand has a much harder road to the final.

[Kismet]

Barlow will cruise through their bracket. I think Hand has a much harder road to the final.

Really? Ellington, Masuk/North Haven and Brookfiled/ RHAM? - Running clock both games IMHO

Barlow gets Berlin, Foran and East Lyme.

[pcowlax]

Barlow will cruise through their bracket. I think Hand has a much harder road to the final.

Really Ellington, Masuk/North Haven and Brookfiled/ RHAM? - Running clock both games IMHO

Barlow gets Berlin, Foran and East Lyme.

They are both cake but it’s nice that Hand isn’t a 15 seed as they would have been under some past systems and screw some top seeded team in the first round.

[Mike75]

Hell of a game between Staples and Darien last night. I had thought that after the beatdown Staples gave NC in the semis, that they would do the same to Darien. Instead we got Darien/Ridgefield redux, with Staples succeeding where Ridgefield couldn't, mounting a comeback in the 4th to pull out the win in OT and their first FCIAC championship. Enjoyed watching Udell put the team on his back (like the Colseys did in the semis). Is there any chance Burmeister comes back for states?

The LL bracket is lit. Prep, NC and Staples in the top tier, Darien and Ridgefield just below and Greenwich and Wilton below them. But any of these teams could win if they get hot. Would be even better if Cheshire was in the mix, but alas, the siren song of Class L was too strong. Probably doesn't matter in the long run as I think they are on the Greenwich/Wilton tier (which means an outside shot), especially after getting handled by Prep last night.

[connecticutlaxfan]

Indeed an awesome game last night, kudos to both teams for playing such an instant classic. Great to see Staples get the program's first ever FCIAC championship, joining the ranks of the other tier 1 schools. Also was good to see Coach Brameier back on the sidelines for Darien despite more health problems.

[BlueWarrior]

Have to think it's Prep in LL. They are just playing better right now than any of the FCIAC teams. Maybe not hands above - but they're playing better. And as if in rebuttal to a point upon which I have harped since fire became manageable and wheels got strapped to wagons...I believe that the vast majority of their impact players are from Fairfield. Am I not correct on this?

[Kismet]

Have to think it's Prep in LL. They are just playing better right now than any of the FCIAC teams. Maybe not hands above - but they're playing better. And as if in rebuttal to a point upon which I have harped since fire became manageable and wheels got strapped to wagons...I believe that the vast majority of their impact players are from Fairfield. Am I not correct on this?

At this point ANY of the Top 5 LL teams could win it - Prep, Darien, New Canaan, Ridgefield and Staples. Greenwich and Wiilton a notch below those..but on a good day you never know.

Prep likely has kids from towns all over Fairfield County including Fairfield proper and all the big boys plus Trumbull and Shelton.

The bracket is pretty balanced, so the champion is going to have to play multiple top programs in a row.

[Greg29]

Barlow will cruise through their bracket. I think Hand has a much harder road to the final.

Really? Ellington, Masuk/North Haven and Brookfiled/ RHAM? - Running clock both games IMHO

Barlow gets Berlin, Foran and East Lyme.

Berlin, Foran, and East Lyme? no chance... not to be cruel, but a totally different class. I actually thin Masuk could beat all 3

[BlueWarrior]

Have to think it's Prep in LL. They are just playing better right now than any of the FCIAC teams. Maybe not hands above - but they're playing better. And as if in rebuttal to a point upon which I have harped since fire became manageable and wheels got strapped to wagons...I believe that the vast majority of their impact players are from Fairfield. Am I not correct on this?

At this point ANY of the Top 5 LL teams could win it - Prep, Darien, New Canaan, Ridgefield and Staples. Greenwich and Wiilton a notch below those..but on a good day you never know.

Prep likely has kids from towns all over Fairfield County including Fairfield proper and all the big boys plus Trumbull and Shelton.

The bracket is pretty balanced, so the champion is going to have to play multiple top programs in a row.

Did a little digging. While most Prep kids are from the local community, they have their fair share of key contributors from towns like Weston, Stratford, Madison and likely others that kids just don't list in recruiting profiles. So my ages-old quest for somebody to rationalize how it's fair for "schools of choice" to compete against "schools where I'm from" continues.

[justanotherperson]

You do have a valid argument. It will never happen but like other states, maybe a "parochial" division needs to be formed with

-Prep
-St Joes
-East Catholic
-ND West Haven
-St Pauls
-Northwest Catholic
-ND Fairfield
-Xavier
-St Bernard
-Holy Cross
-Immaculate

Add in Canterbury and St Lukes from NEW2 as well as Marianapolis and you got yourself and interesting division

*apologies if I missed some or wronfully included any.

[Kismet]

You do have a valid argument. It will never happen but like other states, maybe a "parochial" division needs to be formed with

-Prep
-St Joes
-East Catholic
-ND West Haven
-St Pauls
-Northwest Catholic
-ND Fairfield
-Xavier
-St Bernard
-Holy Cross
-Immaculate

Add in Canterbury and St Lukes from NEW2 as well as Marianapolis and you got yourself and interesting division

*apologies if I missed some or wronfully included any.

Nice idea but will never happen
CIAC has tried to deal with the issue of competitively
by moving these teams up in class when tey win a class or finish is the top 4
So - in 2024
St Joes is up 2 classes to L
NDWH is up two classes to LL
NW Catholic is up two classes to L
East Catholic is up two classes to L
St Pauls is up a class to M

St Bernard is a coop with Wheeler North Stonington so it doesn't apply there.