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Best Public Schools in Niantic, CT

At a glance

Schools

1,279

Students

5-star school

Top rankedNiantic Center School16^th of 492 Connecticut elementary schools

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Summary:

Niantic, Connecticut, is served by three public schools—Niantic Center School (K–4), Lillie B. Haynes School (K–4), and East Lyme Middle School (5–8)—all part of the highly rated East Lyme School District, which ranks in the top quarter of Connecticut districts. There is no high school within Niantic, so the city’s educational profile is built entirely on elementary and middle school performance.

The clear standout is Niantic Center School, a 5-star school ranked in the 97th percentile statewide. It posts exceptional test scores—81.1% proficiency in 4th grade ELA and 91.9% in 4th grade math, versus state averages around 51–52%—and also has the lowest chronic absenteeism rate (4.4%) and the lowest free/reduced lunch rate (19.19%) among the three. East Lyme Middle School is a strong, consistent 4-star school that exceeds state averages in every subject and grade level, with a 75th percentile rank. Lillie B. Haynes School, also rated 4 stars, performs well above state averages but lags noticeably behind Niantic Center in every comparable metric—for example, 4th grade math proficiency is 68.6% versus 91.9%. It also has the highest free/reduced lunch rate (31.78%) and chronic absenteeism (8.4%) in the group.

Interesting patterns emerge from the data. Despite being in the same district and serving the same grades, the two elementary schools have strikingly different outcomes, suggesting school-level factors matter. Chronic absenteeism tracks with performance, though all three schools are far below the state’s 16.4% average. Notably, Lillie B. Haynes spends the most per student ($19,012) yet is the lowest-performing school, while Niantic Center spends less ($18,456) and outperforms it. At East Lyme Middle, 6th grade shows a noticeable dip in proficiency, potentially reflecting a transition year. Still, overall scores improved year-over-year in several subjects, and all three schools are rated 4 or 5 stars—making Niantic a strong choice for families seeking elementary and middle school education.

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				NGSS Science (2026)		SBAC English Language Arts (2026)						SBAC Mathematics (2026)						Vaccination (2025-26)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
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/reduced lunch (2024-25)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	NGSS Science 5th Grade	NGSS Science 8th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 3rd Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 4th 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 3rd Grade	SBAC Mathematics 4th Grade	SBAC Mathematics 5th Grade	SBAC Mathematics 6th Grade	SBAC Mathematics 7th Grade	SBAC Mathematics 8th Grade	Vaccination: Kindergartners with all required vaccines	Vaccination: Exemption rate	Total
East Lyme Middle School	Public	5-8	31 Society Rd.	Niantic	06357	Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region	East Lyme School District	No	No	No	Yes	(860) 739-4491	716	61	11.6	27.7%	504 (70.4%)	16 (2.2%)	87 (12.2%)	65 (9.1%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (5.9%)	75.2	65^th of 258 public middle schools	74.8%		79.3	53^rd of 252 public middle schools	79.0%	12	67.7	68.8			70.3	54.5	67.5	70.2			62.2	54.3	62.5	56.3			$22,264
Lillie B. Haynes School	Public	K-4	29 Society Rd.	Niantic	06357	Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region	East Lyme School District	No	No	No	No	(860) 739-2922	365	33	11.1	31.8%	226 (61.9%)	8 (2.2%)	49 (13.4%)	54 (14.8%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (7.1%)	76.8	136^th of 492 public elementary schools	72.4%		79.7	111^th of 493 public elementary schools	77.5%	25			64.3	67.8					72.9	68.6					98.4%	0%	$22,751
Niantic Center School	Public	K-4	7 West Main St.	Niantic	06357	Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region	East Lyme School District	No	No	No	Yes	(860) 739-3961	198	19	10.2	19.2%	162 (81.8%)	2 (1.0%)	15 (7.6%)	4 (2.0%)	2 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (6.6%)	92.5	16^th of 492 public elementary schools	96.7%		92.2	16^th of 493 public elementary schools	96.8%				2489.0	81.1					84.2	91.9							$26,396

Cities Near Niantic

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Old Lyme	2.83 mi	5	30^th
Waterford	3.2 mi	5	96^th
East Lyme	3.23 mi	2	55^th
New London	5.38 mi	10	171^st
Groton	7.37 mi	7	136^th

See the top CT Connecticut cities

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Connecticut Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.