Summary:
ZIP code 06042 in Manchester, CT is home to Waddell School, Bowers School, Keeney School, and Buckley School, which together serve about 1,502 students in grades K–4 as part of the Manchester School District. All four are elementary-only schools, with no public middle or high school options within the ZIP code. Among them, Buckley School stands out academically, posting an average 2025–2026 SBAC proficiency of 50.4%—well ahead of the next-best school—despite a sharp recent decline from 66.3% the prior year. At the other end, Bowers School is the most challenged, with the lowest test scores (31.8% average proficiency), the highest chronic absenteeism (22.6%), and the highest free/reduced lunch rate (67%). Meanwhile, Waddell School is notable for being the only school in the ZIP to exceed the state average in 3rd-grade math, and Keeney School posts the lowest chronic absenteeism (12.3%) yet still shows modest academic results.
Academic outcomes vary widely even within this small ZIP code. Buckley School also has the lowest student-to-teacher ratio (10.2) and the lowest poverty rate (52.5% free/reduced lunch), which helps explain its edge. However, its state percentile fell from 72nd in 2023–2024 to 46th in 2025–2026, making its future trajectory uncertain. Bowers School scored below the district in every tested subject for two consecutive years and ranks at the 23rd percentile statewide. Waddell School, the largest school, shows a positive outlier in math: 53.5% proficiency in 3rd-grade math, beating the state average of 52.2%, despite having the second-highest poverty and absenteeism rates. Keeney School demonstrates that good attendance is not enough—its low absenteeism and moderate poverty still yield average proficiency near Bowers School.
Chronic absenteeism and poverty track closely with test scores across these schools, but spending and class sizes are similar, ranging from $17,710 to $18,463 per student and ratios of 10.2 to 12.1. This suggests that school-level practices and demographics matter more than funding. For parents, Buckley School currently offers the strongest academics and smallest classes, while Waddell School shows a promising math program under tougher conditions. Keeney School and Bowers School lag behind, though Keeney's attendance statistics suggest untapped potential. Keep in mind that one of Keeney's 2024–2025 math scores is missing, so year-over-year comparisons for that school are incomplete.
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