Best High Schools in Zip Code 06111

In zip code 06111, there are two schools categorized as high schools serving very different populations: Newington High School, a traditional public high school serving grades 9-12 with 1,255 students, and Bristol Arts and Innovation Magnet School, a magnet school serving grades 6-12 with 268 students. These schools belong to separate districts, Newington School District and Bristol School District, and because they serve different grade spans and use different assessments, direct comparison of their high school outcomes is not possible.

Newington High School is the stronger traditional high school in the area. It ranks 43rd out of 133 Connecticut high schools, placing it in the 68th percentile with a 3-star rating, and its graduation rate of 95.9% is well above the state average of 91.2%. On 11th-grade assessments, Newington exceeds state proficiency rates in all three subjects: 66% in ELA versus 55.3% statewide and 65.4% in science versus 50.5% statewide. However, math is a significant concern, with just 33.3% proficiency, less than half the level of its ELA and science scores.

Bristol Arts and Innovation Magnet School offers a much smaller, more intimate setting with a student-teacher ratio of 10.4 to 1, compared to Newington's 13.9 to 1, and a chronic absenteeism rate of 13.7% that is better than both the state average of 16.4% and Newington's 17.3%. This is especially notable given that 54.5% of its students qualify for free/reduced lunch, and its 6th-8th grade scores consistently outperform its district average in ELA and science. Yet with no reported graduation rate or high school-level test scores, the school's effectiveness at the high school level simply cannot be assessed. Families weighing these two options must balance Newington's proven academic record and graduation outcomes against Bristol Arts' smaller classes and stronger attendance.