Schools in Zip Code 06226

Zip code 06226 (Willimantic, CT) is home to 6 schools serving elementary through high school, including two small K-4 schools, one middle school, and three high schools that span a wide range of performance levels. The four traditional public schools belong to the Windham School District, which ranks near the bottom of Connecticut districts, while the other two schools are part of the Connecticut Technical Education and Career System and the Eastern Connecticut Regional Educational Service Center. Overall, poverty is high: four schools report over 70% free/reduced lunch eligibility, and most test scores fall well below state averages, but there are notable exceptions.

The strongest metrics in the zip code belong to Windham Technical High School, which boasts a 98.2% graduation rate, just 7.9% chronic absenteeism, and science proficiency at 60.5% – far above the state average. Its main weakness is SAT math, where only 4.8% of students are proficient. Arts at the Capitol Theater Magnet School (ACT) is another bright spot, with a 93.3% graduation rate, strong SAT English Language Arts scores (67.6% proficient), and the lowest student-teacher ratio in the area at 7.7, though its chronic absenteeism is the highest at 33.6%. By contrast, Windham High School spends the most per student ($21,209) but has a below-average graduation rate (86.7%), high absenteeism, and low science proficiency.

Attendance patterns show a clear grade-level problem: Natchaug School has just 10.2% chronic absenteeism and W. B. Sweeney School sits at 23.4%, but rates climb sharply at Windham Middle School (25.2%) and the traditional high school (31.4%), suggesting student disengagement deepens with age. Test proficiency across the district’s elementary and middle schools is consistently 20–35 percentage points below state averages. The technical high school’s success suggests that career-focused models and lower poverty levels can produce better outcomes, even within the same zip code, while the district’s traditional schools struggle with systemic challenges.