Summary:
Elementary Schools in zip code 06260 (Putnam, CT) include just one school, Putnam Elementary School, serving grades PK–4 within the Putnam School District. This is a high-poverty school where over 60% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and it is the only local option for elementary education in this area, so the most useful comparisons are to district and state averages.
Putnam Elementary School enrolls 558 students with a favorable student-teacher ratio of 13.8 and spends about $15,003 per student. The school holds a 2-star rating, while the Putnam School District is rated 1 star, meaning the school is performing better than the district as a whole. In nearly every subject, the school scores slightly above the district average but below Connecticut state averages. The most pressing concern is 4th-grade mathematics: proficiency fell from 40.5% in 2024–2025 to just 33.0% in 2025–2026, creating a 19.1-point gap below the state average. ELA scores also slipped in the most recent year, with 4th-grade dropping from 46.8% to 38.7% and 3rd-grade from 42.6% to 39.8%. On a brighter note, 3rd-grade math improved to 44.3% and is now the school’s strongest subject relative to the state, though still below the state’s 52.2%.
Chronic absenteeism at the school is 17.0%, better than the district’s 19.3% but slightly higher than the state’s 16.4%. The school’s statewide percentile rank has declined for three consecutive years, from the 38th to the 31st percentile, aligning with recent test score drops. Given the high poverty rate, the school’s performance is understandable in context, but the sharp decline in 4th-grade math and recent ELA losses suggest targeted instructional support is needed. For parents, Putnam Elementary is a school that outpaces its district but trails the state, with a clear need to focus on upper-elementary math and reading recovery.
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