Best Elementary Schools in Zip Code 06335

Zip code 06335 is home to two elementary schools—Juliet W. Long School (grades 3–5) and Gales Ferry School (grades K–2)—both in Gales Ferry, Connecticut, and both part of the Ledyard School District, together forming a seamless K–5 pipeline where students start at Gales Ferry and move to Juliet W. Long for upper elementary. Juliet W. Long stands out academically with strong 5th-grade science (68% proficient vs. 52.9% statewide) and 3rd-grade math (61.9% vs. 52.2%), while Gales Ferry stands out operationally with a smaller 11:1 student-teacher ratio and per-pupil spending of $17,745—nearly double Juliet W. Long’s $9,008.

Both schools share a similar economic profile, with about one-quarter of students eligible for free/reduced lunch (25.66% at Juliet W. Long and 27.69% at Gales Ferry). Chronic absenteeism is excellent at both schools—5.8% at Juliet W. Long and 7.7% at Gales Ferry—well below the district’s 14.0% and the state’s 16.4%. The spending gap between the two schools is striking, especially since they serve the same community and have comparable student need, suggesting Gales Ferry provides a resource-intensive early elementary experience. Juliet W. Long serves 265 students with a 14:1 ratio, while Gales Ferry serves 195 students at 11:1.

Juliet W. Long is the only school in the zip code with standardized test data. Its 5th-grade science results have been above state averages two years running (68.0% and 63.6% vs. roughly 52% statewide). However, 4th-grade scores swung sharply from 2024–2025 to 2025–2026: ELA dropped from 63.8% to 43.2% and math from 68.8% to 55.6%, while 5th-grade scores improved—likely cohort variation rather than a systemic decline. The school ranks at the 52nd percentile of Connecticut elementary schools (#236 of 491), outperforming the Ledyard School District’s overall 35th-percentile district ranking, suggesting Juliet W. Long is a strong contributor to the district’s profile.