Best Middle Schools in Zip Code 06335

Zip code 06335 contains exactly one middle school, Ledyard Middle School, which serves grades 6 through 8 and enrolls 535 students in Gales Ferry, CT. Since this is the only middle school in the area, the analysis focuses on how it compares to district and state benchmarks rather than to neighboring schools.

Ledyard Middle School stands out for its strong science performance: 8th grade science proficiency reached 57.4% in 2025–2026, which is 6.5 points above the state average. Chronic absenteeism is also remarkably low at 9.2%, well below the district's 14.0% and the state's 16.4%, indicating a strong attendance culture. However, the school sits in the middle of the pack overall, ranking in the 47th percentile of Connecticut middle schools with a consistent 2-star rating over the past three years. While 6th and 8th grade ELA scores are close to state averages, 7th grade ELA is a notable concern, with only 35.4% proficiency—a nearly 17-point gap below the state. Math proficiency in grades 6 and 7 also lags by about 10 points, though 8th grade math slightly exceeds the state average at 42.6%.

A significant red flag is the sharp year-over-year decline in 7th grade math: proficiency dropped from 48.2% in 2024–2025 to 34.1% in 2025–2026, a 14-point fall that may point to cohort effects, staffing changes, or testing variation. The school's ranking has remained stable but not improving, moving only from the 45th to 47th percentile over three years. Interestingly, Ledyard Middle School outperforms its district's overall rank—the Ledyard School District sits at the 35th percentile statewide, while the middle school itself is at the 47th percentile, suggesting it is one of the stronger schools in the district. With a free/reduced-price lunch rate of 28.6% and a student-to-teacher ratio of 12:1, the school serves a moderate-income population. Note that per-student spending data is from 2018–2019 at $14,453 and may be outdated. Overall, this is a stable mid-range school with clear strengths in science and attendance, but with targeted opportunities to improve 7th grade ELA and 6th/7th grade math.