Summary:
ZIP code 06357 in Niantic, Connecticut, is served by three public schools — two elementary schools and one middle school — all part of the East Lyme School District, which ranks in the 76th percentile statewide with a 4-star rating. Together, Niantic Center School, Lillie B. Haynes School, and East Lyme Middle School enroll 1,279 students, and all three schools outperform Connecticut state averages in the vast majority of tested subjects and grade levels.
The clear standout is Niantic Center School, a top-3% elementary school with a 97th-percentile rank, 5-star rating, exceptional math scores (91.9% proficiency in 4th grade vs. 52.1% statewide), the lowest chronic absenteeism (4.4%), and the lowest free/reduced lunch rate (19.2%). East Lyme Middle School is the largest school in the ZIP code (716 students) and performs well above state averages across all grades, with strong science results and an absenteeism rate of just 6.7%. Lillie B. Haynes School is still above state averages, but it ranks in the 72nd percentile — well behind its elementary counterpart — with the highest chronic absenteeism (8.4%) and highest free/reduced lunch rate (31.8%) among the three schools.
A clear pattern emerges: the school with the lowest poverty rate and best attendance has the highest achievement, while the school with the highest poverty rate and worst attendance has the lowest achievement. Notably, Lillie B. Haynes School spends the most per student ($19,012), yet does not outperform its peers, suggesting spending alone does not drive results. One area of concern is a 6th-grade dip at East Lyme Middle School, where ELA and math proficiency drop noticeably compared to 5th and 7th grades. Since no high schools are listed in this ZIP code, families here should look to the broader district for high school options, but for elementary and middle school, 06357 offers a strong, above-average set of schools with Niantic Center leading the way.
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