Best Public Schools in Zip Code 06457

Zip code 06457 serves the Middletown, CT area with 11 public schools spanning pre-kindergarten through grade 12, including 8 elementary schools, 1 middle school, and 2 high schools enrolling about 4,785 students. Nine schools belong to the Middletown School District, which ranks in the 13th percentile of Connecticut districts, while Vinal Technical High School is part of the Connecticut Technical Education and Career System. Overall, schools here tend to score below state averages, with about half of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch.

The clear standout is Moody School, ranking in the 68th percentile statewide, with the lowest chronic absenteeism (6.5%), the lowest poverty rate (27.8%), and 5th grade math proficiency of 70.6% — more than double the district average. At the other end, Bielefield School sits in the 12th percentile, and Macdonough School has the highest poverty rate at 72.5%. Among secondary schools, Middletown High School is the largest school in the zip with 1,193 students and a 91.5% graduation rate, but its chronic absenteeism rate of 34.6% is more than double the state average. Vinal Technical High School graduates 96.9% of students — the highest in the zip — yet posts the lowest math proficiency at 8.4%, a common pattern in career-focused technical schools. Beman Middle School, the only middle school, has declined from the 37th to 28th percentile over three years.

There is a stark achievement divide across the elementary schools, with percentile rankings ranging from 12 to 68. Schools serving higher-poverty populations, such as Macdonough School, Bielefield School, and Spencer School, generally post lower scores, while lower-poverty schools like Moody School and Wesley School perform better. Chronic absenteeism is a district-wide concern, averaging 22.1% versus the state's 16.4%. Several schools are trending downward — Snow School fell from the 58th to 38th percentile, and Wesley School dropped from 56th to 35th — though Vinal Technical High School and Bielefield School are improving from low bases. Per-student spending varies from $17,464 at Lawrence School to $21,011 at Moody School, but higher spending does not consistently predict better outcomes.