Best Public Schools in Zip Code 06470

Zip code 06470 is served by five public schools in Newtown, CT—all part of the Newtown School District—covering grades K-8 through three elementary schools (Middle Gate Elementary School, Head O'Meadow Elementary School, and Hawley Elementary School) and two middle schools (Reed Intermediate School for grades 5-6 and Newtown Middle School for grades 7-8). The district ranks in the 81st percentile statewide, and every school beats Connecticut averages in nearly all subjects, often by large margins—for example, Newtown Middle School’s 7th grade math proficiency is 74.7% versus 44.1% statewide.

Among the elementary schools, Hawley Elementary School stands out as the most consistent: it earns 4 stars each year, has the lowest chronic absenteeism in the zip (4.0%), the lowest student-teacher ratio (10.5), and strong scores across grades. Head O'Meadow Elementary School posts the highest 3rd grade scores (78.1% ELA, 82.2% math) but saw its 4th grade ELA proficiency collapse from 89.9% to 56.5% between cohorts—a reminder that rankings can swing sharply from one year to the next. Middle Gate Elementary School is the relative laggard, trailing district averages in every subject, especially 3rd grade math (64.4% vs. district 75.5%), though still above state norms.

At the middle school level, Newtown Middle School is a top-tier school, ranked 29th out of 258 Connecticut middle schools, with strong 7th and 8th grade results; its main red flag is chronic absenteeism at 11.8%—the highest in the zip and well above the district’s 7.3%. Reed Intermediate School is quietly excellent, with 6th grade math at 75.7% and 5th grade science at 69.5%. Per-student spending ranges from $17,803 to $20,477, but higher spending does not clearly translate to better outcomes. Overall, this is a strong, well-resourced K-8 district; the main concerns to watch are Middle Gate’s performance gap and middle school absenteeism.