Best Public Schools in Zip Code 06513

In zip code 06513, there are 9 schools serving roughly 5,200 students: 7 elementary schools (mostly PK/K-8), 1 high school, and 1 alternative K-12 school, with no standalone middle schools. The schools are split across the New Haven School District, East Haven School District, and Elm City College Preparatory School District. This is a high-poverty area: eight of nine schools have more than 75% of students eligible for free/reduced lunch, and every school exceeds the state's 16.4% chronic absenteeism rate.

For parents looking for the strongest options, Bishop Woods Architecture and Design Magnet School is the highest-ranked elementary school in the zip code, with the best average proficiency scores, especially in 4th grade ELA and 8th grade science, though it also has the highest chronic absenteeism at 33.3%. Benjamin Jepson Magnet School has shown the biggest improvement, climbing from the 4th to 14th percentile, with strong 4th and 6th grade ELA results. John S. Martinez Sea and Sky STEM School stands out for 8th grade math, where 44.4% of students are proficient, above the state average. For high school, East Haven High School is the clear choice, with a 90.1% graduation rate, science proficiency above the state, and a rank far better than its district. Elm City College Preparatory School also graduates 90.7% of students, despite low test scores, making it an alternative worth considering.

The biggest academic weakness across the zip code is math: several schools, including Fair Haven School, Ross/Woodward School, and Clinton Avenue School, have recorded extremely low or 0% proficiency in middle school math, and even the best schools sit far below state averages. Science is the relative bright spot, with East Haven High above the state average and several elementary schools beating their district averages. Chronic absenteeism and poverty are systemic challenges, and per-student spending or class size does not predict success. Fair Haven is at the very bottom of the state rankings, while Clinton Avenue has dropped to the 2nd percentile. Overall, the area has a few improving schools with real momentum, but math proficiency and attendance remain urgent concerns for every family choosing a school here.