Summary:
Zip code 06704 in Waterbury, CT contains six elementary schools serving grades PK–8 in the Waterbury School District — a district ranked 144 out of 153 statewide — where high poverty (84.4% average free/reduced-lunch eligibility) and a combined enrollment of 2,068 students define the educational landscape. Most schools in this zip code rank in the bottom 5% of Connecticut elementary schools, but there is one clear exception.
Regan School is the standout by a wide margin. It ranks 300 out of 491 (39th percentile) with 2 stars, while the next-best school, Bucks Hill School, ranks 386 out of 491 (21st percentile). Regan's chronic absenteeism is just 4.3% versus a district rate of 23.1%, and its 3rd-grade math proficiency (60.4%) beats the state average (52.2%). Bucks Hill is the second-strongest performer, with the lowest student-teacher ratio (7.2 to 1) and highest spending per student ($18,180), though its scores are more volatile from year to year.
The remaining four schools — Reed School, Sprague School, Walsh School, and Woodrow Wilson School — are clustered near the bottom, ranking between 470 and 481 out of 491. Sprague School has the highest chronic absenteeism (33.6%), Walsh School was ranked dead last in Connecticut in 2024-25, and Reed School posted a 0% proficiency rate in 7th-grade math. Higher spending and smaller classes do not guarantee better outcomes here: Regan School spends the least ($13,358 per student) yet outperforms Bucks Hill School, which spends the most. Chronic absenteeism is the strongest differentiator, and year-to-year test scores swing sharply due to small class sizes, so these rankings should be interpreted with caution.
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