Best High Schools in Zip Code 06708

Zip code 06708 in Waterbury, Connecticut, is home to two public high schools serving grades 9 through 12—John F. Kennedy High School and W. F. Kaynor Technical High School—with a combined enrollment of about 2,200 students. These two schools, despite being in the same zip code, offer very different academic experiences. Kaynor Technical is the clear standout, while Kennedy faces persistent challenges that families should carefully consider.

W. F. Kaynor Technical High School outperforms Kennedy across nearly every key metric. Kaynor’s graduation rate is 99.0%, compared to Kennedy’s 84.8%, and Kaynor’s chronic absenteeism rate is just 10.5%—more than three times lower than Kennedy’s 35.7%. In ELA proficiency, Kaynor posts 42% versus Kennedy’s 22%, and in science proficiency, Kaynor reaches 45.8% while Kennedy only reaches 11.7%. Kaynor also ranks much higher: 82nd of 133 Connecticut high schools (38th percentile) compared to Kennedy’s 125th of 133 (6th percentile). Kennedy does serve a higher-need population, with 81.8% of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch versus 51.7% at Kaynor, and Kennedy’s student-teacher ratio of 14.2:1 is also less favorable than Kaynor’s 11.6:1. Still, the scale of these gaps points to fundamentally different school climates and outcomes.

One shared concern is math: Kaynor’s SAT math proficiency is 14.6% and Kennedy’s is 12.8%, both far below the state average of 31.3%. Kaynor, part of the Connecticut Technical Education and Career System, appears to benefit from a hands-on technical model that supports strong attendance, high graduation, and impressive science results. Kennedy, in the Waterbury School District, has remained near the bottom of state rankings for three straight years, indicating systemic challenges rather than a temporary dip. For parents, Kaynor’s record of near-universal graduation, low absenteeism, and stronger academic proficiency makes it the stronger option in this zip code, while Kennedy’s high poverty and absenteeism rates are important context for understanding its current performance.