Best Elementary Schools in Zip Code 06776

Zip code 06776, located in New Milford, Connecticut, contains three elementary schools within the New Milford School District that together serve 1,552 students across grades PK-5. These schools follow a clear feeder pattern: Northville Elementary School (grades PK-2, 428 students) and Hill And Plain School (grades PK-2, 371 students) send their students on to Sarah Noble Intermediate School (grades 3-5, 753 students). The district as a whole is currently ranked 115 out of 153 districts in Connecticut.

There are meaningful differences among the three schools. Northville Elementary stands out for the best attendance in the area, with only 9.1% chronic absenteeism, and the lowest free/reduced-price lunch rate at 30.37%, indicating a slightly more economically advantaged student body. Hill And Plain receives the highest per-student spending ($17,521) and has the lowest student-teacher ratio (10.9), which is notable because it also serves the highest-need population, with 38.54% of students eligible for free/reduced-price lunch. Sarah Noble Intermediate, the only school with current test score data, holds a 2-star rating and ranks 324 out of 491 schools statewide (34th percentile) for 2025-2026.

Attendance is a clear strength across all three schools, with chronic absenteeism rates ranging from 9.1% to 11.6%, well below the district average of 17.4% and state average of 16.4%. Academically, Sarah Noble's test scores trail Connecticut state averages in every subject and grade level, with the largest gaps in 3rd-grade math (35.1% vs. 52.2% statewide) and 5th-grade math (33.8% vs. 45.8%). However, 4th-grade math improved sharply from 39.1% to 49.0% year over year, a promising sign. One important limitation is that Northville and Hill And Plain do not generate state test scores since they serve only grades PK-2, leaving Sarah Noble as the sole academic barometer for the area.