Summary:
Zip code 06825 in Fairfield, CT contains three elementary schools — McKinley School, North Stratfield School, and Stratfield School — serving kindergarten through 5th grade, with Stratfield also offering Pre-K. All three belong to the Fairfield School District, which is ranked 21st out of 153 districts in Connecticut, placing it in the top 14% statewide. Combined, the schools serve about 1,200 students, and despite sharing a zip code, they show meaningful differences in performance, demographics, and resources.
Stratfield School is the current academic leader and most improved school in the area. It ranks 96th out of 491 elementary schools for 2025-2026 (80th percentile), up from 175th just two years earlier, and it posted the highest 5th-grade science proficiency in the zip code at 80.4%. North Stratfield School is the most consistent, earning 4 stars all three years; it also has the lowest chronic absenteeism rate at 3.8%, well below the state's 16.4%. McKinley School faces the greatest demographic challenges — its free/reduced-price lunch rate of 52.55% is roughly five times that of the other two schools — yet it is steadily improving, rising from 226th to 177th in state rank. It also has the smallest class sizes (11.0 student-teacher ratio) and highest per-student spending ($17,621).
In terms of academics, North Stratfield led the zip code in 2025-2026 ELA proficiency with a 75.9% average, while Stratfield led in math at 69.2%. A common challenge is 5th-grade math: both McKinley (51.7%) and North Stratfield (50.0%) fell well below the district average of 72.1%. Attendance is an area-wide strength, with chronic absenteeism ranging from 3.8% at North Stratfield to 8.1% at McKinley — all dramatically lower than the state average. Notably, McKinley spends the most per student yet posts the lowest scores, reflecting the greater support its population requires. Ultimately, families in 06825 are choosing among three solid schools within one of Connecticut's strongest districts.
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