Summary:
Zip code 06896 contains a single high school — Joel Barlow High School — serving grades 9 through 12 in Redding, Connecticut, with 698 students enrolled. As the only high school in the area, there are no local peer schools for comparison, so this analysis focuses on how Joel Barlow High School stacks up against its district, Regional School District 09, and the state of Connecticut.
Joel Barlow High School is a standout institution, ranking 2nd out of 133 high schools in Connecticut for 2025–2026, placing it in the 98th percentile with a 5-star rating. Academic proficiency is dramatically above state averages: 89.7% of 11th graders are proficient in English Language Arts compared to 55.3% statewide, math proficiency is 66.9% versus 31.3% statewide, and science proficiency reaches 92.1% versus 50.5% statewide. The school also improved year-over-year in every subject, with ELA rising 8.4 points, math 6.3 points, and science 6.5 points from the prior year.
Beyond test scores, the school boasts a 97.8% graduation rate, well above the state average of 91.2%, and chronic absenteeism sits at just 8.9% compared to 16.4% statewide. Only 10.89% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and the school invests $23,477 per student with a favorable 11:1 student–teacher ratio. These factors combined paint a picture of an elite public high school offering small class sizes, strong student engagement, and exceptional academic outcomes for families in the area.
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