Best Public Schools in Manchester, NH

Manchester, New Hampshire, has 28 schools serving students from prekindergarten through grade 12, including 20 schools in the Manchester School District and eight charter or neighboring-district schools located in the city. The area offers large traditional schools, small charter schools, career-focused programs, and schools serving a wide range of grade levels. Overall performance varies considerably, so families should compare individual schools rather than rely only on the district’s statewide ranking.

The strongest academic results come from several small charter or specialized schools. Spark Academy of Advanced Technologies Charter School is the top-performing high school in the group, ranking eighth statewide, with a 91.3% graduation rate, no reported dropouts, and especially strong reading, mathematics, and science results. The Founders Academy Charter School (H) ranks 15th statewide and stands out for reading and science. Among elementary schools, Bartlett Elementary School ranks highest, followed by Mill Falls Charter School and Polaris Charter School. Bartlett has shown especially strong recent improvement, while Mill Falls is notable for reading and science.

Among traditional district schools, Manchester School of Technology (High School) has the strongest graduation and dropout profile, with an 87.1% graduation rate and a 4.2% dropout rate. At the elementary level, Green Acres School, Smyth Road School, and Webster School perform relatively well in mathematics or reading. The largest concerns are concentrated at Manchester Central High School, which has a 69.6% graduation rate and a 16.5% dropout rate, and at several middle schools where proficiency remains low. Science is the most consistent weakness across traditional district schools, while elementary mathematics and reading show the clearest signs of promising improvement.