Best Elementary Schools in Zip Code 03242

ZIP code 03242 has one listed elementary school, Henniker Community School, serving approximately 402 students from prekindergarten through 8th grade in the Henniker area. Because it includes middle-school grades, the school’s results provide a picture of both elementary and middle-grade education. The school has an 11.3-to-1 student–teacher ratio, and about 21% of students participated in free or reduced-price lunch programs in 2024–2025. As the only school in the ZIP code, there are no local school-to-school comparisons; its performance is best understood by comparing it with New Hampshire averages and the Henniker School District.

Henniker Community School has shown substantial recent improvement. Its statewide ranking rose from the 26th percentile in 2023–2024 to the 70th percentile in 2025–2026, while its rating increased from 1 star to 4 stars. In 2025–2026, 48% of students were proficient in mathematics, compared with 44% statewide; reading proficiency was 53%, close to the state’s 55%; and science proficiency was 34%, below the state’s 38%. All three subjects improved from the previous year, with science making the largest gain, rising 7 percentage points. School and district results are almost identical, suggesting that this school largely represents the academic profile reported for the district.

The clearest pattern is that elementary-grade performance is much stronger than middle-grade performance. Students in grades 3–6 generally met or exceeded state averages, especially in mathematics and reading, and 5th-grade science was 6 points above the state. However, results declined sharply in grades 7 and 8. Eighth-grade proficiency was only 23% in mathematics, 30% in reading, and 20% in science—between 17 and 21 points below statewide results. For parents, the school’s improving overall trajectory and strong elementary results are encouraging, but the transition into the middle grades deserves careful attention. Families may want to ask about 7th- and 8th-grade instruction, academic interventions, curriculum continuity, and preparation for high school.