Best Public Schools in Zip Code 03303

Zip code 03303 has six schools serving about 1,897 students from elementary through high school, primarily through the Merrimack Valley School District, plus the independent CSI Charter School. The area includes three elementary schools, one middle school, and two high schools. School quality varies, with the strongest current overall results at Merrimack Valley Middle School and Webster Elementary School. The middle school ranks in the 53rd percentile statewide, while Webster ranks in the 51st percentile among elementary schools. Both perform near or above state averages in multiple subjects.

Webster Elementary School is the strongest elementary option overall, with 48% math, 57% reading, and 43% science proficiency, as well as notable recent improvement. Boscawen Elementary School has the highest elementary math performance at 50%, but its science results are weak and all three subjects declined from the previous year. Penacook Elementary School has the lowest current elementary ranking and trails state averages in math and reading, although fifth-grade reading is a bright spot. At the secondary level, Merrimack Valley Middle School has improved steadily and performs at or near state averages in math and reading.

Merrimack Valley High School has a strong 91.2% graduation rate, but its current academic results are concerning, especially 19% math and 27% science proficiency. Its ranking fell sharply from the 70th percentile to the 29th percentile in one year, making the recent decline the district’s most important issue. CSI Charter School is very small, with 34 students, and has limited current testing data; its 53.8% graduation rate is substantially below the state rate, though small enrollment can make percentages change considerably. Across the area, science is the most common academic weakness, followed by high-school math.