Summary:
ZIP code 03741, which includes Canaan, New Hampshire, has one middle school: Indian River School. The school serves grades 5–8 and enrolls about 292 students. It is part of the Mascoma Valley Regional School District, which ranks 74th out of 166 New Hampshire districts, around the 55th percentile. Because there is only one middle school in the ZIP code, families cannot make a direct local school-to-school comparison; the most useful comparisons are with district and statewide results.
Indian River School has a mixed academic profile, with science as its clearest strength. In 2025–2026, 43% of students were proficient in science, compared with 38% statewide. Fifth-grade science was especially strong at 51%, or 13 points above the state result. Mathematics proficiency was 39%, five points below the district and state, while reading proficiency was 47%, eight points below the state. The largest concerns are in sixth grade, where only 28% were proficient in mathematics and 34% in reading. Seventh-grade reading was also weak at 41%, compared with 57% statewide. By contrast, eighth-grade students performed above the state in mathematics and slightly above it in reading.
Recent results show encouraging improvement. From 2024–2025 to 2025–2026, mathematics proficiency rose nine percentage points, reading rose two points, and science rose 16 points—larger gains than those seen statewide. The school’s ranking improved from the 30th percentile to the 35th percentile, though it remains in the lower-middle range statewide and is below the district’s overall standing. The 11.4-to-1 student-teacher ratio is favorable, but staffing levels alone do not determine achievement. For families, the main takeaway is that performance varies considerably by grade: sixth-grade reading and mathematics deserve the closest attention, while eighth-grade results and recent science and mathematics gains suggest that stronger outcomes are achievable.
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