Best Elementary Schools in Zip Code 03873

ZIP code 03873 in Sandown, New Hampshire, has two elementary schools serving about 476 students: Sandown North Elementary School serves grades 1–5, while Sandown Central School serves preschool and kindergarten. Both are part of the Timberlane Regional School District. Sandown North is the larger school, with 322 students, compared with 154 at Sandown Central. Because the schools serve different age groups, their enrollment, rankings, and available academic data are not directly comparable.

Sandown North Elementary School has the most current performance information. Its strongest subject is science, with 48% of students proficient, compared with 32% in the district and 38% statewide. Mathematics proficiency was 43%, close to the district and state results, while reading was weaker at 43%, 9 points below the district and 12 points below the state. Fourth grade is the main concern, with 38% proficiency in both math and reading. Fifth grade showed a much stronger outcome, including 59% reading proficiency and 44% math proficiency, roughly matching or slightly exceeding state results. The school’s latest ranking was at the 36th percentile, down from the previous year, alongside declines in math and reading but an improvement in science.

Sandown Central School is a smaller early-childhood school and has no current test scores listed, so the available data cannot support a current academic comparison with Sandown North. It reported a 12.8-to-1 student-teacher ratio and a lower free-or-reduced-price lunch rate than Sandown North, 3.25% versus 7.76%. Its older rankings were relatively strong, but they are more than a decade old and should be viewed as historical context rather than a current rating. Overall, families comparing schools in this area should recognize that Sandown North offers the tested grades and shows particular strength in science, while Sandown Central focuses on preschool and kindergarten.