New Canaan School District, CT

Original Research by School Decision on New Canaan School District

New Canaan School District is a mid-sized public district serving kindergarten through grade twelve across five schools: three elementary buildings (East, South, and West), one middle school (Saxe), and one high school. The district enrollment is distributed fairly evenly across its grade bands, with slightly heavier representation in the upper elementary and middle grades.

State assessment results show consistent strength across mathematics and English language arts. In the most recent tested grades, the district's proficiency rates cluster well above the midline for Connecticut. Fourth grade shows the strongest outcomes in both subjects. Fifth-grade performance dips somewhat in both disciplines compared to adjacent grades, though still solid. Middle grades eight mathematics and science proficiency sit firmly in the upper range, while English language arts in eighth grade falls somewhat below the elementary peak. The district participates in nearly complete testing participation across all grades, suggesting strong assessment engagement. Among Western Connecticut Planning Region districts, New Canaan ranks in the top quartile for overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades.

The district serves a predominantly white student population, with meaningful representation from Asian, Hispanic, and multiracial students. Free-or-reduced-price lunch data were not available; this gap often reflects data reporting practices but leaves an incomplete picture of the economic diversity of the student body. Special education and English learner counts were not reported, so a reader interested in these populations should ask the district directly.

The community itself sits in a high-value residential market. Home values in the New Canaan zip code are substantially above state and national benchmarks and have appreciated sharply year-over-year. Rental costs likewise sit well above state and national norms. A property revaluation completed in late 2023 raised the town's grand list significantly, which led to a historic mill rate cut for fiscal 2025, though individual property tax bills shifted unevenly across households. This housing cost context shapes who can afford to live in the district and is a material factor for any family considering relocation.

Within the past several years, the district has made operational and pedagogical changes that affect daily life for students and families. New tiered school start times took effect, with elementary students beginning at 7:45 a.m., a change that required operational funding and prompted town-level debate but proceeded as adopted. The district has also launched an Early Literacy Academy across elementary schools, grounding instruction in science-of-reading approaches, alongside classroom coaching and a new high school math interventionist. These signal ongoing investment in foundational reading and math support, particularly in the early grades.

Chronic absenteeism in the district sits near the lowest in the region, a positive indicator of attendance engagement and student connection to school. Per-pupil spending is in the upper range among regional districts, reflecting the community's financial capacity and willingness to fund education.

A parent considering New Canaan should expect a stable, proficiency-focused district with strong elementary and middle-grade testing outcomes, high community engagement, a predominantly affluent residential setting, and ongoing curriculum and support initiatives. The high property values and associated housing costs are inseparable from the district's character and should be weighed carefully in any relocation decision.

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District Context

Officially reported figures, 2024-25.

Enrollment

4,109

Grades

PK–12

Schools

Student body

Hispanic 7%

Black 1%

White 79%

Asian 7%

Two+ 5%

Am. Indian / AK Native 0%

Hawaiian / Pac. Isl. 0%

By economic status

Percent proficient by grade, as reported

Economically disadvantaged

Not disadvantaged

Math

Gr 8

73%

89%

Schools in this District

5 schools are officially reported under this district.

East School

New Canaan High School

Saxe Middle School

South School

West School

Academic Performance

Percent of students meeting or exceeding state standards, by grade.

Mathematics

6 grades reported

89%

Grade 3

94%

Grade 4

82%

Grade 5

88%

Grade 6

88%

Grade 7

88%

Grade 8

English Language Arts

6 grades reported

88%

Grade 3

94%

Grade 4

83%

Grade 5

91%

Grade 6

86%

Grade 7

85%

Grade 8

Science

2 grades reported

85%

Grade 5

86%

Grade 8

Housing & Real Estate

Data as of April 2026 | District-weighted from constituent ZIP codes

Home Values

Typical home value$2.14M

Year-over-year change+10.8%

Range across 2 ZIP codes$697K to $2.1M

vs. state typical4.84x

vs. national typical5.81x

Home value trend (12 months)

ZIP code home values (2 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Value	YoY	Weight
06840	New Canaan	$2.1M	+10.8%	99.9%
06907	Stamford	$697K	+7.8%	0.1%

Rental Market

Typical monthly rent$7,089/mo

Range across 2 ZIP codes$2,973 to $7,092/mo

Rent trend (12 months)

ZIP code rents (2 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Rent/mo	YoY	Weight
06840	New Canaan	$7,092	—	99.9%
06907	Stamford	$2,973	—	0.1%

Affordability

Est. monthly mortgage (20% down at 6.48%)$10,792/mo

Home price / national median income25.5x

Annual rent / national median income101.6%

Est. mortgage exceeds rent by$3,703/mo

Comparison

State typical home value$441,466 (+4.8% YoY)

National typical home value$368,198 (+0.6% YoY)

State ZHVI trend (12 months)

National ZHVI trend (12 months)

Economic Context

30-year fixed mortgage rate6.48%

National unemployment rate4.3%

National median household income$83,730

CPI: Rent of shelter (index)447.05

30-year fixed mortgage rate (12 months)

National unemployment rate (12 months)

National median household income (12 months)

CPI: Rent of shelter (index) (12 months)

Sources: Zillow Home Value Index and Zillow Observed Rent Index (Zillow Group), Realtor.com via Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED)

Data Currently Unavailable

Civil Rights Data (CRDC)

This profile is derived exclusively from publicly available federal and state datasets. It may not reflect the most current information available. We encourage parents and families to supplement this data with information published directly on the school’s website, which may include more recent figures, additional programs, or updated enrollment data.