Francis Walsh Intermediate School

Summary:

Francis Walsh Intermediate School is a public middle school located in Branford, Connecticut, serving grades 5-8 with a total enrollment of 767 students. The school is part of the Branford School District, which is ranked 80 out of 158 districts in Connecticut and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Francis Walsh Intermediate School consistently performs above the state average in both English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics on the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) tests. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, the school's ELA proficiency rates ranged from 49.7% to 58.9% across grades, compared to the state average of 48.1% to 51.4%. In Mathematics, the school's proficiency rates ranged from 47.6% to 60.2%, outperforming the state average of 38.2% to 43.1%. The school's Hispanic and low socioeconomic status (SES) student subgroups perform particularly well, ranking 24th and 32nd out of Connecticut middle schools in ELA, respectively.

While Francis Walsh Intermediate School's overall academic performance is strong, there are some disparities in the performance of certain student subgroups. The school's White and male students have lower rankings compared to their female and Hispanic peers. When compared to nearby middle schools, Francis Walsh Intermediate School generally outperforms schools in the West Haven and East Haven districts, but lags behind the highly-ranked middle schools in the Guilford and Madison districts.


Detail:

Public 5-8

 185 Damascus Rd.
       Branford, CT  06405


(203) 488-8317

District: Branford School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
96th of 250 Connecticut Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $23,868 Help


Students who attend Francis Walsh Intermediate School usually attend:

High:    Branford High School

Feeder schools for Francis Walsh Intermediate School:

Elementary:    John B. Sliney School
    Mary R. Tisko School
    Mary T. Murphy School

Student/teacher ratio:  11.2 Help
Number of students:  795

Racial breakdown:

White:
66.4%
Hispanic:
16.2%
Asian:
6.0%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  36.7% Help


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 Compare Francis Walsh Intermediate School to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Francis Walsh Intermediate School ranks better than 61.6% of middle schools in Connecticut. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 60.27. (See more...)
Help
Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.
Student Body
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Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (66.4%), Hispanic (16.2%), Asian (6%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 36.7% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Francis Walsh Intermediate School is 11.2. (See more...)
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Compare Francis Walsh Intermediate School employs 70.9 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Francis Walsh Intermediate School is $23,868.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Francis Walsh Intermediate School:

SchoolDigger ranks Francis Walsh Intermediate School 96th of 250 Connecticut public middle schools. (See Francis Walsh Intermediate School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Branford School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Branford School District 80th of 158 Connecticut school districts. (See district ranking list.)


What do you think?

Your rating for Francis Walsh Intermediate School?

Rank History for Francis Walsh Intermediate School

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Francis Walsh Intermediate School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CT State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2006 70.01 84th 248 66.1%
2007 68.72 97th 250 61.2%
2008 76.51 53rd 252 79.0%
2009 69.14 104th 255 59.2%
2010 71.41 97th 268 63.8%
2011 70.30 107th 269 60.2%
2012 71.40 102nd 272 62.5%
2013 67.26 116th 278 58.3%
2015 69.78 92nd 280 67.1%
2016 58.16 106th 246 56.9%
2017 58.85 104th 250 58.4%
2018 54.07 124th 249 50.2%
2019 64.07 101st 259 61.0%
2021 59.75 108th 275 60.7%
2022 52.40 109th 250 56.4%
2023 53.70 113th 249 54.6%
2024 60.27 96th 250 61.6%
See the entire list of Connecticut Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Francis Walsh Intermediate School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CT State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 14.13 23rd 23 0.0%
2021 64.55 74th 244 69.7%
See the entire list of Best Connecticut Middle Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Francis Walsh Intermediate School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CT State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 66.61 33rd 104 68.3%
2021 64.97 69th 218 68.3%
2022 52.46 51st 106 51.9%
2023 49.90 49th 109 55.0%
2024 71.38 32nd 114 71.9%
See the entire list of Best Connecticut Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Francis Walsh Intermediate School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CT State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 49.94 96th 160 40.0%
2019 50.84 98th 169 42.0%
2021 51.93 104th 235 55.7%
2022 44.93 94th 166 43.4%
2023 47.57 85th 160 46.9%
2024 53.69 78th 161 51.6%
See the entire list of Best Connecticut Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Francis Walsh Intermediate School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CT State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 48.61 49th 104 52.9%
See the entire list of Best Connecticut Middle Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Francis Walsh Intermediate School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CT State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 41.93 101st 164 38.4%
2019 60.15 76th 167 54.5%
2021 59.30 88th 224 60.7%
2022 48.76 90th 169 46.7%
2023 42.97 95th 158 39.9%
2024 49.22 82nd 157 47.8%
See the entire list of Best Connecticut Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at Francis Walsh Intermediate School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CT State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 13.67 9th 10 10.0%
2021 0.74 27th 27 0.0%
See the entire list of Best Connecticut Middle Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Francis Walsh Intermediate School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CT State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 60.07 50th 146 65.8%
2022 62.66 22nd 97 77.3%
2023 45.40 45th 99 54.5%
2024 61.83 24th 104 76.9%
See the entire list of Best Connecticut Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Francis Walsh Intermediate School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CT State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 28.28 126th 168 25.0%
2019 39.78 103rd 166 38.0%
2021 36.97 107th 175 38.9%
2022 27.37 111th 151 26.5%
2023 26.62 123rd 158 22.2%
2024 30.72 109th 154 29.2%
See the entire list of Best Connecticut Middle Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Connecticut Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Francis Walsh Intermediate School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 






Data source: Connecticut State Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 1)
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100%

  

Reviews:
by a citizen
Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Open Quote Forget this school, test scores are deceptive, as students from the Tisko district boost the average score up tremendously. I learned nothing here, most of the kids were bad, we watched movies frequently and did little in the way of academics in general. Classes were nothing more than glorified circuses, there are no walls, and there are often fights. I have even heard of teachers assaulting students! The student body is very very cliquey....the school does not have a community feel at all. Bullying is common place, and teachers often encourage and or contribute to it. The principal is a joke, there is no control over students or staff alike. Strong preferences are shown between students as well with some getting worse or better treatment than others, even if the same behavior was exhibited. Special ed kids are thrown off to a lonely, windowless corner of the school, totally isolated in a galaxy far, far away. Walsh intermediate is not a safe school at all. There is no security in the halls, at the entrance or on the buses. Many desks, lockers, or walls are vandalized with graffiti and profane language,and there is no effort made to clean it. Town hall does nothing to fix the building problem, preferring to attempt to build truck stops in residential neighborhoods, and cater to the interests of vacationers from New York and their second homes than give their average-income residents a decent place to send their kids to middle school. In short, this place fails on every level, heed this warning, nobody likes it here, don't put your child here and expect success. If you do have your child at Walsh I would recommend watching your kid closely and making sure that they are up to speed and getting a good education, cause the school certainly won't do that. Close Quote



Enrollment information for Francis Walsh Intermediate School

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 806 13 9 8 0 n/a n/a 0 836
1989 842 11 7 7 0 n/a n/a 0 867
1990 837 17 7 20 n/a n/a n/a 0 881
1991 872 15 12 18 0 n/a n/a 0 917
1992 890 20 23 18 0 n/a n/a 0 951
1993 920 15 25 15 7 n/a n/a 0 982
1994 950 18 23 25 1 n/a n/a 0 1017
1995 1026 21 34 24 6 n/a n/a 0 1111
1996 1026 21 34 24 6 n/a n/a 0 1111
1997 1079 27 30 25 2 n/a n/a 0 1163
1998 1052 26 44 28 0 n/a n/a 0 1150
1999 1076 21 46 24 3 n/a n/a 0 1170
2000 1130 33 48 21 0 n/a n/a 0 1232
2001 1109 30 52 26 0 n/a n/a 0 1217
2002 1087 27 55 24 0 n/a n/a 0 1193
2003 1087 27 55 24 0 n/a n/a 0 1193
2004 1045 28 53 30 1 n/a n/a 0 1157
2005 990 27 51 36 1 n/a n/a 0 1105
2006 984 35 56 42 1 n/a n/a 0 1118
2007 945 30 68 52 2 n/a n/a 0 1097
2008 920 28 80 53 1 n/a n/a 0 1082
2009 917 35 77 52 2 n/a n/a 0 1083
2010 910 46 82 71 4 n/a n/a 0 1113
2011 832 34 83 79 5 0 7 0 1040
2012 893 16 36 57 2 0 16 0 1020
2013 794 32 67 76 1 0 19 0 989
2014 744 33 68 73 1 0 23 0 942
2015 721 35 72 73 0 0 15 0 916
2016 702 34 65 96 0 0 15 0 912
2017 644 33 74 98 2 0 18 0 869
2018 655 36 76 102 2 0 18 0 889
2019 640 35 65 102 3 0 26 0 871
2020 627 39 68 91 3 0 27 0 855
2021 588 41 62 104 2 0 27 0 824
2022 557 32 48 115 2 0 33 0 787
2023 547 32 45 112 1 0 30 0 767
2024 528 41 48 129 4 0 44 1 795

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Francis Walsh Intermediate School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 836 61.0 13.7 n/a
1989 867 60.6 14.3 n/a
1990 881 60.6 14.5 n/a
1991 917 64.3 14.2 n/a
1992 951 66.3 14.3 6.6
1993 982 67.6 14.5 0.8
1994 1017 66.9 15.2 16.2
1995 1111 69.5 16.0 14.3
1996 1111 69.5 16.0 14.3
1997 1163 75.5 15.4 9.5
1998 1150 78.5 14.6 10.2
1999 1170 79.9 14.6 15.1
2000 1232 82.4 15.0 14.5
2001 1217 81.5 14.9 n/a
2002 1193 90.0 13.3 12
2003 1193 90.0 13.3 12
2004 1157 89.0 13.0 17.4
2005 1105 77.0 14.4 n/a
2006 1118 80.0 14.0 15.7
2007 1097 80.0 13.7 13.5
2008 1082 89.7 12.1 13.5
2009 1083 90.7 12.7 19.1
2010 1113 86.1 12.9 20.4
2011 1040 89.8 11.5 21.1
2012 1020 82.4 12.3 20.9
2013 989 86.6 11.4 25.3
2014 942 80.0 11.7 25.2
2015 916 72.0 12.7 24.9
2016 912 72.0 12.6 25
2017 869 81.0 10.7 27.2
2018 889 78.2 11.3 28
2019 871 69.2 12.5 35.7
2020 855 75.8 11.2 40.2
2021 824 69.7 11.8 41.9
2022 787 72.6 10.8 37.1
2023 767 74.6 10.2 41.6
2024 795 70.9 11.2 36.7

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Francis Walsh Intermediate School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 836 61.0 13.7 n/a
1989 867 60.6 14.3 n/a
1990 881 60.6 14.5 n/a
1991 917 64.3 14.2 n/a
1992 951 66.3 14.3 6.6
1993 982 67.6 14.5 0.8
1994 1017 66.9 15.2 16.2
1995 1111 69.5 16.0 14.3
1996 1111 69.5 16.0 14.3
1997 1163 75.5 15.4 9.5
1998 1150 78.5 14.6 10.2
1999 1170 79.9 14.6 15.1
2000 1232 82.4 15.0 14.5
2001 1217 81.5 14.9 n/a
2002 1193 90.0 13.3 12
2003 1193 90.0 13.3 12
2004 1157 89.0 13.0 17.4
2005 1105 77.0 14.4 n/a
2006 1118 80.0 14.0 15.7
2007 1097 80.0 13.7 13.5
2008 1082 89.7 12.1 13.5
2009 1083 90.7 12.7 19.1
2010 1113 86.1 12.9 20.4
2011 1040 89.8 11.5 21.1
2012 1020 82.4 12.3 20.9
2013 989 86.6 11.4 25.3
2014 942 80.0 11.7 25.2
2015 916 72.0 12.7 24.9
2016 912 72.0 12.6 25
2017 869 81.0 10.7 27.2
2018 889 78.2 11.3 28
2019 871 69.2 12.5 35.7
2020 855 75.8 11.2 40.2
2021 824 69.7 11.8 41.9
2022 787 72.6 10.8 37.1
2023 767 74.6 10.2 41.6
2024 795 70.9 11.2 36.7

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Francis Walsh Intermediate School

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YearTotal Expenditures Per Pupil
2018 $18,149
2019 $19,265
2020 $19,270
2021 $20,814
2022 $22,666
2023 $23,868

Data source: Connecticut Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Francis Walsh Intermediate School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 101st of 259 Middle schoolsRanks 113th of 249 Middle schools
 6.4%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
5th Grade English Language Arts (Francis Walsh Intermediate School)5666.7
 10.7%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Branford School District)5666.7
 10.7%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Connecticut)58.151.3
 6.8%
5th Grade Mathematics (Francis Walsh Intermediate School)58.960
 1.1%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Branford School District)58.960
 1.1%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Connecticut)46.541.8
 4.7%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Francis Walsh Intermediate School)6750.2
 16.8%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (Branford School District)6750.2
 16.8%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (Connecticut)55.348
 7.3%
6th Grade Mathematics (Francis Walsh Intermediate School)50.946.8
 4.1%
   6th Grade Mathematics (Branford School District)50.946.8
 4.1%
   6th Grade Mathematics (Connecticut)45.439.6
 5.8%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Francis Walsh Intermediate School)64.558.5
 6%
   7th Grade English Language Arts (Branford School District)64.257.9
 6.3%
   7th Grade English Language Arts (Connecticut)56.148.8
 7.3%
7th Grade Mathematics (Francis Walsh Intermediate School)5346.2
 6.8%
   7th Grade Mathematics (Branford School District)52.845.8
 7%
   7th Grade Mathematics (Connecticut)46.139.9
 6.2%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Francis Walsh Intermediate School)59.242.2
 17%
   8th Grade English Language Arts (Branford School District)59.241.8
 17.4%
   8th Grade English Language Arts (Connecticut)55.848.5
 7.3%
8th Grade Mathematics (Francis Walsh Intermediate School)4633
 13%
   8th Grade Mathematics (Branford School District)4632.6
 13.4%
   8th Grade Mathematics (Connecticut)43.536.2
 7.3%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students871767
 11.9%
African American3532
 8.6%
American Indian31
 66.7%
Asian6545
 30.8%
Hispanic102112
 9.8%
Pacific Islander00
White640547
 14.5%
Two or More Races2630
 15.4%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients35.7%41.6%
 5.9%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Francis Walsh Intermediate School

Francis Walsh Intermediate School ranks 96th of 250 Connecticut middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

In the 2023-24 school year, 795 students attended Francis Walsh Intermediate School.

Students at Francis Walsh Intermediate School are 66% White, 16% Hispanic, 6% Asian, 6% Two or more races, 5% African American.

Students who attend Francis Walsh Intermediate School usually go on to attend Branford High School


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Connecticut Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.





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