Valley Regional High School

Q: Is Valley Regional High School a good school?

Valley Regional High School ranks 64 th of 145 Connecticut high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Valley Regional High School is a public high school located in Deep River, Connecticut, serving 489 students in grades 9-12. As part of the Regional School District 04, the school has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger and ranks 96 out of 158 districts in the state.

One key differentiator for Valley Regional High School is its racial makeup, with a significantly higher percentage of white students (84.25%) compared to the state average and nearby schools like Guilford High School and East Lyme High School. Academically, the school has shown strong performance, with 11th-grade proficiency rates in SAT/English Language Arts, SAT/Math, and NGSS/Science consistently exceeding state and district averages. However, its statewide ranking has fluctuated, ranging from 25th to 69th out of Connecticut high schools.

Another notable aspect of Valley Regional High School is its relatively low student-teacher ratio, ranging from 9.8 to 12.2 over the past three school years, which is lower than many nearby schools. However, the percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch has increased from 20.31% in 2020-2021 to 25.97% in 2022-2023, suggesting a growing population of economically disadvantaged students. When compared to high-performing schools in the region, such as Daniel Hand High School and Lyme-Old Lyme High School, Valley Regional High School generally performs well academically, but its fluctuating statewide ranking and changing student demographics are important factors to consider.

Detail:

Public 9-12

256 Kelsey Hill Rd.
Deep River, CT 06417

(860) 526-5328

District: Regional School District 04

SchoolDigger Rank:
64^th of 145 Connecticut High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $25,221

Feeder schools for Valley Regional High School:

Elementary:	Chester Elementary School
	Deep River Elementary School
	Essex Elementary School
Middle:	John Winthrop Middle School

Student/teacher ratio: 9.8

Number of students: 489

Racial breakdown:

White:

84.3%

Hispanic:

9.0%

Two or more races:

4.1%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 26%

See top rated Connecticut high schools

Compare Valley Regional High School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Valley Regional High School ranks better than 55.9% of high schools in Connecticut. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 56.87. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (84.3%), Hispanic (9%), two or more races (4.1%). (See more...)

Compare Details 26% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Valley Regional High School is 9.8. (See more...)

Compare Valley Regional High School employs 49.8 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Valley Regional High School is $25,221.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Valley Regional High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Valley Regional High School 64^th of 145 Connecticut public high schools. (See Valley Regional High School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

White students:

Regional School District 04:

SchoolDigger ranks Regional School District 04 96^th of 158 Connecticut school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Rating:

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Rank History for Valley Regional High School

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Rank History for all students at Valley Regional High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CT State Percentile
2007	73.82	50^th	176	71.6%
2008	72.94	54^th	176	69.3%
2009	72.43	55^th	176	68.8%
2010	77.44	31^st	186	83.3%
2011	75.96	41^st	189	78.3%
2012	77.98	35^th	188	81.4%
2013	73.88	54^th	193	72.0%
2015	85.79	24^th	196	87.8%
2016	80.18	32^nd	132	75.8%
2017	78.70	36^th	140	74.3%
2018	78.43	32^nd	121	73.6%
2019	81.91	28^th	121	76.9%
2021	70.57	69^th	200	65.5%
2022	82.34	25^th	139	82.0%
2023	65.73	52^nd	142	63.4%
2024	56.87	64^th	145	55.9%

See the entire list of Connecticut High School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Valley Regional High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CT State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	74.85	41^st	175	76.6%

See the entire list of Best Connecticut High Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Valley Regional High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CT State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	84.53	25^th	155	83.9%

See the entire list of Best Connecticut High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Valley Regional High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CT State Percentile
2019	76.05	29^th	84	65.5%
2021	63.49	74^th	189	60.8%
2022	78.47	25^th	106	76.4%
2023	61.76	47^th	103	54.4%

See the entire list of Best Connecticut High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Valley Regional High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CT State Percentile
2019	70.29	39^th	80	51.3%
2021	73.77	50^th	182	72.5%
2022	74.39	34^th	102	66.7%
2023	50.96	53^rd	100	47.0%

See the entire list of Best Connecticut High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for White students at Valley Regional High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CT State Percentile
2018	68.00	37^th	105	64.8%
2019	68.70	40^th	113	64.6%
2021	50.85	78^th	155	49.7%
2022	70.99	34^th	117	70.9%
2023	48.13	64^th	116	44.8%
2024	33.76	80^th	116	31.0%

See the entire list of Best Connecticut High 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.

Data source: Connecticut State Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:
No reviews have been submitted!

Enrollment information for Valley Regional High School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	489	5	0	3	2	n/a	n/a	0	499
1989	452	11	10	1	1	n/a	n/a	0	475
1990	432	13	3	4	n/a	n/a	n/a	0	452
1991	401	6	7	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	415
1992	406	9	5	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	422
1993	414	8	5	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	429
1994	439	4	4	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	451
1995	455	7	1	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	466
1996	455	7	1	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	466
1997	448	9	7	5	0	n/a	n/a	0	469
1998	428	6	6	8	0	n/a	n/a	0	448
1999	457	5	8	8	0	n/a	n/a	0	478
2000	480	4	3	7	0	n/a	n/a	0	494
2001	488	3	1	12	2	n/a	n/a	0	506
2002	497	4	5	24	0	n/a	n/a	0	530
2003	497	4	5	24	0	n/a	n/a	0	530
2004	502	7	4	24	0	n/a	n/a	0	537
2005	510	7	1	19	0	n/a	n/a	0	537
2006	418	5	2	19	0	n/a	n/a	0	444
2007	561	5	6	21	1	n/a	n/a	0	594
2008	569	8	15	22	1	n/a	n/a	0	615
2009	573	7	16	19	2	n/a	n/a	0	617
2010	579	5	16	16	2	n/a	n/a	0	618
2011	573	4	11	18	0	0	3	0	609
2012	583	6	6	19	1	0	4	0	619
2013	564	6	8	38	1	0	7	0	624
2014	555	11	6	39	2	0	8	0	621
2015	560	11	11	45	2	0	9	0	638
2016	526	10	10	43	1	0	10	0	600
2017	544	11	11	29	0	0	11	0	606
2018	527	4	14	29	1	0	12	0	587
2019	549	4	14	18	1	0	13	0	599
2020	528	5	15	19	1	0	15	0	583
2021	523	4	10	21	1	0	17	0	576
2022	482	4	10	32	0	0	17	0	545
2023	412	6	5	44	0	0	20	2	489

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 Valley Regional High School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	499	35.0	14.2	n/a
1989	475	36.5	13.0	n/a
1990	452	36.5	12.3	n/a
1991	415	37.5	11.0	n/a
1992	422	35.4	11.9	2.1
1993	429	33.1	13.0	0.2
1994	451	34.8	13.0	4.9
1995	466	35.6	13.1	5.4
1996	466	35.6	13.1	5.4
1997	469	36.1	13.0	2.6
1998	448	36.7	12.2	3.6
1999	478	38.7	12.4	4.4
2000	494	41.8	11.8	4.3
2001	506	46.5	10.9	n/a
2002	530	49.5	10.7	3.4
2003	530	49.5	10.7	3.4
2004	537	49.8	10.8	4.8
2005	537	44.5	12.1	n/a
2006	444	45.9	9.7	8.6
2007	594	46.0	12.9	7.2
2008	615	53.0	11.6	8.3
2009	617	56.5	11.4	7
2010	618	51.0	12.1	9.2
2011	609	49.7	12.2	8.9
2012	619	51.1	12.0	8.2
2013	624	49.2	12.6	10.3
2014	621	49.8	12.4	10.6
2015	638	50.0	12.7	8
2016	600	49.0	12.2	8.5
2017	606	48.2	12.5	12.2
2018	587	52.1	11.2	14.1
2019	599	46.4	12.9	21.5
2020	583	48.9	11.9	19.9
2021	576	46.9	12.2	20.3
2022	545	48.1	11.3	21.1
2023	489	49.8	9.8	26

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 Valley Regional High School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	499	35.0	14.2	n/a
1989	475	36.5	13.0	n/a
1990	452	36.5	12.3	n/a
1991	415	37.5	11.0	n/a
1992	422	35.4	11.9	2.1
1993	429	33.1	13.0	0.2
1994	451	34.8	13.0	4.9
1995	466	35.6	13.1	5.4
1996	466	35.6	13.1	5.4
1997	469	36.1	13.0	2.6
1998	448	36.7	12.2	3.6
1999	478	38.7	12.4	4.4
2000	494	41.8	11.8	4.3
2001	506	46.5	10.9	n/a
2002	530	49.5	10.7	3.4
2003	530	49.5	10.7	3.4
2004	537	49.8	10.8	4.8
2005	537	44.5	12.1	n/a
2006	444	45.9	9.7	8.6
2007	594	46.0	12.9	7.2
2008	615	53.0	11.6	8.3
2009	617	56.5	11.4	7
2010	618	51.0	12.1	9.2
2011	609	49.7	12.2	8.9
2012	619	51.1	12.0	8.2
2013	624	49.2	12.6	10.3
2014	621	49.8	12.4	10.6
2015	638	50.0	12.7	8
2016	600	49.0	12.2	8.5
2017	606	48.2	12.5	12.2
2018	587	52.1	11.2	14.1
2019	599	46.4	12.9	21.5
2020	583	48.9	11.9	19.9
2021	576	46.9	12.2	20.3
2022	545	48.1	11.3	21.1
2023	489	49.8	9.8	26

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 Valley Regional High School

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2018	$16,393
2019	$3,132
2020	$18,591
2021	$16,321
2022	$18,620
2023	$25,221

Data source: Connecticut Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Valley Regional High 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 28^th of 121 High schools	Ranks 52^nd of 142 High schools	13.5%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
11th Grade English Language Arts (Valley Regional High School)	79.6	62.1	17.5%
11th Grade English Language Arts (Regional School District 04)	79	62.4	16.6%
11th Grade English Language Arts (Connecticut)	61.6	52.4	9.2%
11th Grade Math (Valley Regional High School)	54.7	37.1	17.6%
11th Grade Math (Regional School District 04)	54.3	37.6	16.7%
11th Grade Math (Connecticut)	40.6	34.1	6.5%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	599	489	18.4%
African American	4	6	50%
American Indian	1	0	100%
Asian	14	5	64.3%
Hispanic	18	44	144.4%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	549	412	25%
Two or More Races	13	20	53.8%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	21.5%	26%	4.4%

Schools Near Valley Regional High School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				NGSS Science (2024)	SAT English Language Arts (2024)	SAT Math (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2023)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	NGSS Science 11th Grade	SAT English Language Arts 11th Grade	SAT Math 11th Grade	Total
Valley Regional High School	Public	9-12	256 Kelsey Hill Rd.	Deep River	06417	Middlesex County	Regional School District 04	No	No	No	Yes	(860) 526-5328	489	50	9.8	26.0%	412 (84.3%)	6 (1.2%)	44 (9.0%)	5 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (4.1%)	56.9	64^th of 145 public high schools	55.9%		65.7	52^nd of 142 public high schools	63.4%	12	47.1	58.9	32.7	$25,221
Westbrook High School	Public	9-12	156 McVeagh Rd.	Westbrook	06498	Middlesex County	Westbrook School District	No	No	No	No	(860) 399-6214	202	29	6.9	26.7%	138 (68.3%)	0 (0.0%)	55 (27.2%)	7 (3.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.0%)								(n/a)				$33,758
Old Saybrook Senior High School	Public	9-12	1111 Boston Post Rd.	Old Saybrook	06475	Middlesex County	Old Saybrook School District	No	No	No	No	(860) 395-3175	347	41	8.3	21.9%	281 (81.0%)	1 (0.3%)	40 (11.5%)	13 (3.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.9%)	75.8	37^th of 145 public high schools	74.5%		85.8	22^nd of 142 public high schools	84.5%	15	56.8	71.4	42.9	$28,129
The Morgan School	Public	9-12	71 Killingworth Tpke.	Clinton	06413	Middlesex County	Clinton School District	No	No	No	No	(860) 664-6504	524	50	10.4	30.0%	394 (75.2%)	5 (1.0%)	94 (17.9%)	23 (4.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.1%)	66.2	51^st of 145 public high schools	64.8%		65.3	53^rd of 142 public high schools	62.7%	2	55.6	61.6	36.8	$22,974
Lyme-Old Lyme High School	Public	9-12	69 Lyme St.	Old Lyme	06371	New London County	Regional School District 18	No	No	No	No	(860) 434-1651	407	44	9.1	11.8%	342 (84.0%)	4 (1.0%)	31 (7.6%)	16 (3.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (3.2%)	93.5	7^th of 145 public high schools	95.2%		92.8	8^th of 142 public high schools	94.4%	1	77.4	82.8	62.4	$26,546
Nathan Hale-Ray High School	Public	9-12	15 School Drive	Moodus	06469	Middlesex County	East Haddam School District	No	No	No	Yes	(860) 873-5065	262	34	7.7	22.5%	230 (87.8%)	1 (0.4%)	21 (8.0%)	6 (2.3%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.1%)	61.9	57^th of 145 public high schools	60.7%		51.8	67^th of 142 public high schools	52.8%	10		69.2	27.7	$27,667
Haddam-Killingworth High School	Public	9-12	95 Little City Road	Higganum	06441	Middlesex County	Regional School District 17	No	No	No	No	(860) 345-8541	546	52	10.5	11.7%	490 (89.7%)	6 (1.1%)	18 (3.3%)	14 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (2.9%)	85.9	18^th of 145 public high schools	87.6%		92.5	9^th of 142 public high schools	93.7%	9	69.6	76.0	48.8	$25,496
Daniel Hand High School	Public	9-12	286 Green Hill Rd.	Madison	06443	New Haven County	Madison School District	No	No	No	Yes	(203) 245-6350	828	87	9.5	4.7%	696 (84.1%)	8 (1.0%)	50 (6.0%)	27 (3.3%)	2 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	42 (5.1%)	91.8	8^th of 145 public high schools	94.5%		89.2	16^th of 142 public high schools	88.7%	8	75.4	79.4	60.8	$25,318
East Lyme High School	Public	9-12	30 Chesterfield Rd.	East Lyme	06333	New London County	East Lyme School District	No	No	No	No	(860) 739-6946	966	91	10.5	20.0%	736 (76.2%)	14 (1.4%)	74 (7.7%)	85 (8.8%)	4 (0.4%)	2 (0.2%)	50 (5.2%)	80.7	25^th of 145 public high schools	82.8%					(n/a)	61.4	80.3	41.9	$21,600
Coginchaug Regional High School	Public	9-12	135 Pickett Ln.	Durham	06422	Middlesex County	Regional School District 13	No	No	No	Yes	(860) 349-7215	384	41	9.4	15.6%	331 (86.2%)	2 (0.5%)	31 (8.1%)	7 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (3.1%)	76.1	36^th of 145 public high schools	75.2%					(n/a)	62.6	68.4		$29,073

Frequently Asked Questions about Valley Regional High School

What is the racial makeup of Valley Regional High School?

Students at Valley Regional High School are 84% White, 9% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races, 1% African American, 1% Asian.

How many students attend Valley Regional High School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 489 students attended Valley Regional High School.

What schools feed into Valley Regional High School?

Valley Regional High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Chester Elementary School
Elementary : Deep River Elementary School
Elementary : Essex Elementary School
Middle : John Winthrop Middle School

Is Valley Regional High School a good school?

Valley Regional High School ranks 64^th of 145 Connecticut high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What district is Valley Regional High School in?

Regional School District 04

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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.