Middle Schools in Regional School District 05

Regional School District 05, ranked 13th out of 153 districts in Connecticut and rated 5 stars, is served by two middle schools: Amity Middle School: Orange and Amity Middle School: Bethany. Both schools serve grades 7-8 with nearly identical enrollments, with Orange at 380 students and Bethany at 373. Together, these schools anchor a 92nd-percentile district that delivers exceptional academic outcomes for families in the area.

Amity Middle School: Bethany is the clear standout, ranking 10th in the state out of 258 middle schools in 2025-2026 and finishing in the top 14 in Connecticut for three consecutive years. Bethany outperforms Orange in every subject and grade-level test comparison across both years of available data, and it maintains a 5-star rating along with its strong rankings. Amity Middle School: Orange is also an excellent choice, ranking 23rd in the state in 2025-2026, and its proficiency rose across all four grade-subject combinations compared to the prior year. Orange's state rank improved sharply from 38th to 23rd, while Bethany remained the more consistent school of the two.

Both schools dramatically outpace state averages, with the lowest proficiency rate in either school still more than 23 points above the state average. Chronic absenteeism is remarkably low, at 4.7% in Orange and 4.9% in Bethany compared to 16.4% statewide. Bethany edges out Orange with slightly higher spending per student ($21,279 vs. $19,344) and a lower student-to-teacher ratio (10.8 vs. 11.3). One pattern worth noting: 7th graders consistently outperform 8th graders in both schools. Families in Regional School District 05 can expect top-tier schools, but Bethany currently leads the district's middle school performance.