Summary:
There are two middle-level schools in the Shelton School District serving grades 5 through 9 with a combined enrollment of 1,425 students in a district that ranks near the middle of Connecticut’s 153 districts. Perry Hill Elementary School covers grades 5–6 (711 students) while Intermediate School covers grades 7–9 (714 students), and both have similar economic need profiles with roughly one-third of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch.
Perry Hill is the clear academic and attendance standout, posting higher proficiency than Intermediate in every available subject and a much lower chronic absenteeism rate (6.6% vs. 11.3%). Its 6th-grade math proficiency reaches 63.1%—18.7 points above the state average—and its 6th-grade ELA score is 60.4%, 9.2 points above the state. Intermediate School is more improved, rising from 130th to 114th in the state rankings (now a 3-star school) and showing particular strength in math, with 7th-grade math at 54.3% and 8th-grade math at 44.9%, both above state averages. However, its ELA scores trail the state in both grades, and a sharp drop in 8th-grade math (from 54.3% to 44.9%) suggests a more challenging curriculum or a cohort effect.
Mathematics is a district-wide strength—every math score at both schools exceeds the Connecticut average—while ELA is more inconsistent, especially at Intermediate. Year-over-year gains are encouraging: Intermediate improved its combined ELA/math proficiency from 43.5% to 49.3%, while Perry Hill improved from 54.9% to 56.6%. Spending and staffing differences are modest (Intermediate spends $16,520 per student with a 12.6:1 ratio vs. Perry Hill’s $15,991 and 14.1:1), yet Perry Hill achieves stronger outcomes with slightly fewer resources. For parents, the picture is positive overall: Perry Hill provides exceptional early middle-grade foundations, while Intermediate is steadily improving and excelling in math, though literacy support in the upper grades remains the district’s key area to watch.
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