Summary:
Wallingford School District in Connecticut serves two public high schools—Lyman Hall High School and Mark T. Sheehan High School—both covering grades 9 through 12 in a suburban area near Hartford. These schools share similar demographics and district rankings, but they offer different strengths that parents may want to weigh when comparing them.
Academically, Lyman Hall is the more consistent standout. Its science proficiency is well above the state average (65% vs. 50.5%), and its ELA proficiency also edges out the state (56.7% vs. 55.3%). Sheehan, however, posted a remarkable 12.9-point jump in science proficiency from 45.9% to 58.8% in one year, showing strong momentum. Sheehan also excels in attendance and graduation: its chronic absenteeism rate is just 9.0%, less than half of Lyman Hall’s 17.0%, and its graduation rate (93.9%) slightly beats Lyman Hall’s (93.5%). Both schools outperform the state’s 91.2% graduation rate. The biggest concern is Lyman Hall’s math proficiency, which sits at 29.5%—below the state average of 31.1% and starkly lower than its own ELA and science scores. Since Sheehan has no reported math or ELA data, it’s unclear if this is a district-wide issue.
Spending and resources differ only slightly: Sheehan spends about $729 more per student ($19,525 vs. $18,796) and has a slightly higher student-teacher ratio (11.0 vs. 10.4). The district as a whole ranks 96th out of 153 districts, but both high schools have earned 3-star ratings and rank above the district percentile in their most recent school-level rankings. For parents, the choice may come down to priorities: Lyman Hall offers proven, consistent academic strength in science and ELA, while Sheehan stands out for its exceptional attendance, high graduation rate, and rapid academic improvement.
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