Summary:
West Haven School District is home to two middle-level schools—Harry M. Bailey Middle School (grades 7–8) and Carrigan 5/6 Intermediate School (grades 5–6)—serving a combined 1,714 students in a district ranked 119th out of 153 Connecticut districts. Both schools serve a majority economically disadvantaged population, with about 55–57% of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch.
Bailey is the academic standout in this pair. Its 8th graders beat state averages in math (47.3% vs. 41.9%), science (54.5% vs. 50.9%), and ELA (51.5% vs. 51.1%), even though its 7th graders trail the state. Bailey also improved its state ranking from the 40th percentile in 2023–2024 to the 52nd percentile for the past two years. Carrigan, in contrast, struggles academically—especially in math, where just 24.8% of 5th graders and 31.6% of 6th graders are proficient, far below state averages. Chronic absenteeism is also lower at Carrigan (21.4%) than at Bailey (27.0%), though both are above the state rate of 16.4%.
Interestingly, Carrigan spends more per student ($16,781 vs. $15,351 at Bailey) yet posts lower test scores, suggesting younger students may arrive with weaker preparation. The two schools act as a pipeline: students attend Carrigan for 5th and 6th grade, then move to Bailey for 7th and 8th, where they appear to make strong gains. For parents, the clearest takeaway is that early math intervention at Carrigan could help students arrive at Bailey better prepared, while Bailey’s rising state rank shows that meaningful improvement is possible even in a low-ranked West Haven School District.
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