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Valley Regional High School

Q: Is Valley Regional High School a good school?

Valley Regional High School ranks 45 th of 135 Connecticut high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

45^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 135 Connecticut High Schools

Better than 67% of Connecticut high schools

Summary

Valley Regional High School in Deep River, CT, serves 429 students in grades 9–12 as part of Regional School District 04, earning a 3-star rating and ranking 45th out of 133 high schools statewide (66th percentile) for 2025–2026. That places it near the lower end of its regional comparison group: Daniel Hand High School ranks 8th, Haddam-Killingworth High School 14th, East Lyme High School 15th, Guilford High School 20th, and Lyme-Old Lyme High School 22nd. Valley sits just ahead of Nathan Hale-Ray High School (44th), The Morgan School (54th), and Old Saybrook Senior High School (57th). Notably, the school's own rating is stronger than its district's overall 2-star rating.

The school's clearest strength is its graduation rate: 97.4% in 2024–2025, well above the state average of 91.2%, and consistently between 95% and 98% for five consecutive years. Chronic absenteeism has also improved dramatically, falling from 21.1% in 2023–2024 to 13.0% in 2025–2026, now below the state average. English/language arts proficiency (68%) and science proficiency (63.5%) both exceed state averages. Math is the biggest concern: only 31.1% of 11th graders meet the SAT math proficiency benchmark, essentially tied with the state average (31.3%) and far behind Daniel Hand (66.1%), Guilford (53.5%), Haddam-Killingworth (48.8%), and East Lyme (46.9%).

Valley serves a higher percentage of low-income students than many of its higher-performing neighbors, with 27.27% eligible for free/reduced-price lunch — higher than Daniel Hand (5.46%), Haddam-Killingworth (13.73%), Guilford (14.58%), and East Lyme (24.27%), but lower than Nathan Hale-Ray (29.39%), The Morgan School (39.96%), and Westbrook High School (46.99%). The student–teacher ratio of 9.3 is competitive with peers. Subgroup rankings suggest room for improvement in serving different learner groups: female students ranked in the 45th percentile in 2025–2026, while low-income students and special education students ranked in the 84th and 77th percentiles in 2020–2021. Overall, Valley Regional is a dependable mid-tier high school with excellent graduation outcomes, improving attendance, and solid literacy and science achievement — but closing the math proficiency gap will be key to moving from good to top-tier.

429

Students ?

9.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$31,338

Per pupil spending ?

27.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

256 Kelsey Hill Rd.
Deep River, CT 06417

(860) 526-5328

District: Regional School District 04

Feeder schools for Valley Regional High School:

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

Racial breakdown:

White:

81.8%

Hispanic:

11.0%

Two or more races:

3.5%

See top rated Connecticut high schools

Compare Valley Regional High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 76th percentile in 2016 → 67th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Connecticut average (54% vs 46% meeting standards)

✓97% graduate in 4 years — above the Connecticut average (91%)

✓Above the Connecticut median (67th percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 9 percentile points since 2016

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school54%

District avg54%

Connecticut avg46%

45^th of 135

Connecticut public high schools ?

Top 33%▼ down 9 pts since 2016

From top 24% (2016) to top 33% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Connecticut High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

82^nd of 153Regional School District 04 among Connecticut districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Connecticut percentile	Rating
2026	67.2	45 of 135	66.7%	★★★☆☆
2025	70.7	45 of 141	68.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	56.9	64 of 145	55.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	65.7	52 of 142	63.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	82.3	25 of 139	82.0%	★★★★☆
2021	70.6	69 of 200	65.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	81.9	28 of 121	76.9%	★★★★☆
2018	78.4	32 of 121	73.6%	★★★★☆
2017	78.7	36 of 140	74.3%	★★★★☆
2016	80.2	32 of 132	75.8%	★★★★☆
2015	85.8	24 of 196	87.8%	★★★★☆
2013	73.9	54 of 193	72.0%	★★★★☆
2012	78.0	35 of 188	81.4%	★★★★☆
2011	76.0	41 of 189	78.3%	★★★★☆
2010	77.4	31 of 186	83.3%	★★★★☆
2009	72.4	55 of 176	68.8%	★★★☆☆
2008	72.9	54 of 176	69.3%	★★★★☆
2007	73.8	50 of 176	71.6%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Connecticut percentile	Rating
2026	52.0	61 of 111	45.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	61.8	47 of 103	54.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	78.5	25 of 106	76.4%	★★★★☆
2021	63.5	74 of 189	60.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	76.0	29 of 84	65.5%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Connecticut percentile	Rating
2021	84.5	25 of 155	83.9%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Connecticut percentile	Rating
2023	51.0	53 of 100	47.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	74.4	34 of 102	66.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	73.8	50 of 182	72.5%	★★★★☆
2019	70.3	39 of 80	51.3%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Connecticut percentile	Rating
2021	74.9	41 of 175	76.6%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Connecticut percentile	Rating
2026	38.4	68 of 107	36.4%	★★☆☆☆
2025	54.2	55 of 116	52.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	33.8	80 of 116	31.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	48.1	64 of 116	44.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	71.0	34 of 117	70.9%	★★★★☆
2021	50.9	78 of 155	49.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	68.7	40 of 113	64.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	68.0	37 of 105	64.8%	★★★☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Low Socio Economic Status (2021)84th percentile+18 vs school

Special Education (2021)77th percentile+11 vs school

Male (2023)47th percentile-16 vs school

Female (2026)45th percentile-22 vs school

White (2026)36th percentile-30 vs school

By subject vs Connecticut (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts68%+13 vs state

Science64%+13 vs state

Math31%~ state avg

5.0

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Schools Near Valley Regional High School

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

School	Students/Teachers	Ranking (2026)	Ranking (2025)	NGSS Science (2026)	SAT English Language Arts (2026)	SAT Math (2026)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
Valley Regional High School	Public	9-12	256 Kelsey Hill Rd.	Deep River	06417	Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region	Regional School District 04	No	No	No	Yes	(860) 526-5328	429	46	9.3	27.3%	351 (81.8%)	5 (1.2%)	47 (11.0%)	6 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (3.5%)	67.2	45^th of 135 public high schools	66.7%	70.7	45^th of 141 public high schools	68.1%		63.5	68.0	31.1	$31,338
Westbrook High School	Public	9-12	156 McVeagh Rd.	Westbrook	06498	Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region	Westbrook School District	No	No	No	No	(860) 399-6214	166	26	6.2	47.0%	107 (64.5%)	1 (0.6%)	56 (33.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.2%)							(n/a)	1097.0	73.0		$42,166
Old Saybrook Senior High School	Public	9-12	1111 Boston Post Rd.	Old Saybrook	06475	Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region	Old Saybrook School District	No	No	No	No	(860) 395-3175	338	41	8.2	22.5%	261 (77.2%)	2 (0.6%)	48 (14.2%)	12 (3.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	11 (3.3%)	59.1	56^th of 135 public high schools	58.5%	77.2	35^th of 141 public high schools	75.2%	21	48.4	65.6	33.3	$31,540
The Morgan School	Public	9-12	71 Killingworth Tpke.	Clinton	06413	Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region	Clinton School District	No	No	No	No	(860) 664-6504	473	49	9.6	40.0%	322 (68.1%)	5 (1.1%)	118 (24.9%)	18 (3.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (1.9%)	59.5	54^th of 135 public high schools	60.0%	64.5	50^th of 141 public high schools	64.5%	4	56.3	60.6		$26,789
Lyme-Old Lyme High School	Public	9-12	69 Lyme St.	Old Lyme	06371	Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region	Regional School District 18	No	No	No	No	(860) 434-1651	367	38	9.6	12.8%	297 (80.9%)	3 (0.8%)	30 (8.2%)	19 (5.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (4.1%)	85.6	22^nd of 135 public high schools	83.7%	95.7	4^th of 141 public high schools	97.2%	18	72.9	80.0		$28,834
Nathan Hale-Ray High School	Public	9-12	15 School Drive	Moodus	06469	Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region	East Haddam School District	No	No	No	Yes	(860) 873-5065	262	33	7.9	29.4%	228 (87.0%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (9.2%)	4 (1.5%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.5%)	68	44^th of 135 public high schools	67.4%	60.2	56^th of 141 public high schools	60.3%	12	1106.0	62.3	41.0	$29,429
Haddam-Killingworth High School	Public	9-12	95 Little City Road	Higganum	06441	Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region	Regional School District 17	No	No	No	No	(860) 345-8541	466	49	9.5	13.7%	409 (87.8%)	6 (1.3%)	23 (4.9%)	10 (2.1%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (3.4%)	88.9	14^th of 135 public high schools	89.6%	88.4	16^th of 141 public high schools	88.7%	2	74.8	85.3		$30,768
Daniel Hand High School	Public	9-12	286 Green Hill Rd.	Madison	06443	South Central Connecticut Planning Region	Madison School District	No	No	No	Yes	(203) 245-6350	751	77	9.8	5.5%	616 (82.0%)	7 (0.9%)	53 (7.1%)	27 (3.6%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (5.3%)	91.1	8^th of 135 public high schools	94.1%	89.4	15^th of 141 public high schools	89.4%	7	77.3	80.2	66.1	$28,521
East Lyme High School	Public	9-12	30 Chesterfield Rd.	East Lyme	06333	Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region	East Lyme School District	No	No	No	No	(860) 739-6946	890	90	9.9	24.3%	645 (72.5%)	17 (1.9%)	90 (10.1%)	88 (9.9%)	4 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	43 (4.8%)	88.1	15^th of 135 public high schools	88.9%	86.5	19^th of 141 public high schools	86.5%	4	80.5	81.8	46.9	$25,597
Coginchaug Regional High School	Public	9-12	135 Pickett Ln.	Durham	06422	Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region	Regional School District 13	No	No	No	Yes	(860) 349-7215	356	40	8.8	15.7%	298 (83.7%)	4 (1.1%)	37 (10.4%)	7 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.8%)	84.8	23^rd of 135 public high schools	83.0%				(n/a)	74.2	77.5		$33,510

Frequently Asked Questions about 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

What district is Valley Regional High School in?

Regional School District 04

How many students attend Valley Regional High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 429 students attended Valley Regional High School.

Is Valley Regional High School a good school?

Valley Regional High School ranks 45^th of 135 Connecticut high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Valley Regional High School?

Students at Valley Regional High School are 82% White, 11% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races, 1% Asian, 1% African American, 1% Not Specified.

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Latest Connecticut data All new data »

2024–25 through 2025–26 attendance data & graduation ratesAug 31, 2026

2025–26 NGSS, SAT & SBAC test scoresAug 31, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataApr 2, 2026

2024–25 attendance dataNov 6, 2025

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.

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				NGSS Science (2026)	SAT English Language Arts (2026)	SAT Math (2026)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
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 (2025)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	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	Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region	Regional School District 04	No	No	No	Yes	(860) 526-5328	429	46	9.3	27.3%	351 (81.8%)	5 (1.2%)	47 (11.0%)	6 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (3.5%)	67.2	45^th of 135 public high schools	66.7%		70.7	45^th of 141 public high schools	68.1%		63.5	68.0	31.1	$31,338
Westbrook High School	Public	9-12	156 McVeagh Rd.	Westbrook	06498	Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region	Westbrook School District	No	No	No	No	(860) 399-6214	166	26	6.2	47.0%	107 (64.5%)	1 (0.6%)	56 (33.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.2%)								(n/a)	1097.0	73.0		$42,166
Old Saybrook Senior High School	Public	9-12	1111 Boston Post Rd.	Old Saybrook	06475	Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region	Old Saybrook School District	No	No	No	No	(860) 395-3175	338	41	8.2	22.5%	261 (77.2%)	2 (0.6%)	48 (14.2%)	12 (3.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	11 (3.3%)	59.1	56^th of 135 public high schools	58.5%		77.2	35^th of 141 public high schools	75.2%	21	48.4	65.6	33.3	$31,540
The Morgan School	Public	9-12	71 Killingworth Tpke.	Clinton	06413	Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region	Clinton School District	No	No	No	No	(860) 664-6504	473	49	9.6	40.0%	322 (68.1%)	5 (1.1%)	118 (24.9%)	18 (3.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (1.9%)	59.5	54^th of 135 public high schools	60.0%		64.5	50^th of 141 public high schools	64.5%	4	56.3	60.6		$26,789
Lyme-Old Lyme High School	Public	9-12	69 Lyme St.	Old Lyme	06371	Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region	Regional School District 18	No	No	No	No	(860) 434-1651	367	38	9.6	12.8%	297 (80.9%)	3 (0.8%)	30 (8.2%)	19 (5.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (4.1%)	85.6	22^nd of 135 public high schools	83.7%		95.7	4^th of 141 public high schools	97.2%	18	72.9	80.0		$28,834
Nathan Hale-Ray High School	Public	9-12	15 School Drive	Moodus	06469	Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region	East Haddam School District	No	No	No	Yes	(860) 873-5065	262	33	7.9	29.4%	228 (87.0%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (9.2%)	4 (1.5%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.5%)	68	44^th of 135 public high schools	67.4%		60.2	56^th of 141 public high schools	60.3%	12	1106.0	62.3	41.0	$29,429
Haddam-Killingworth High School	Public	9-12	95 Little City Road	Higganum	06441	Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region	Regional School District 17	No	No	No	No	(860) 345-8541	466	49	9.5	13.7%	409 (87.8%)	6 (1.3%)	23 (4.9%)	10 (2.1%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (3.4%)	88.9	14^th of 135 public high schools	89.6%		88.4	16^th of 141 public high schools	88.7%	2	74.8	85.3		$30,768
Daniel Hand High School	Public	9-12	286 Green Hill Rd.	Madison	06443	South Central Connecticut Planning Region	Madison School District	No	No	No	Yes	(203) 245-6350	751	77	9.8	5.5%	616 (82.0%)	7 (0.9%)	53 (7.1%)	27 (3.6%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (5.3%)	91.1	8^th of 135 public high schools	94.1%		89.4	15^th of 141 public high schools	89.4%	7	77.3	80.2	66.1	$28,521
East Lyme High School	Public	9-12	30 Chesterfield Rd.	East Lyme	06333	Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region	East Lyme School District	No	No	No	No	(860) 739-6946	890	90	9.9	24.3%	645 (72.5%)	17 (1.9%)	90 (10.1%)	88 (9.9%)	4 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	43 (4.8%)	88.1	15^th of 135 public high schools	88.9%		86.5	19^th of 141 public high schools	86.5%	4	80.5	81.8	46.9	$25,597
Coginchaug Regional High School	Public	9-12	135 Pickett Ln.	Durham	06422	Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region	Regional School District 13	No	No	No	Yes	(860) 349-7215	356	40	8.8	15.7%	298 (83.7%)	4 (1.1%)	37 (10.4%)	7 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.8%)	84.8	23^rd of 135 public high schools	83.0%					(n/a)	74.2	77.5		$33,510