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James H. Moran Middle School

Q: Is James H. Moran Middle School a good school?

James H. Moran Middle School ranks 118 th of 258 Connecticut middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

118^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 258 Connecticut Middle Schools

Better than 54% of Connecticut middle schools

Summary

James H. Moran Middle School in Wallingford, CT, serves 531 students in grades 6–8 and holds a steady mid-pack position among Connecticut middle schools, ranking 118th out of 258 in 2025–2026 (54th percentile, 3 stars). The school's performance has been remarkably stable for a decade, hovering near the state median year after year. Its home district, the Wallingford School District, ranks in the lower half of Connecticut districts overall.

Moran's academics tell a mixed story by subject and grade. Sixth grade math is the biggest concern: only 38.1% of students are proficient, well below the state average of 44.4%, and this has persisted for three consecutive years. By contrast, 7th and 8th grade math now surpass state averages. Eighth grade science sits just above the state average but trails the 64.4% proficiency rate at nearby Dag Hammarskjold Middle School, Moran's same-district counterpart, which also outperforms Moran in 7th and 8th grade ELA. The surrounding area offers an unusually wide range of outcomes — from Dodd Middle School in Cheshire (95th percentile) and John F. Kennedy Middle School in Southington (87th percentile) at the top, down to Hamden Middle School (35th percentile) at the bottom — with Moran landing in between.

Moran's real strengths lie elsewhere. Its student-teacher ratio of 9.6 to 1 is the lowest among nearby middle schools, and its per-student spending of $18,587 exceeds most comparable schools. Chronic absenteeism stands at just 11.8% — well below the state's 16.4% — and has improved dramatically since 2021–2022. Yet these advantages haven't translated into a clear academic edge over its district peer. Parents should also watch special education outcomes, which dipped sharply in the most recent reporting year. Moran has the resources, attendance, and stability to improve; the question is whether those resources are being directed effectively enough to lift it from the middle of the pack.

531

Students ?

9.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$22,396

Per pupil spending ?

34.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

141 Hope Hill Road
Wallingford, CT 06492

(203) 741-2900

District: Wallingford School District

Students who attend James H. Moran Middle School usually attend:

High:

Mark T. Sheehan High School

Feeder schools for James H. Moran Middle School:

Elementary:	Cook Hill School
	Highland School
	Mary G. Fritz Elementary School of Yalesville
	Parker Farms School

Racial breakdown:

White:

67.6%

Hispanic:

22.8%

Asian:

4.9%

See top rated Connecticut middle schools

Compare James H. Moran Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 55th percentile in 2016 → 54th in 2026

Strengths

✓Above the Connecticut median (54th percentile)

✓Small classes — about 10 students per teacher

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school49%

District avg50%

Connecticut avg48%

118^th of 258

Connecticut public middle schools ?

Top 46%▼ down 1 pts since 2016

See the entire ranking list of Connecticut Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 2Middle Schools in the Wallingford School District

96^th of 153Wallingford School District 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	54.9	118 of 258	54.3%	★★★☆☆
2025	46.9	125 of 252	50.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	48.0	121 of 250	51.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	46.4	127 of 249	49.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	46.5	119 of 250	52.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	44.2	142 of 275	48.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	50.7	130 of 259	49.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	40.9	144 of 249	42.2%	★★☆☆☆
2017	51.6	123 of 250	50.8%	★★★☆☆
2016	54.8	111 of 246	54.9%	★★★☆☆
2015	57.5	123 of 280	56.1%	★★★☆☆
2013	63.2	135 of 278	51.4%	★★★☆☆
2012	72.4	94 of 272	65.4%	★★★☆☆
2011	68.3	116 of 269	56.9%	★★★☆☆
2010	66.6	116 of 268	56.7%	★★★☆☆
2009	70.2	98 of 255	61.6%	★★★☆☆
2008	65.6	113 of 252	55.2%	★★★☆☆
2007	70.2	91 of 250	63.6%	★★★☆☆
2006	65.3	106 of 248	57.3%	★★★☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Connecticut percentile	Rating
2021	26.9	69 of 104	33.7%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Connecticut percentile	Rating
2026	44.7	94 of 164	42.7%	★★☆☆☆
2025	37.1	102 of 164	37.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	38.4	103 of 161	36.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	37.8	99 of 160	38.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	39.3	104 of 166	37.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	47.5	114 of 235	51.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	43.7	108 of 169	36.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	30.5	119 of 160	25.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Connecticut percentile	Rating
2026	47.1	50 of 115	56.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	41.2	55 of 105	47.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	48.6	44 of 104	57.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	36.4	59 of 99	40.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	60.6	48 of 146	67.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	64.2	22 of 97	77.3%	★★★★☆
2018	50.2	25 of 75	66.7%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Connecticut percentile	Rating
2026	43.4	60 of 112	46.4%	★★☆☆☆
2025	23.9	91 of 117	22.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	38.2	70 of 114	38.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	37.2	70 of 109	35.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	48.7	61 of 106	42.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	44.0	115 of 218	47.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	46.2	56 of 104	46.2%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Connecticut percentile	Rating
2026	43.8	95 of 164	42.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	36.0	99 of 162	38.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	39.5	95 of 157	39.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	36.9	99 of 158	37.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	43.0	97 of 169	42.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	32.3	144 of 224	35.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	40.9	106 of 167	36.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	35.9	108 of 164	34.1%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Connecticut percentile	Rating
2025	29.5	21 of 27	22.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	47.7	13 of 22	40.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	38.3	146 of 244	40.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	53.0	12 of 25	52.0%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Connecticut percentile	Rating
2026	28.9	110 of 150	26.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	18.0	123 of 153	19.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	21.2	125 of 154	18.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	16.9	136 of 158	13.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	17.8	129 of 151	14.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	14.9	154 of 175	12.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	28.4	129 of 166	22.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	17.5	142 of 168	15.5%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Hispanic (2026)57th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)46th percentile-8 vs school

Female (2026)43rd percentile-12 vs school

Male (2026)42nd percentile-12 vs school

Disabled (2021)34th percentile-15 vs school

White (2026)27th percentile-28 vs school

Special Education (2025)22nd percentile-28 vs school

By subject vs Connecticut (2025-2026) ?

Science53%~ state avg

English Language Arts53%~ state avg

Mathematics45%~ state avg

★

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Schools Near James H. Moran Middle School

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				NGSS Science (2026)		SBAC English Language Arts (2026)				SBAC Mathematics (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 5th Grade	NGSS Science 8th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 5th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 6th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 7th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 8th Grade	SBAC Mathematics 5th Grade	SBAC Mathematics 6th Grade	SBAC Mathematics 7th Grade	SBAC Mathematics 8th Grade	Total
James H. Moran Middle School	Public	6-8	141 Hope Hill Road	Wallingford	06492	Naugatuck Valley Planning Region	Wallingford School District	No	No	No	No	(203) 741-2900	531	55	9.6	34.7%	359 (67.6%)	9 (1.7%)	121 (22.8%)	26 (4.9%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	14 (2.6%)	54.9	118^th of 258 public middle schools	54.3%		46.9	125^th of 252 public middle schools	50.4%	7		52.8		56.6	51.9	49.1		38.1	49.2	47.5	$22,396
Dag Hammarskjold Middle School	Public	6-8	106 Pond Hill Road	Wallingford	06492	Naugatuck Valley Planning Region	Wallingford School District	No	No	No	Yes	(203) 294-3700	593	54	10.9	35.4%	396 (66.8%)	5 (0.8%)	132 (22.3%)	29 (4.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (5.2%)	59.4	103^rd of 258 public middle schools	60.1%		51.2	120^th of 252 public middle schools	52.4%	17		64.4		55.9	57.1	54.6		41.0	42.9	46.4	$22,231
Lincoln Middle School	Public	6-8	164 Centennial Ave.	Meriden	06450	Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region	Meriden School District	No	No	No	Yes	(203) 238-2381	684	45	15.0	78.5%	117 (17.1%)	62 (9.1%)	464 (67.8%)	5 (0.7%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (5.1%)	37.3	149^th of 258 public middle schools	42.2%		30	159^th of 252 public middle schools	36.9%	10		36.0		47.3	39.8	42.7		43.3	36.1	30.2	$15,818
Dodd Middle School	Public	7-8	100 Park Place	Cheshire	06410	Capitol Planning Region	Cheshire School District	No	No	No	No	(203) 272-3249	660	53	12.5	18.3%	477 (72.3%)	24 (3.6%)	61 (9.2%)	61 (9.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (5.6%)	91.7	13^th of 258 public middle schools	95.0%		92.2	13^th of 252 public middle schools	94.8%			77.2			83.1	76.3			75.9	71.2	$19,852
Washington Middle School	Public	6-8	1225 North Broad St.	Meriden	06450	Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region	Meriden School District	No	No	No	Yes	(203) 235-6606	536	39	13.6	86.4%	97 (18.1%)	76 (14.2%)	331 (61.8%)	10 (1.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (3.9%)	27.7	169^th of 258 public middle schools	34.5%		25.4	169^th of 252 public middle schools	32.9%			33.3		41.7	34.6	40.2		30.6	26.6	26.9	$17,920
Edison Middle School	Public	6-8	1355 North Broad Street	Meriden	06450	Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region	Meriden School District	No	No	No	No	(203) 379-2590	773	54	14.2	74.5%	169 (21.9%)	92 (11.9%)	464 (60.0%)	11 (1.4%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (4.7%)	57.4	110^th of 258 public middle schools	57.4%		57.7	103^rd of 252 public middle schools	59.1%	7		52.3		66.1	55.6	59.0		52.7	36.1	33.3	$15,764
John F. Kennedy Middle School	Public	6-8	1071 South Main St.	Plantsville	06479	Capitol Planning Region	Southington School District	No	No	No	No	(860) 628-3275	659	54	12.2	26.1%	474 (71.9%)	19 (2.9%)	89 (13.5%)	38 (5.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	38 (5.8%)	86.1	33^rd of 258 public middle schools	87.2%		81.5	48^th of 252 public middle schools	81.0%	15		76.9		68.6	75.6	67.9		68.9	70.1	64.7	$21,072
Long River Middle School	Public	6-8	38 Columbia Ave.	Prospect	06712	Naugatuck Valley Planning Region	Regional School District 16	No	No	No	Yes	(203) 758-4421	434	39	11.1	29.7%	342 (78.8%)	20 (4.6%)	55 (12.7%)	10 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.6%)	80.3	49^th of 258 public middle schools	81.0%		75.7	60^th of 252 public middle schools	76.2%	11		71.7		54.6	73.7	71.9		64.5	59.0	64.7	$21,126
North Haven Middle School	Public	6-8	55 Bailey Rd.	North Haven	06473	South Central Connecticut Planning Region	North Haven School District	No	No	No	Yes	(203) 239-1683	752	64	11.7	22.6%	519 (69.0%)	39 (5.2%)	108 (14.4%)	57 (7.6%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (3.6%)	74	70^th of 258 public middle schools	72.9%		71.9	80^th of 252 public middle schools	68.3%	10		67.4		69.6	65.6	63.5		53.2	51.1	54.6	$19,786
Frank Ward Strong School	Public	5-8	191 Main Street	Durham	06422	Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region	Regional School District 13	No	No	No	Yes	(860) 349-7222	319	31	10.4	17.2%	275 (86.2%)	1 (0.3%)	26 (8.2%)	3 (0.9%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (3.8%)	68.5	84^th of 258 public middle schools	67.4%		73.4	70^th of 252 public middle schools	72.2%	14	67.0	802.0	66.7	67.0	72.4	54.0	35.4	47.0	56.7	44.8	$26,964

Frequently Asked Questions about James H. Moran Middle School

How many students attend James H. Moran Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 531 students attended James H. Moran Middle School.

What high school do graduates of James H. Moran Middle School attend?

Students who attend James H. Moran Middle School usually go on to attend Mark T. Sheehan High School

What is the racial makeup of James H. Moran Middle School?

Students at James H. Moran Middle School are 68% White, 23% Hispanic, 5% Asian, 3% Two or more races, 2% African American.

Is James H. Moran Middle School a good school?

James H. Moran Middle School ranks 118^th of 258 Connecticut middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What district is James H. Moran Middle School in?

Wallingford School District

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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.