Parker Farms School

Parker Farms School is an elementary school in Wallingford, CT, serving 268 students in grades 2–5 as part of the Wallingford School District, a district ranked in the lower-middle tier statewide. Academically, Parker Farms sits in the 46th percentile of Connecticut elementary schools (2 stars), and it ranks as the lowest-performing upper-elementary school in its district—trailing Rock Hill School (48th percentile), Pond Hill School (56th), and Mary G. Fritz Elementary School of Yalesville (72nd). Proficiency gaps are clear in ELA, math, and science; for example, only 51.2% of Parker 5th graders passed science compared to 70.4% at Pond Hill and 73.3% at Fritz.

However, Parker Farms has notable strengths that overall rankings miss. Chronic absenteeism has plummeted from 20.6% in 2021–22 to just 7.9% in 2025–26—now well below the district (11.4%) and state (16.4%) averages. The school also serves a more economically disadvantaged population, with 47.4% of students qualifying for free/reduced lunch, the highest among Wallingford’s comparable schools. Subgroup results are striking: Hispanic students rank in the 78th percentile statewide (4 stars), low-income students rank in the 61st percentile, and special education students have ranked as high as the 68th percentile—strong outcomes for historically underserved groups. At the same time, the school’s White students rank near the bottom statewide (7th percentile), an unusual pattern that warrants district attention.

Per-student spending is relatively high at about $19,400, with a student-teacher ratio of 11.0, yet outcomes still lag more affluent peers like Highland School in Cheshire. That said, Parker Farms is improving from a low base: 5th-grade math proficiency has climbed from 30.3% (2022–23) to 46.3% (2025–26), and the school performs better than Meriden-area schools such as Casimir Pulaski School and Hanover School despite serving a more affluent population than those schools. Its unusual grade configuration (grades 2–5 only) also means it draws students from multiple PK–2 buildings, making direct comparisons with those schools less meaningful for testing. Overall, Parker Farms is a mid-to-low-performing school with real pockets of success—especially in attendance and for certain student groups—and a clear trajectory of gradual improvement.