Derby High School

Summary:

Derby High School is a public high school serving 369 students in grades 9-12 in Derby, Connecticut, a diverse community located in the southern part of the state. While the school has a relatively low student-teacher ratio and high per-student spending, it has consistently ranked in the bottom half of Connecticut high schools and struggles with academic performance that is significantly below the state average.

Derby High School's academic challenges are evident in several key metrics. Only 7.1% of 11th-grade students were proficient or better in SAT/Math in the 2022-2023 school year, compared to the state average of 34.1%. The school's overall ranking has dropped from 106 out of 132 Connecticut high schools in 2015-2016 to 120 out of 142 in 2022-2023. These academic struggles are particularly pronounced among the school's diverse student population, with significant racial disparities in performance between white/Asian and African American/Hispanic students.

When compared to nearby high schools such as Trumbull High School, Woodland Regional High School, and Amity Regional High School, Derby High School's academic performance and overall school quality are significantly lower. These neighboring schools have higher standardized test scores, higher rankings, and lower percentages of students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds, suggesting that factors beyond just funding may be contributing to Derby High School's challenges.

Detail:

Public 9-12

75 Chatfield Street
Derby, CT 06418

(203) 736-5032

District: Derby School District

Per Pupil Expenditures: $25,400

Feeder schools for Derby High School:

Elementary:	Bradley School
	Irving School
Middle:	Derby Middle School

Student/teacher ratio: 10.2

Number of students: 370

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

37.3%

White:

29.7%

African American:

25.1%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 56.5%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Derby High School is not ranked due for the most recent year due to insufficient test score data. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 13. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Derby High School who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Student population at Derby High School is diverse. Racial makeup is: Hispanic (37.3%), White (29.7%), African American (25.1%). (See more...)

Compare Details 56.5% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Derby High School is 10.2. (See more...)

Compare Derby High School employs 36 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Derby High School is $25,400.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Derby High School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

Derby School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Derby School District 148^th of 158 Connecticut school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Derby High School

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Rank History for all students at Derby High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CT State Percentile
2007	30.01	143^rd	176	18.8%
2008	27.94	142^nd	176	19.3%
2009	32.93	142^nd	176	19.3%
2010	39.96	136^th	186	26.9%
2011	21.65	158^th	189	16.4%
2012	16.55	164^th	188	12.8%
2013	27.88	159^th	193	17.6%
2015	27.51	155^th	196	20.9%
2016	19.77	106^th	132	19.7%
2021	10.75	179^th	200	10.5%
2023	13.00	120^th	142	15.5%

See the entire list of Connecticut High School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Derby High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CT State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	20.47	142^nd	175	18.9%

See the entire list of Best Connecticut High Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Derby High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CT State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	22.30	122^nd	155	21.3%

See the entire list of Best Connecticut High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Derby High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CT State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	11.17	171^st	189	9.5%

See the entire list of Best Connecticut High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Derby High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CT State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	7.59	94^th	100	6.0%

See the entire list of Best Connecticut High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Derby High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CT State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	7.39	57^th	59	3.4%
2024	56.66	15^th	63	76.2%

See the entire list of Best Connecticut High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Derby High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CT State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	4.36	149^th	155	3.9%

See the entire list of Best Connecticut High Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Connecticut Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Connecticut Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 1)

100%

Reviews:
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Enrollment information for Derby High School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1988	513	13	6	23	4	n/a	n/a	559
1989	490	12	10	30	1	n/a	n/a	543
1990	296	5	7	23	n/a	n/a	n/a	331
1991	287	6	8	31	4	n/a	n/a	336
1992	242	10	6	38	1	n/a	n/a	297
1993	263	13	3	26	2	n/a	n/a	307
1994	455	23	8	31	4	n/a	n/a	521
1995	468	37	7	48	4	n/a	n/a	564
1996	468	37	7	48	4	n/a	n/a	564
1997	477	31	3	57	0	n/a	n/a	568
1998	515	39	6	50	3	n/a	n/a	613
1999	520	44	5	64	2	n/a	n/a	635
2000	518	39	4	69	7	n/a	n/a	637
2001	525	41	5	80	0	n/a	n/a	651
2002	524	46	3	88	0	n/a	n/a	661
2003	524	46	3	88	0	n/a	n/a	661
2004	502	59	5	85	0	n/a	n/a	651
2005	489	71	4	91	3	n/a	n/a	658
2006	411	75	4	83	5	n/a	n/a	578
2007	477	87	9	117	5	n/a	n/a	695
2008	442	92	14	115	3	n/a	n/a	666
2009	407	98	17	114	5	n/a	n/a	641
2010	371	113	13	124	3	n/a	n/a	624
2011	239	65	3	72	2	1	3	385
2012	219	55	3	78	0	1	3	359
2013	200	56	5	91	1	0	7	360
2014	208	66	5	93	0	2	7	381
2015	198	64	10	92	0	1	7	372
2016	186	55	9	87	0	2	5	344
2017	178	63	9	87	0	2	6	345
2018	171	69	5	100	0	1	7	353
2019	150	64	3	101	1	1	10	330
2020	145	58	2	92	0	2	15	314
2021	131	61	4	121	0	1	15	333
2022	135	76	7	138	0	1	18	375
2023	119	81	11	143	0	0	15	369
2024	110	93	10	138	0	0	19	370

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Derby High School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	559	42.0	13.3	n/a
1989	543	42.3	12.8	n/a
1990	331	31.6	10.4	n/a
1991	336	30.2	11.1	n/a
1992	297	29.2	10.1	13.8
1993	307	24.3	12.6	1.6
1994	521	34.1	15.3	25.7
1995	564	35.1	16.1	25.7
1996	564	35.1	16.1	25.7
1997	568	36.8	15.4	20.8
1998	613	37.4	16.4	18.8
1999	635	39.1	16.2	25.5
2000	637	40.0	15.9	22.6
2001	651	41.9	15.5	n/a
2002	661	42.6	15.5	25.4
2003	661	42.6	15.5	25.4
2004	651	43.3	15.0	23.7
2005	658	40.7	16.2	n/a
2006	578	40.8	14.2	42.4
2007	695	35.6	19.5	40
2008	666	46.5	14.3	33.2
2009	641	48.2	14.0	43.1
2010	624	43.7	14.2	52.1
2011	385	30.2	12.7	50.9
2012	359	28.7	12.5	43.2
2013	360	26.8	13.4	50.6
2014	381	28.2	13.5	50.4
2015	372	28.0	13.2	59.9
2016	344	29.0	11.8	64.8
2017	345	30.1	11.4	58.6
2018	353	33.5	10.5	59.5
2019	330	32.3	10.2	70.3
2020	314	29.9	10.5	50
2021	333	30.7	10.8	58.9
2022	375	32.5	11.5	48
2023	369	38.0	9.7	51.2
2024	370	36.0	10.2	56.5

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Derby High School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	559	42.0	13.3	n/a
1989	543	42.3	12.8	n/a
1990	331	31.6	10.4	n/a
1991	336	30.2	11.1	n/a
1992	297	29.2	10.1	13.8
1993	307	24.3	12.6	1.6
1994	521	34.1	15.3	25.7
1995	564	35.1	16.1	25.7
1996	564	35.1	16.1	25.7
1997	568	36.8	15.4	20.8
1998	613	37.4	16.4	18.8
1999	635	39.1	16.2	25.5
2000	637	40.0	15.9	22.6
2001	651	41.9	15.5	n/a
2002	661	42.6	15.5	25.4
2003	661	42.6	15.5	25.4
2004	651	43.3	15.0	23.7
2005	658	40.7	16.2	n/a
2006	578	40.8	14.2	42.4
2007	695	35.6	19.5	40
2008	666	46.5	14.3	33.2
2009	641	48.2	14.0	43.1
2010	624	43.7	14.2	52.1
2011	385	30.2	12.7	50.9
2012	359	28.7	12.5	43.2
2013	360	26.8	13.4	50.6
2014	381	28.2	13.5	50.4
2015	372	28.0	13.2	59.9
2016	344	29.0	11.8	64.8
2017	345	30.1	11.4	58.6
2018	353	33.5	10.5	59.5
2019	330	32.3	10.2	70.3
2020	314	29.9	10.5	50
2021	333	30.7	10.8	58.9
2022	375	32.5	11.5	48
2023	369	38.0	9.7	51.2
2024	370	36.0	10.2	56.5

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Derby High School

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2018	$19,605
2019	$20,445
2020	$21,044
2021	$22,582
2022	$23,133
2023	$25,400

Data source: Connecticut Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Derby High School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
11th Grade Math (Derby High School)	14.1	7.1	7%
11th Grade Math (Derby School District)	13.8	7	6.8%
11th Grade Math (Connecticut)	40.6	34.1	6.5%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	330	369	11.8%
African American	64	81	26.6%
American Indian	1	0	100%
Asian	3	11	266.7%
Hispanic	101	143	41.6%
Pacific Islander	1	0	100%
White	150	119	20.7%
Two or More Races	10	15	50%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	70.3%	51.2%	19.1%

Schools Near Derby High School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				NGSS Science (2024)	SAT English Language Arts (2024)	SAT Math (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2023)
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	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	NGSS Science 11th Grade	SAT English Language Arts 11th Grade	SAT Math 11th Grade	Total
Derby High School	Public	9-12	75 Chatfield Street	Derby	06418	New Haven County	Derby School District	No	No	No	Yes	(203) 736-5032	370	36	10.2	56.5%	110 (29.7%)	93 (25.1%)	138 (37.3%)	10 (2.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (5.1%)								(n/a)	26.0			$25,400
Shelton High School	Public	9-12	120 Meadow St.	Shelton	06484	Fairfield County	Shelton School District	No	No	No	Yes	(203) 922-3004	1,311	91	14.4	35.2%	737 (56.2%)	126 (9.6%)	306 (23.3%)	79 (6.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	62 (4.7%)	68.3	46^th of 145 public high schools	68.3%		64.1	57^th of 142 public high schools	59.9%	11	48.1	68.2	41.2	$18,416
Emmett O'Brien Technical High School	Public	9-12	141 Prindle Ave.	Ansonia	06401	New Haven County	Connecticut Technical Education and Career System	No	No	No	No	(203) 732-1800	652	54	12.0	41.0%	310 (47.5%)	74 (11.3%)	226 (34.7%)	7 (1.1%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (4.8%)	10.1	128^th of 145 public high schools	11.7%					(n/a)		28.0	5.3	$27,714
Ansonia High School	Public	9-12	20 Pulaski Hwy.	Ansonia	06401	New Haven County	Ansonia School District	No	No	No	No	(203) 736-5060	593	48	12.3	58.5%	145 (24.5%)	120 (20.2%)	274 (46.2%)	17 (2.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (6.1%)	17.3	116^th of 145 public high schools	20.0%					(n/a)	26.9		10.0	$21,264
Seymour High School	Public	9-12	2 Botsford Rd.	Seymour	06483	New Haven County	Seymour School District	No	No	No	Yes	(203) 888-2561	598	49	12.3	45.0%	385 (64.4%)	44 (7.4%)	134 (22.4%)	22 (3.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (1.8%)	50.7	73^rd of 145 public high schools	49.7%		60.5	61^st of 142 public high schools	57.0%	12	43.5	59.0	27.3	$22,570
Oxford High School	Public	9-12	61 Quaker Farms Rd.	Oxford	06478	New Haven County	Oxford School District	No	No	No	No	(203) 888-2468	500	45	11.1	15.4%	409 (81.8%)	17 (3.4%)	51 (10.2%)	15 (3.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.4%)								(n/a)				$21,885
Amity Regional High School	Public	9-12	25 Newton Rd.	Woodbridge	06525	New Haven County	Regional School District 05	No	No	No	Yes	(203) 397-4830	1,364	117	11.6	14.1%	920 (67.4%)	53 (3.9%)	128 (9.4%)	208 (15.2%)	3 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	50 (3.7%)	76.6	34^th of 145 public high schools	76.6%		85.9	20^th of 142 public high schools	85.9%	14	50.9	75.1	48.6	$22,733
Masuk High School	Public	9-12	1014 Monroe Tpke.	Monroe	06468	Fairfield County	Monroe School District	No	No	No	No	(203) 452-5823	1,057	81	13.0		750 (71.0%)	45 (4.3%)	158 (14.9%)	65 (6.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (3.5%)								(n/a)	53.4			$21,222
Woodland Regional High School	Public	9-12	135 Back Rimmon Rd.	Beacon Falls	06403	New Haven County	Regional School District 16	No	No	No	Yes	(203) 881-5551	590	53	11.0	21.0%	490 (83.1%)	20 (3.4%)	65 (11.0%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (2.0%)	69.4	44^th of 145 public high schools	69.7%		79.2	32^nd of 142 public high schools	77.5%	12	58.0	68.7	34.0	$21,528
Platt Technical High School	Public	9-12	600 Orange Ave.	Milford	06461	New Haven County	Connecticut Technical Education and Career System	No	No	No	No	(203) 783-5300	780	62	12.6	44.7%	258 (33.1%)	128 (16.4%)	346 (44.4%)	5 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (5.1%)	12.8	122^nd of 145 public high schools	15.9%		18	110^th of 142 public high schools	22.5%	12	25.3		3.3	$28,934

Frequently Asked Questions about Derby High School

What district is Derby High School in?

Derby School District

What schools feed into Derby High School?

Derby High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Bradley School
Elementary : Irving School
Middle : Derby Middle School

How many students attend Derby High School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 370 students attended Derby High School.

What is the racial makeup of Derby High School?

Students at Derby High School are 37% Hispanic, 30% White, 25% African American, 5% Two or more races, 3% Asian.

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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.