Middletown High School - Middletown, Connecticut/CT

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Middletown High School

370 Hunting Hill Ave., Middletown, CT, 06457-4356 -

tel: (860)704-4500
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Definition of Terms

Middletown High School

School Level

High school

Grades Offered

Grades 8 - 12

County

Middlesex County, CT

Students & Faculty

Total Students

1094 students

% Male / % Female

46% / 54%

Total Classroom Teachers

86 teachers

Students by Grade

Grade 8 - 1 students

Grade 9 - 153 students

Grade 10 - 355 students

Grade 11 - 337 students

Grade 12 - 248 students

This School

(CT) School Average

Teacher : Student Ratio

1:13

1:18

Students by Ethnicity

This School

(CT) School Average

% American Indian	1%	n/a
% Asian	4%	3%
% Hispanic	8%	17%
% Black	28%	14%
% White	60%	63%

Additional Student Information

This School

(CT) School Average

% Eligible for Free Lunch

21%

21%

% Eligible for Reduced Lunch

% Migrant Students Enrolled

n/a

n/a

(CT) Statewide Testing Performance

School Statewide Performance

View Education Department Test Scores

School District Name

Middletown School District

This School's Agency

(CT) District Average

Number of Schools Managed	11	4
Number of Students Managed	5,161 students	1,967 students
District Total Revenue	$72,270,000	$25,820,000
District Expenditure	$69,340,000	$23,657,000
District Revenue / Student	$14,003	$12,537
District Expenditure / Student	$13,435	$12,027
District Graduation Rates	96%	95%

Middletown is a city located in Middlesex County, Connecticut, along the Connecticut River, in the south-central part of the state, 16 miles (26 km) south of Hartford. It was founded in 1650 and incorporated the town of Mattabassett in 1651. It received its present name in 1653 and was incorporated as a city in 1784. Originally a busy sailing port and then an industrial center, it is now largely a residential city and college town, home to Wesleyan University. In 1910, 11,851 people were residents of the city. In 1940, 26,495 people lived here. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 43,167.
History: The land on the western bank of the Connecticut River where Middletown now lies was home to the Mattabesett Indians when the Connecticut General Court elected to establish a settlement there in 1650. Colonists arrived shortly thereafter from nearby Hartford, Wethersfield, and Windsor, and lived peacefully (for the most part) alongside the tribe. Later in the seventeenth century, Mohegans moved into the area from the Hudson River Valley. Dubbed Pequots, or killers of men, by the more peaceful Mattabesetts, the newcomers threatened and raided fellow Native Americans and English settlers alike for several decades before a peaceful coexistence was reestablished. The English settlers eventually purchased nearly all of the shrinking holdings of the Native Americans, including substantial lands on the eastern side of the river, limiting them to a small strip of land surrounding the tribal home of the Mattabesett chief.
During the 1700s, Middletown became the largest and most prosperous settlement in Connecticut. By the time of the American Revolution, Middletown was a thriving port, comparable to Boston or New York in importance, with one-third of its citizens involved in merchant and maritime activities. The port's decline began in the early 1800s with strained American-British relations and resulting trade restrictions, which led to the War of 1812. The port never recovered; however, the city distinguished itself in the war effort, as Middletown's Commodore Thomas Macdonough led American forces to the victory on Lake Champlain in 1814 which ended British hopes for an invasion of New York.
During this period, Middletown became a major hub of firearm production. Numerous gun manufacturers in the area supplied the majority of pistols to the United States government during the War of 1812. Afterwards, however, the center of this business passed to Springfield, Massachusetts, Hartford, Connecticut, and New Haven, Connecticut. (See also History of Connecticut industry).
1831 saw the establishment of Wesleyan College (later Wesleyan University,) which became one of the United States' leading liberal arts institutions. The mid-nineteenth century also saw manufacturing replace trade as Middletown's economic mainstay; however, industrial growth was limited by railroad operators' decision to bypass Middletown when tracks were laid between Hartford and New Haven. Regardless, Middletonians played a role in the Civil War. For example, General Joseph K. Mansfield of Middletown led Union forces at Antietam, where he died in action in 1862. The city was also active in the abolition movement, and was a hub along the underground railway.
In the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, the once predominantly Anglo-Saxon city underwent a demographic transformation. First the Irish, and then large numbers of Italian immigrants arrived to work in Middletown's factories and farms, many coming from the town of Melilli, Sicily. Polish and German arrivals followed, and by 1910 the population had swelled to nearly 21,000. Meanwhile, the number of African-Americans dwindled to a mere 53 persons, as employers chose to hire white immigrants. Later in the century, more African-Americans migrated to the area, followed by a more recent influx of Hispanic residents, giving the city its current mix of diverse ethnic groups.
Both natural events and a continuing influx of people and businesses impacted the city in the first half of the twentieth century. Middletown was hit by floods in 1927 and 1936, and by The Great New England Hurricane in 1938. Despite these occurrences, the Arrigoni Bridge was completed over the Connecticut River in 1938, connecting Middletown to Portland and points east.
During the 1950s, as the popularity of the automobile increased, government officials approved the construction of a highway that effectively separated Middletown from the Connecticut River, its initial, natural raison d'etre. Highway construction demolished historic neighborhoods, including many buildings from the 1700s. Thereafter Middletown, like many other Northeastern cities at the time, went into a decline that did not reverse until the 1990s. During this time, many handsome (albeit decrepit) buildings were torn down in the name of 'urban renewal', and later turned into parking lots, or left empty. Crime increased. During the 1960s, Pratt and Whitney Aircraft opened a large plant in Middletown. Concurrently, developers bought much of the city's remaining farms, including most of Oak Grove Dairy, to create suburban developments for local workers and commuters to surrounding cities. During the 1990s, a partnership between the city, the Middlesex Chamber of Commerce, and Wesleyan University invested heavily in Middletown's Main Street, and downtown Middletown revived. Crime decreased, and new restaurants and shops opened.
Middletown today: In recent decades, Middletown has focused on balancing the needs and comforts of its residents with the industrial development required to help fund services. These efforts date at least from 1931, when the city was one the first in America to establish a planning board. Progress continued under the leadership of four term Democratic mayor, Domenique S. Thornton. On November 8, 2005, Republican Sebastian Giuliano won the mayor's office, ousting Thornton, whom he criticised for raising taxes and for the awarding of a contract for the construction of a new high school to Tomasso Brothers, Inc., a firm that has been the target of a federal corruption probe. Middletown continues to support manufacturing and small business.
Culturally, Middletown is in the midst of an effort to revitalize its historically disadvantaged North End, with the building of Wharfside Commons, a new 96-unit mixed income housing unit on Ferry Street. The Green Street Arts Center, founded by Wesleyan and a coalition of community groups in 2000, is a pioneering attempt to attract residents and businesses to the neighborhood by promoting arts education and outreach.
Russell Library, the public library of Middletown, continues to be a cultural, educational and entertainment center that offers a place for the community to meet. Currently, the library makes available to the general public books, newspapers, magazines, informational databases of full-text newspaper and magazine articles (offering news, business, medical, health, biographical, literary, etc., information), classes, computer training, workshops, concerts, and meeting spaces, including the Hubbard Room, a large meeting room that can accommodate 100 people.
Middletown is also the only location of a well-known youth theater group, Oddfellows Playhouse. It is located on Washington Street and pulls in children of all ages from all over the state to learn theater skills. Oddfellows also runs the Children's Circus of Middletown where children learn circus skills and put on a free show for close to a thousand people.
At present, the Downtown Business District continues to revitalize the downtown area. Pratt and Whitney, Aetna, Middlesex Hospital, Connecticut Valley Hospital and Wesleyan University are major employers. Adjacent to the town is Powder Ridge Ski Area, on Powder Hill.
Located on the western border of the city, in an area known as Westlake, is an 84 house community known as The Farms. This architectural award winning community was developed in 1969 by George Achenbach, and was one of the first communities in Connecticut designed for cluster living, with open areas designated as common land.
There are also many parks and nature trails including the Middletown Nature Gardens for families to enjoy.
Source: Wikipedia; it is used under the GNU Free Documentation License. You may redistribute it, verbatim or modified, providing that you comply with the terms of the GFDL
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About This Zip Code (06457)

School Zip (06457)

(CT) State Average

Population (Approximate)

43,167 people

3,282,160 people

% (age 25+) w/College Degree

37%

35%

Population Average Age

36 years old

37 years old

Average Household size

2.2 persons

2.4 persons

Median Household Income

$47,162

$52,927

Avg. # of Rooms in Household

4.9 rooms

5.5 rooms

Median Age of Housing Structure

40 years old

48 years old

View current housing listings in this area

Median Value of Housing Unit
Zipcode (06457)

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% Owning / % Renting

51% / 49%

62% / 38%

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Nearby Schools:


1. Long Lane High School - 28 students - view location
2. Vinal Vocational School - 651 students - view location
3. Portland High School - 165 students - view location
4. Cromwell High School - 406 students - view location
5. Coginchaug Regional High School - 437 students - view location
View all schools in: Middletown Town, Middlesex County, Zip 06457

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Note: Data has been gathered from several government and commercial data sources. School data reflects years 2002-04 statistics (most recent years available). Area and demographic data reflects year 2000 statistics. Public School Review does not ensure the timeliness or accuracy of the information on this site.

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