Killingly High School

Killingly High School is a public high school in Killingly, Connecticut. The school reported 792 students and 65 FTE classroom teachers for the 2014–2015 school year.[1] Killingly High is the only public high school in the Killingly School District, which is on the eastern edge of Windham County. It also serves the nearby town of Brooklyn.

For the historical building formerly occupied by the school, see Old Killingly High School.
Killingly High School
Killingly High School
Address
226 Putnam Pike

Killingly
,
Connecticut
06241

United States
Coordinates41°51′36″N 71°52′24″W
Information
TypePublic high school
MottoGreat Things Happen Here!
Established1908 (1908)
School districtKillingly School District
SuperintendentDiane Summa
CEEB code070135
NCES School ID090207000392[1]
PrincipalKaren Lagace
Faculty66.30 (FTE)[2]
Grades9 to 12
GenderCo-educational
Enrollment753 (2021–22)[2]
Student to teacher ratio12.23[2]
Campus typeRural
Color(s)Maroon and white
  
Athletics conferenceEastern Connecticut Conference[3]
MascotRedmen
NewspaperThe Red Line
Websitewww.killinglyschools.org/killingly-high-school

For 2015, the community voted to make the school the sole polling place in Killingly.[4] The Secretary of State informed the town registrar's office that this was a misinterpretation of statute, and in 2016, a second polling place was opened at the school's old location.[5]

Sports at the school are done as part of the Eastern Connecticut Conference.[3]

Killingly High was included in a segment of the reality TV series The Principal's Office in 2009.[6]

Old Killingly High School was built in 1908 and used by the school until 1965. The second building was then used until 2010 and continues to act as the site of an alternative learning program and the school district's central office. The first building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992[7] and is now the town's community center.

Mascot controversies

In 2014 school officials began discussing changing the school's mascot name, The Redmen, in response to controversy over Native American mascots.[8]

In 2019, another student group advocated for a name change and brought the issue back into the news.[9] Students and the community pushed back: a petition on change.org titled REDMEN FOREVER!!! that asks the Board of Ed to keep the name gathered over 3,000 signatures and the local paper, The Killingly Villager, ran 7 letters to the editor in the op-ed section about the issue,[10] all 7 in opposition to a name change and none in favor of a name change. A website in favor of the name change, killinglyredmen.com,[11] was launched on June 21, 2019. The effort to restore the name Redmen was supported by the Native American Guardians Association which gave educational lectures on the origin of the name and how it wasn't intended to be offensive to Native Americans.[12][13] Red Hawks was selected as the new mascot by 80% of students in an October, 2019 vote.[14] On January 9, 2020, the Board of Education voted to reinstate "Redmen" with a redesigned logo to reduce the impression of a negative stereotype.[15]

Notable alumni

See also

References
  1. "Search for Public Schools - Killingly High School (090207000392)". National Center for Education Statistics. Institute of Education Sciences. Retrieved May 27, 2017.
  2. "Killingly High School". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved June 18, 2023.
  3. "Leagues". Conn. Interscholastic Athletic Conf. Retrieved 19 November 2017.
  4. Penney, John (August 12, 2015). "Killingly High School now town's single polling place". Norwich Bulletin. Retrieved September 30, 2015.
  5. Penney, John (March 28, 2016). "Killingly adding back a polling location". Norwich Bulletin. Retrieved May 27, 2017.
  6. Penney, John (January 9, 2009). "Killingly High principal resigns". Norwich Bulletin. Retrieved September 30, 2015.
  7. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. April 15, 2008.
  8. Rayner, Kate (September 16, 2014). "Killingly to Reconsider Mascot in Light of National Controversy". NBC Connecticut. Retrieved September 30, 2015.
  9. adellacosta@norwichbulletin.com, Anna Maria Della Costa. "Redmen mascot racist? Community weighs in". The Bulletin. Retrieved 2019-06-23.
  10. "Killingly Villager" (PDF). June 21, 2019. Retrieved June 23, 2019.
  11. "CHANGE THE NAME -- Killingly Redmen -- Killingly High School, Killingly Connecticut". killinglyredmen.com. Retrieved 2019-06-23.
  12. Beale, Stephen. "Killingly High back to being Redmen". Norwich Bulletin. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
  13. Fawcett, Eliza. "In heated debate over mascot, Killingly board of education rescinds "Red Hawks," but fails in bid to restore "Redmen" name". Hartford Courant. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
  14. Stephen Beale (October 8, 2019). "Mascot pick sent to BOE". The Bulletin.
  15. "Killingly School Board Votes to Reinstate Redmen Mascot".
  16. Harrison, Don (2008). Connecticut Baseball: The Best of the Nutmeg State. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 9781625843944.
  17. Bogart, Bob (December 28, 2007). "H.S. Basketball: Killingly take Clipper Classic crown". Norwich Bulletin. Retrieved October 6, 2022.
  18. "Shane Gibson - 2012-13 - Men's Basketball". Sacred Heart University. Retrieved October 6, 2022.
  19. Allard, Marc (December 27, 2010). "Local Sports: Killingly graduate, ex-NFL player dies at 54". Norwich Bulletin. Retrieved October 6, 2022.
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