Killingly High School Explained

Killingly High School
Motto:Great Things Happen Here!
Streetaddress:226 Putnam Pike
City:Killingly
State:Connecticut
Zipcode:06241
Country:United States
Coordinates:41.86°N -71.8732°W
Type:Public high school
District:Killingly School District
Superintendent:Susan Nash
Ceeb:070135
Principal:Karen Lagace
Faculty:66.30 (FTE)
Grades:9 to 12
Gender:Co-educational
Enrollment:753 (2021–22)[1]
Ratio:12.23
Campus Type:Rural
Colors:Maroon and white
Athletics Conference:Eastern Connecticut Conference[2]
Mascot:Redmen
Newspaper:The Red Line

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. 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 2015, the community voted to make the school the sole polling place in Killingly.[3] 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.[4]

Sports at the school are done as part of the Eastern Connecticut Conference.[2]

Killingly High was included in a segment of the reality TV series The Principal's Office in 2009.[5]

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 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.[6]

In 2019, another student group advocated for a name change and brought the issue back into the news. The school board voting to change the name to "Red Hawks", which was selected as the new mascot by 80% of students in an October, 2019 vote.[7] [8] An effort to restore the name Redmen was supported by the Native American Guardians Association (a controversial non-profit funded by the Washington Redskins Original Americans Foundation) which gave lectures on the origin of the name.[9] [10] On January 9, 2020, the board voted to reinstate the name "Redmen" with an updated logo to reduce negative stereotypes.[11] The reinstatement drew national attention to the school. Connecticut State Speaker of the House Joe Aresimowicz called the reinstatement a "mockery of the process" and announced plans to ban the use of such mascots at the legislative level, following a precedent first set by Maine and followed by other states.[12]

Athletics

CIAC State Championships

Team Year
Football1981, 1996, 2017, 2021
Golf2016, 2018
Wrestling2003, 2008, 2009, 2019, 2020, 2023, 2024
Gymnastics1990, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2012

ECC Championships

Team Year
Football1966, 1980, 1981, 1995, 1996, 2009, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2021, 2022
Golf1970, 1971, 1972, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1993, 2007, 2008, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023
Wrestling1995, 1996, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2024
Gymnastics1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1995, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008
Girls Tennis2013, 2016, 2017, 2018
[13]

Notable alumni

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Killingly High School. National Center for Education Statistics. June 18, 2023.
  2. Web site: Leagues. Conn. Interscholastic Athletic Conf.. 19 November 2017.
  3. News: Penney. John. Killingly High School now town's single polling place. September 30, 2015. Norwich Bulletin. August 12, 2015.
  4. News: Penney. John. Killingly adding back a polling location. May 27, 2017. Norwich Bulletin. March 28, 2016. en.
  5. News: Penney. John. Killingly High principal resigns. September 30, 2015. Norwich Bulletin. January 9, 2009.
  6. News: Killingly to Reconsider Mascot in Light of National Controversy. Rayner. Kate. September 16, 2014. NBC Connecticut. September 30, 2015.
  7. News: Mascot pick sent to BOE. Stephen Beale. October 8, 2019. The Bulletin.
  8. Web site: Redmen mascot racist? Community weighs in. adellacosta@norwichbulletin.com. Anna Maria Della Costa. The Bulletin. en. 2019-06-23.
  9. Web site: Beale . Stephen . Killingly High back to being Redmen . . 18 August 2023.
  10. Web site: Fawcett . Eliza . In heated debate over mascot, Killingly board of education rescinds "Red Hawks," but fails in bid to restore "Redmen" name . . 18 August 2023.
  11. News: Austin . Matt . Killingly School Board Votes to Reinstate Redmen Mascot . 26 December 2023 . NBC Connecticut . 9 January 2020.
  12. News: Putterman . Alex . Connecticut lawmakers will consider banning Native American mascots as 19 public schools continue to use them . 26 December 2023 . Hartford Courant . 17 January 2020.
  13. Web site: CIAC Sports Champions Database Search. CIAC . December 18, 2023.
  14. Book: Connecticut Baseball: The Best of the Nutmeg State. Harrison. Don. 2008. Arcadia Publishing. 9781625843944.
  15. News: Bogart . Bob . H.S. Basketball: Killingly take Clipper Classic crown . October 6, 2022 . Norwich Bulletin . December 28, 2007.
  16. Web site: Shane Gibson - 2012-13 - Men's Basketball . Sacred Heart University . October 6, 2022 . en.
  17. News: Allard . Marc . Local Sports: Killingly graduate, ex-NFL player dies at 54 . October 6, 2022 . Norwich Bulletin . December 27, 2010.