Our Building

SHS

50 Years

ago

Introduction

The Southington High School looked completely different when it first opened in 1975, compared to now in 2025. Many of these additions improves the well being for the students and staff of the building, while other changed the ways kids learned and opened a number of educational doorways for them. Come along with our journey as we look at some of the most pivotal parts to our building that were added over the years.

Comparison of SHS (1975-Present)

SHS Grounds 50 Years ago.

In the older days Southington High school had a smaller building and a lot more open fields. But after extensions to the building the grounds contain a large parking lot on the front and back side of the building. An Agricultural Science building as well as a turf field. Making the grounds appear full even with there still being a lot of open fields

SHS Grounds Today

New Additions

Language Lab

This is the SHS Language Lab. Located in the Freshmen wing of SHS, This lab has created many new opportunities for students, especially those learning a foreign language. It allows students to talk with classmates using an app that records conversations for teachers to listen, grade, and give help. The lab also has faster computers that are useful for language projects. Most importantly, it’s the only place where students can take part of the Seal of Bi-literacy test, which can earn them a special diploma patch and a boost for college applications.

Weight Room

On the Right, we can see the SHS Weight room. The weight room is located in the basement of the freshman wing, right below the east gym and next to the locker rooms. It benefits all sports teams at the high school, especially the football team, which often uses it for early morning workouts. The space helps athletes build strength and improve performance. This valuable addition wouldn’t have been possible without the recent building renovations.

Agricultural-Science Building

The SHS Agricultural Science building was added in 2007 to out school. Many teachers agree how much of a great opportunity this building brought SHS students and their community. Math teacher Ms. Grochal said, "There were many additions that were made during my teaching time here but the best addition, in my opinion, was the addition of the Vo-Ag building."

Freshman Wing

The freshman wing was a huge addition not only for students with the extra space, but for teachers and expansion of staff rooms. These rooms allowed for better plans for lessons, which leads to better lessons and learning for students. Ms. Grochal stated, "Having a space(desk) in the faculty room allows me to collaborate and communicate with my colleagues on my teaching practices, plan for great lessons and create higher level assessments. "

Historical Newspapers and Yearbooks

The 1987 yearbook talked about major updates planned for Southington High School, including new courts, fields, a parking lot, and an auditorium. These changes caused disruptions during construction, like noise from tools and blocked paths, but they were meant to improve learning for future students. Although that year’s seniors couldn’t benefit from the additions, the updates helped make the school a better place. As more upgrades continued, Southington High kept growing and improving for its community.

The school had faced several physical challenges due to its aging building, especially with the windows. When it rained, water often leaked through the windows, causing puddles in the hallways and other areas, which made the floors wet and unsafe. The top photo showed the outside of the school along with construction workers, highlighting the work being done to fix these issues. These repairs were part of larger renovation projects meant to make the building safer and more functional for students and staff.

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