Lyman Hall High School, located ten minutes from Choate, offers an array of academic opportunities.
Although Choate students may spend up to four years in Wallingford, many are unfamiliar with the town that they call a second home. Aside from the usual Choate haunts such as Half Moon and Mr. D’s, the town is full of resources for its approximately 46,000 residents, one of them being Lyman Hall High School.
A ten minute drive from Choate’s campus, Lyman Hall is one of Wallingford’s two public high schools. The other is Mark T. Sheehan High School, located about fifteen minutes from Choate. At Lyman Hall, there are approximately 1,100 students and more than 100 faculty members. 76% of its students identify as White, 17% as Hispanic, and 5% as Black, South Asian, or Pacific Islander. The students also come from a wide variety of socioeconomic backgrounds; 25% of students utilize a program that reduces the cost of lunch.
The school has traditional core requirements, with required courses in languages, mathematics, sciences, and history, while also offering programs in agricultural science and culinary skills. Elective courses ranging from forensics to automotive engines abound. Hollianne Lao, Student Council President, commented, “I feel that for a school of our size and location, we offer a diverse amount of opportunities for all kinds of students.” In addition, there are 15 AP courses and a Certified Nursing Assistant program.
A unique component of the Lyman Hall curriculum is its agriculture-based science center. The selective program attracts not only Lyman Hall students, but also students from towns outside Wallingford. After enrollment into the program, students have the option of concentrating on a particular area of interest, including agriculture mechanics, animal science, small animal science, aquaculture, food science, plant science, and wildlife biology. The facility that houses this program is the school’s newest wing, and students are able to use this equipment to aid their studies.
At Lyman Hall, a valued aspect of the school is health and wellbeing. Each student is required to take two credits of physical education before graduation, though wellness extends beyond the curriculum. Faculty members have initiated a program called “Mindless Mondays,” in which students, parents, and faculty are invited to take part in meditation. In the coming years, Lyman Hall also plans to incorporate a medical center on campus. Mr. Joseph Corso, Principal of Lyman Hall High School, commented, “We are looking at a facility that can help service our students and the community so that they have better access to medical needs.”
Lyman Hall is a member of the Southern Connecticut Conference (SCC), and athletes are represented in 15 interscholastic sports, including swimming, cross country, hockey, and cheerleading. Students have the opportunity to choose from 40 clubs including Marching Band, High School Survival Club, and the National Honor Society. The school offers exchange programs to Argentina and China, allowing students to experience cultures beyond their comfort zone.
An annual athletic event that draws hundreds of spectators to the school each year is the Powderpuff Game. Female members of the senior class compete in a football game against their counterparts at Sheehan High School while the football players cheerlead on the sidelines. In fact, Lyman Hall and Sheehan were the first two schools in the nation to start this tradition. According to Lao, this event shows the school’s strong core values: “The Powderpuff Game definitely brings the school together, and the spirit and pride that come with it are some of the things that Lyman Hall students are most proud of.”
In his third year as principal, Mr. Corso commented on Lyman Hall’s recent successes: “Our band does a fantastic job and has won several state awards consistently. We are proud of all our teams, and our student fan group attends every event.” Students continue to be accepted into four-year or two-year universities, the military, or are employed directly after high school.
Although Lyman Hall has much to be proud of, the challenges of high school are still present. Mr. Corso explained, “The social and emotional stressors that our students are under and the rise in the number of students that are dealing with social and emotional issues is definitely something that we are watching very closely.” In addition, since Wallingford contains two public high schools, its education budget is split between each school. In August, Governor Dannel P. Malloy released the Revised Executive Order Resource Allocation Plan, which will eliminate state education funds to all but the most needy municipalities in Connecticut unless the state budget is finalized. Wallingford is one of 85 Connecticut towns which will be adversely affected by the executive order.
Per its Core Values and Beliefs Statement, Lyman Hall strives “to help students with diverse needs to meet the challenges of 21st century learning.” Students continue to advance successfully into higher education, the military, and the real world. The vast array of academic, athletic, and artistic resources available provides students with a profound high school education. Mr. Corso said, “The most important thing is that we are preparing students for their next steps in academics and in life. The greatest success is that we continue to produce young men and women that are ready for that next step.”
