Mission & History

Core Values

The HVRHS community promotes personal and academic growth, as well as independence of thought and spirit for all its members, within a culture of respect, responsibility and safety.

The core values that support this statement include a commitment to 21^st century academic expectations which encourage all members to grow to their potential, accept and respect different learning styles, solve problems and think analytically, and communicate their ideas effectively.

Members of the school community are also expected to make ethical choices, demonstrate social and civic responsibility, and show pride and care for the school and its environment.

Our History

In the 1920s, William Teague, the state’s rural supervisor of schools, suggested that Connecticut’s sprawling Northwest Corner consolidate its public schools. In 1937, the Connecticut legislature authorized the formation of the first regional school district in the state (hence the name of the new district, “Regional School District Number One”). The newly formed school board purchased the 75-acre (300,000 m²) former Larch farm at the junction of the Salmon Kill and the Housatonic River near the Canaan-Salisbury town line for $8,000. The school was subsequently constructed on that site, opening in the fall of 1939.

In recent years, the school facility has been expanded; the most recent addition is the new agricultural education center, and library completed in 2001, and the science labs, which were renovated in 2018. The facility includes one gymnasium, an auditorium, a cafeteria, and dozens of classrooms. In early 2008, the school began to transform the former Clark B. Wood Agricultural Center into a state-of-the-art facility to house robotics, a recording studio, 3D printers, and other high-tech equipment. The center was renamed the Mahoney-Hewat Science and Technology Center after former principal Jack Mahoney and benefactor Diane Hewat.

The Community

Housatonic Valley Regional High School is a regional high school that serves Regional School District #1, which is composed of the towns of Kent, Sharon, Salisbury, North Canaan, Canaan (Falls Village), and Cornwall. The historic school building, constructed by the WPA during the Great Depression, houses approximately 500 students, and is nestled in the heart of the picturesque Housatonic River Valley. In 2017 it was voted the Most Beautiful School in Connecticut by Architectural Digest magazine.

HVRHS offers a wide range of academic programs and electives that compliment the general education program. Of particular note is our Agricultural Education Program that offers students training in a variety of agricultural fields. This close relationship with our surrounding communities is also evident in our ArtGarage, Science & Technology Center, and a number of different programs that involve our local businesspeople, artisans, artists, and civic leaders.