Guilford High School (Connecticut)

Guilford High School (formally Guilford Senior High School) is a four-year public high school located in Guilford, Connecticut.^[2][3] Opened in 1886, the school colors are green and white and the school's mascot is the Grizzlies, formerly the Indians, after the Board of Education voted to change it on June 29, 2020.^[4]

Guilford High School
Location
605 New England Road Guilford , Connecticut 06437 United States
Coordinates	41°18′47″N 72°42′43″W
Information
School type	Public high school
Motto	Non Victoria Sed Facta (Latin) Not Victory But Deeds
Established	1886 (139 years ago) (1886)
CEEB code	070255
Principal	Julia Chaffe
Number of students	1,026 (2023-2024)[1]
Color(s)	Green and white
Mascot	Grizzlies
Rival	Daniel Hand
Website	ghs.guilfordschools.org

In 2015, the town opened a new high school.

Demographics

The 2022–2023 demographic profile is as follows: White 82%, Hispanic 8.3%, Asian American 4.8%, two or more races 3.4%, Black 1.5%, American Indian/Alaskan Native 0.1%, and Hawaiian Native/Pacific Islander 0.2%.^[2]

Athletics and Clubs

Guilford High School is part of the Southern Connecticut Conference (SCC), competing in the Hammonnasset division. The SCC is a division of the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletics Conference (CIAC).

As of 2024, GHS has 28 teams competing in 20 different sports.

Fall Sports: Football, Boys Soccer, Girls Soccer, Field Hockey, Volleyball, Boys Cross Country, Girls Cross Country, Girls Swim & Dive^[5]

Winter Sports: Boys Basketball, Girls Basketball, Wrestling, Boys Ice Hockey, Girls Ice Hockey, Indoor Track & Field, Boys Swim & Dive, Fencing, Skiing, Cheerleading^[6]

Spring Sports: Baseball, Softball, Boys Lacrosse, Girls Lacrosse, Boys Track & Field, Girls Track & Field, Boys Tennis, Girls Tennis, Golf, Crew^[7]

Wins in CIAC State Championships^[8]

Sport	Class	Year(s)
Baseball	L	2007
Basketball (girls)	L	2001, 2002, 2003
Cross country (boys)	MM	2005, 2010, 2012, 2015
	L	1980, 1986, 2003, 2004
	Open	2004
Cross country (girls)	MM	2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2021, 2022
	Open	2002, 2009
Field hockey	M	2018, 2019, 2021, 2024
	L	1991 (Co-champions with Cheshire), 1997 (Co-champions with Simsbury)
Ice Hockey (boys)	III	2010
	II	1994, 2017
Lacrosse (girls)	M	2021, 2022, 2023
Soccer (boys)	M	1969, 1973
	L	1976, 1977, 1978, 1980, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1989
	LL	1996, 2000
Soccer (girls)	M	1987, 1989 (Co-champions with Lyman Hall), 1990, 1991, 1992
	L	1984, 2003 (Co-champions with Farmington), 2013, 2019
Tennis (boys)	M	1977, 2010, 2014
Tennis (girls)	L	2022, 2023
Track and field (indoor, boys)	M	1980, 1981, 1982
	Open	1982 (Co-champions with Wilbur Cross)
Track and field (outdoor, boys)	L	1979
Track and field (outdoor, girls)	M	1982 (Co-champions with Montville)
	L	1990
Wrestling	M	1994
	L	1986

Debate

In 2013, the Guilford High School Debate Team came in top 10 in the Novice Division of the Connecticut Debate Association Tournament.^[9]

Blackface Incident

In 2019, a Guilford High School student attended a school football game against Hartford Public Schools in blackface.^[10][11]

Academic Accomplishments

• Designated Blue Ribbon School in 2019.^[12]
• Ranked as the 18th best school in the state of Connecticut by U.S. News & World Report in 2021.^[13]

Notable Alumni

• Will Aronson (1981-) composer, writer for musical theatre, and Tony Award winner
• Nick Fradiani (1985-) 2015 winner of American Idol
• Adam Greenberg (1981-) Major League Baseball player
• Jennifer Westfeldt (1970-) actress, screenwriter, and producer