E. O. Smith serves the towns of Ashford, Mansfield, and Willington, which together make up Connecticut's Regional School District #19. E.O. Smith also serves students from nearby Columbia. Students from surrounding towns such as Coventry and Windham may also attend E. O. Smith, as participants in the school's Agriculture Education program, if their school does not offer an agriculture program. The E. O. Smith campus lies adjacent to the larger campus of the University of Connecticut. E. O. Smith High School was established in 1958 as a regional school to serve the towns of Ashford and Mansfield. Originally part of the University of Connecticut campus, owned by the state, and operated by the university, it has been operated as a regional public school since 1987. In 1993 the town of Willington was added to the region served by the school. The current principal is Dr. Louis DeLoretto.
History
E.O. Smith High School was owned by the State of Connecticut and was run by the University of Connecticut from 1958, when it first opened, to June 30, 1987. On that day, Public Act 84-42 was instated and the State Legislature voted to give ownership of the school to the Town of Mansfield and the Town of Ashford as long as the towns agreed to pay for the physical rehabilitation of the school. The Town of Willington joined the region in 1993.
Clubs and activities
The E.O. Smith Drama Club presents four shows per year, including a winter musical, two straight shows in the fall and spring, and a night of senior directed one-acts at the end of the year. The spring show is performed at the Connecticut Drama Association Festival where cast and crew members have a chance to win awards and advance to the New England Drama Festival. E.O. Smith's Drama Club has won several awards from the Connecticut Drama Association including outstanding performance for Animal Farm and Lily's Purple Plastic Purse, allowing them to continue to the New England Drama Festival, which E.O. Smith hosted in 2009. Several E. O. Smith actors have also won individual awards for their performances in the shows or in the Connecticut Drama Association Monologue Contest.
