Lewis S. Mills High School
Encyclopedia
Lewis S. Mills High School is a public high school located in Burlington, Connecticut
. It is part of Regional School District #10 serving Harwinton and Burlington, Connecticut
. It is connected to Har-Bur Middle School. Both LSM and Har-Bur connect to a library, known as "The Learning Center". The school has also been equipped with a new auditorium and a new entrance. It is a large facility that offers a varied curriculum to students.
as an established foreign language; other public high schools have since followed.
Lewis Mills served Rural Supervisor of Schools in Burlington From 1916-1928 and Rural Supervisor of Harwinton from 1927 until he retired in 1939. He was also a Justice of the Peace from 1914-1928 in Plainville and was a director of the Plainville Chamber of Commerce. From 1933-1935 he served as State Education Chairman of the George Washington Bicentennial Committee for which he received the George Washington Bicentennial Medal.
Mr. Mills exerted tremendous influence on school programs. In 1919, he asked the townspeople for free textbooks for the students, and urged that students be required to complete the 7th grade or reach the age of 16 before leaving school. He was opposed to having students drop out of school. In 1921, he asked for students to be examined by a school nurse. He also introduced art and music into the school programs. Dorothy Mills, his daughter in-law, said, “He loved children, especially younger ones, and they loved him. In the schools that he visited regularly, he always seemed to know them by name. He was soft spoken, and a gentleman who seemed to command respect. He was also a disciplinarian, but fair to all. He had a keen sense of humor, a dry wit and enjoyed a chuckle especially if he could outsmart a politician.”
Mills was an avid photographer throughout his life. He was known for capturing Connecticut rural scenes, railroad pictures, one-room school houses, and also pictures of historical interest. His files contain more than 16,000 negatives accumulated over some 60 years. The Mills Collection of one-room school houses contains over 500 pictures and is displayed in the Connecticut State Library in Hartford. Mills was also a lay preacher in country churches which were without a pastor in such towns as Burlington, Canton, and Barkhamsted. Following his retirement at age 65 from public services, he became an editor and publisher of a magazine called “The Lure of the Litchfield Hills.” He also authored many books, including, “The Story of Connecticut.”
On November 1, 1960, the District No. 10 School Board announced an intensive search to find a name for the new high school that was under construction. Several names had been considered involving syllable combinations such as “Burlwin”, “Har-Bur”, “Burwin”, “Burlin”, “Harburton” and “Barburl”. All the students in grades seven through twelve were asked to submit name suggestions as well as their preference for school colors. On November 23, 1960, Lewis S. Mills Regional High School was selected as the name of the new school. A few weeks later on a Sunday afternoon, about 600 people attended the dedication ceremonies at the new school. Mr. Mills, attending in a wheelchair, expressed his “great delight to be present.” He also said, “I feel that this honor which has been bestowed on me by the towns of Harwinton and Burlington should be shared with the thousands of people including pupils and parents, who have worked with me through the years.” Mr. Mills also commended the committee which provided incentive to students through the establishment of the Lewis S. Mills Scholarship Fund. Mills died on March 7, 1965.
On May 29, 2008, a US Second Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a lower court ruling that the administration had acted within the bounds of their authority. The court made the ruling not so much because of the "douchebags" comment, but because her encouragement of students to contact the administration could cause a "foreseeable risk of substantial disruption to the work and discipline of the school." She had said on her blog that students could contact the Superintendent "to piss her off more." The court stressed that their decision was not an endorsement of schools regulating off-campus speech. Thomas Gerarde, representing the school district, was quick to assert that "any speech that is likely to come to the attention of administrators on campus, even though it’s off campus, will be subject to discipline if it’s disruptive."
Doninger's case gained national attention earlier after Doninger set up a website to appeal for donations to help with legal fees associated with the cause. The exact limits of students free speech rights in public schools has been a matter of controversy since 1969 when in Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District
the United States Supreme Court ruled that students have some free speech rights in schools. In later cases, such as Bethel School District v. Fraser
, and Morse v. Frederick, colloquially known as the "Bong Hits 4 Jesus" case, the Supreme Court ruled that students in public schools while engaging in actions on campus or otherwise affiliated with the school do not enjoy the complete First Amendment protections that would normally apply to citizens in other circumstances.
Doninger and her mother have said that they will attempt to bring the case to jury trial. She graduated on June 20, 2008.
On April 25, 2011, the US Second Circuit Court of Appeals (based out of NYC) "ruled 3-0 that school administrators did not violate “clearly established” First Amendment precedent."
Burlington, Connecticut
Burlington is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States.Situated at the foot of the Berkshires and bordering the Farmington River, Burlington is a scenic hill town, rural in nature, located west of Hartford. Incorporated in 1806, the population was 8,190 at the 2000 census. Burlington...
. It is part of Regional School District #10 serving Harwinton and Burlington, Connecticut
Burlington, Connecticut
Burlington is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States.Situated at the foot of the Berkshires and bordering the Farmington River, Burlington is a scenic hill town, rural in nature, located west of Hartford. Incorporated in 1806, the population was 8,190 at the 2000 census. Burlington...
. It is connected to Har-Bur Middle School. Both LSM and Har-Bur connect to a library, known as "The Learning Center". The school has also been equipped with a new auditorium and a new entrance. It is a large facility that offers a varied curriculum to students.
Recent Renovations
A new science wing was added to the school in November 2006, and a new music wing in spring 2007.Facts
Lewis S. Mills is the first public high school in Connecticut to offer American Sign LanguageAmerican Sign Language
American Sign Language, or ASL, for a time also called Ameslan, is the dominant sign language of Deaf Americans, including deaf communities in the United States, in the English-speaking parts of Canada, and in some regions of Mexico...
as an established foreign language; other public high schools have since followed.
About Mr. Lewis S. Mills
Lewis Sprague Mills, Sr. was born the son of a frugal farmer, Deacon Archibald Mills, in Canton Center, Connecticut, on September 5, 1874. Due to an injury at age three, his left leg became impaired and he wore a heavy steel brace for the rest of his life. He attended a one-room school in Canton Center, and subsequently graduated from both Collinsville High School and the Willimantic Normal School. His first job was teaching at the one-room Quasset School in Woodstock, where he had 40 pupils, ages 3–18. Using his photography skills, he was later able to put himself through Columbia University in New York City, where he was awarded a bachelor’s degree in education in 1908 and master’s degree in school administration in 1912. Mr. Mills married May Edith Wilder from Canton on October 4, 1908. They had three children: Charles, Lewis Jr., and Louise.Lewis Mills served Rural Supervisor of Schools in Burlington From 1916-1928 and Rural Supervisor of Harwinton from 1927 until he retired in 1939. He was also a Justice of the Peace from 1914-1928 in Plainville and was a director of the Plainville Chamber of Commerce. From 1933-1935 he served as State Education Chairman of the George Washington Bicentennial Committee for which he received the George Washington Bicentennial Medal.
Mr. Mills exerted tremendous influence on school programs. In 1919, he asked the townspeople for free textbooks for the students, and urged that students be required to complete the 7th grade or reach the age of 16 before leaving school. He was opposed to having students drop out of school. In 1921, he asked for students to be examined by a school nurse. He also introduced art and music into the school programs. Dorothy Mills, his daughter in-law, said, “He loved children, especially younger ones, and they loved him. In the schools that he visited regularly, he always seemed to know them by name. He was soft spoken, and a gentleman who seemed to command respect. He was also a disciplinarian, but fair to all. He had a keen sense of humor, a dry wit and enjoyed a chuckle especially if he could outsmart a politician.”
Mills was an avid photographer throughout his life. He was known for capturing Connecticut rural scenes, railroad pictures, one-room school houses, and also pictures of historical interest. His files contain more than 16,000 negatives accumulated over some 60 years. The Mills Collection of one-room school houses contains over 500 pictures and is displayed in the Connecticut State Library in Hartford. Mills was also a lay preacher in country churches which were without a pastor in such towns as Burlington, Canton, and Barkhamsted. Following his retirement at age 65 from public services, he became an editor and publisher of a magazine called “The Lure of the Litchfield Hills.” He also authored many books, including, “The Story of Connecticut.”
On November 1, 1960, the District No. 10 School Board announced an intensive search to find a name for the new high school that was under construction. Several names had been considered involving syllable combinations such as “Burlwin”, “Har-Bur”, “Burwin”, “Burlin”, “Harburton” and “Barburl”. All the students in grades seven through twelve were asked to submit name suggestions as well as their preference for school colors. On November 23, 1960, Lewis S. Mills Regional High School was selected as the name of the new school. A few weeks later on a Sunday afternoon, about 600 people attended the dedication ceremonies at the new school. Mr. Mills, attending in a wheelchair, expressed his “great delight to be present.” He also said, “I feel that this honor which has been bestowed on me by the towns of Harwinton and Burlington should be shared with the thousands of people including pupils and parents, who have worked with me through the years.” Mr. Mills also commended the committee which provided incentive to students through the establishment of the Lewis S. Mills Scholarship Fund. Mills died on March 7, 1965.
Advanced Technology
Students attending at Lewis Mills, encounter a vast array of cutting edge technology. Many classrooms feature SMART Boards, a human interface device for computing designed to look like a whiteboard. The school has two computer labs, each with 24 very current computers. In the TLC students have access to a wide variety of books, technology, and other media.Course Selection
Lewis Mills offers an extensive array of courses, which cover a wide variety of subjects.Controversy
Lewis S. Mills High School is currently embroiled in a civil rights lawsuit brought by (former student) Avery Doninger against Principal Karissa Niehoff (now retired) and Superintendent (now retired) Paula Schwartz. In spring 2007 Doninger posted a blog entry criticizing the administration and encouraging students to email or call the school regarding the scheduling of Jamfest (a school event). She also referred to the administration as "douchebags." When the blog was discovered some weeks later by the Superintendent's 36 year old son, the administration banned Doninger from running for a class officer position. Doninger won by write-in, but the write-in votes were not recognized. Doninger lost a hearing for injunctive relief when district court Judge Mark Kravitz ruled that there was not a substantial likelihood that Doninger would win her case against the school and thus declined to grant the injunction.On May 29, 2008, a US Second Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a lower court ruling that the administration had acted within the bounds of their authority. The court made the ruling not so much because of the "douchebags" comment, but because her encouragement of students to contact the administration could cause a "foreseeable risk of substantial disruption to the work and discipline of the school." She had said on her blog that students could contact the Superintendent "to piss her off more." The court stressed that their decision was not an endorsement of schools regulating off-campus speech. Thomas Gerarde, representing the school district, was quick to assert that "any speech that is likely to come to the attention of administrators on campus, even though it’s off campus, will be subject to discipline if it’s disruptive."
Doninger's case gained national attention earlier after Doninger set up a website to appeal for donations to help with legal fees associated with the cause. The exact limits of students free speech rights in public schools has been a matter of controversy since 1969 when in Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District
Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District
Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District, was a decision by the United States Supreme Court that defined the constitutional rights of students in U.S. public schools...
the United States Supreme Court ruled that students have some free speech rights in schools. In later cases, such as Bethel School District v. Fraser
Bethel School District v. Fraser
Bethel School District v. Fraser, 478 U.S. 675 , was a United States Supreme Court decision involving free speech and public schools. Matthew Fraser was suspended from school for making a speech full of sexual double entendres at a school assembly...
, and Morse v. Frederick, colloquially known as the "Bong Hits 4 Jesus" case, the Supreme Court ruled that students in public schools while engaging in actions on campus or otherwise affiliated with the school do not enjoy the complete First Amendment protections that would normally apply to citizens in other circumstances.
Doninger and her mother have said that they will attempt to bring the case to jury trial. She graduated on June 20, 2008.
On April 25, 2011, the US Second Circuit Court of Appeals (based out of NYC) "ruled 3-0 that school administrators did not violate “clearly established” First Amendment precedent."