Darien High School is the single public high school serving the town of Darien, Connecticut, in the United States.
Background
In 2014, Darien High School had the highest SAT scores in the state. In the 2004–2005 school year, Darien had the second highest CAPT score in the state and the highest Advanced Placement scores in the school's history, with a 100 percent pass rate on AP math exams and more than 85 percent of students earning the top score of "5." About one in three students in the school takes an AP math course.
Darien High School was specifically ranked 22nd in the nation for best STEM high school by U.S. News & World Report, a list of the top science, technology, engineering and math schools in the United States.
Of the 200 graduating seniors in June 2017, 13 won national recognition in the National Merit Scholarship Program, with 13 as "merit finalists" and three as National Merit Scholars.
For the purpose of comparison with the achievement levels of similar schools, the state Department of Education classifies schools and communities in "District Reference Groups," defined as "districts whose students' families are similar in education, income, occupation and need, and that have roughly similar enrollment." Darien is one of eight school districts in District Reference Group A (the others are Easton, New Canaan, Redding, Ridgefield, Weston, Westport, and Wilton).
The school's sports teams have won numerous state championships. Darien is known for its competitive football, lacrosse, ice hockey, field hockey, volleyball, and track teams.
A tradition at the school's graduation ceremonies is to present honorary diplomas to school teachers or administrators who are retiring. In 2007, they were presented to a school counselor and school librarian.
Campus
The original high school building opened in 1927. A new building was built in 1960, and the former structure became Mather Junior High School. Upon the closing of Mather Junior High, the building became Darien's Town Hall.
The second high school building, on a site at 80 High School Lane, opened in 1960 and was torn down in 2005. The current high school, designed by Newman Architects of New Haven, was constructed from 2003 to 2005, opening in the fall of 2005. The project cost roughly US$76 million. Among the major innovations were the development of a collegiate campus-like setting of multiple inter-connected buildings, a green roof over the new cafeteria wing, and the introduction of a campus-wide wireless network and fiber-optic networking to all classrooms. Construction costs of the new building significantly exceeded the original budget, mostly due to the cost of asbestos removal from the old building.
Athletics
DHS is part of the FCIAC, the Fairfield County Interscholastic Athletic Conference. The school's main sports rival is New Canaan High School.
Darien has one of the best high school lacrosse teams in the country, winning eight of the last 11 FCIAC titles, the 2005 Boys' Division I state championship, and the 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010 CIAC Class M state championship. Darien's Boys' lacrosse team was ranked #4 in the country by the STX/Inside Lacrosse National High School Lacrosse Rankings in 2008.
The girls' field hockey team has won nine FCIAC championships in the past twelve years and eight state championships in the past ten years, in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2016. They have also maintained the longest winning streak and undefeated streak in the nation at 93 games.
The girls' lacrosse team won the 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2013, and 2014 CIAC Division I state championship.
The girls' volleyball team maintains a 100+ game winning streak in addition to numerous FCIAC and state championships.
The Boys Volleyball team was set up in 2006; it has a .735 win percentage and 3 State Championships (Class M 2008 and 2011 as well as a Class L 2017) and 4 FCIAC Championships (2011, 2015, 2016, 2017).
The girls' swim team has won over nine state championships and won FCIACs this past year.
The boys' track team won state class championships in the Indoor 2005 and 2006 seasons.
The boys' swim and dive team won the state championships in 2018.
These freshman (F), junior varsity (JV) and varsity (V) sports are offered at the school:
FALL
Cheerleading (V) Cross country (JV, V) Field hockey (F, JV, V) Football (F, JV, V) Soccer — boys and girls (F, JV, V) Swimming — girls (V) Volleyball — girls (F, JV, V)