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South Hadley High School

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South Hadley High School
South Hadley High School in 2012
Location
Map
153 Newton Street

South Hadley, Massachusetts
01075

United States

42°13′40″N 72°35′11″W / 42.227663°N 72.586471°W / 42.227663; -72.586471
Information
Type
Founded1870
SuperintendentJennifer Voyik
Principal
Elizabeth Wood
Staff58.18 (FTE)[2]
Grades9–12
Enrollment500 (2022-23)[2]
Student to teacher ratio
8.59[2]
Colors   Orange & black
Team nameTigers
NewspaperSpotlight
YearbookGateway
TV ProgramTiger Times
Websitewww.southhadleyschools.org/our-schools/south-hadley-high-school/about-us

South Hadley High School is a secondary school in South Hadley, Massachusetts, United States, for students in grades 9–12. The school has a student population of just over 500. The school's name is frequently referred to as "SHHS".

Phoebe Prince bullying incident

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Having moved in 2009 to South Hadley from Ireland, Phoebe Prince was taunted and bullied for several weeks by at least two groups of students at South Hadley High School, following disputes with two girls in late December 2009.[3] On January 14, 2010, three students engaged in persistent taunting and harassment of Prince. Prince subsequently died by suicide by hanging herself in the family apartment. After her death, many crude comments about her were posted on her Facebook memorial page, most of which were removed.[4][5][6][7]

Other parents subsequently stated that bullying of their children had been completely ignored by the school administration. Massachusetts state lawmakers sped up efforts to pass anti-bullying legislation as a result.[8][9][10][11]

On March 29, 2010, two male and four female teenagers from South Hadley High School were indicted as adults on felony charges stemming from the incident, ranging from statutory rape, criminal harassment, stalking, juvenile delinquency, to assault with a deadly weapon.[12][13][14][15][16][17][18]

The district attorney directly contradicted claims by the school superintendent that school officials had been unaware of the bullying:

Contrary to previously published reports, Phoebe's harassment was common knowledge to most of the South Hadley High School student body. The investigation has revealed that certain faculty, staff and administrators of the high school also were alerted to the harassment of Phoebe Prince before her death. Prior to Phoebe's death, her mother spoke with at least two school staff members about the harassment Phoebe had reported to her ... the actions or inactions of some adults at the school are troublesome.[19][20]

In May 2011, the case was resolved, after agreements to plead guilty to lesser charges. Five of the defendants were placed on probation, with several also sentenced to community service.[21] The charges against a male student were dropped at the request of the Prince family.[22] Prince's mother settled with the town of South Hadley in October 2010, in which she agreed not to sue or reveal details of the settlement.[23]

Academics

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South Hadley High School offers instruction across ten academic departments: Career and Technical Education, English, Fine and Applied Arts, World Languages, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, Health and Physical Education, School Counseling, and Special Education. The school's mission emphasizes critical thinking, creative problem solving, and practical application of skills.[24] Student academic organizations include the National Honor Society, Math Team, Mock Trial Team, Debate Club, and Model United Nations. The school library is named the Elliott B. Lyman Library.

Athletics

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South Hadley competes as the Tigers in the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA). The girls basketball program won the school's first state championship in 2026, capturing the Division 4 title with a 49-38 victory over Frontier Regional School on March 15 at the Tsongas Center in Lowell, after back-to-back state final appearances in 2024 and 2025.[25] Athletic facilities include a football field with artificial turf and Landers Diamond baseball field.[26]

Student life

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South Hadley High School offers a variety of extracurricular activities and clubs. Student organizations include the Student Council, National Honor Society, Best Buddies, Gender and Sexuality Alliance, Multicultural Appreciation Club, Environmental Awareness Club, and Model United Nations, among others.[27] The performing arts program includes Harlequins theater, band, and music. The student newspaper is the Spotlight, the yearbook is Gateway, and the school produces a television program called Tiger Times.

History

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South Hadley High School was established in 1870.[28] For much of its early history, the school shared a building on the town common with South Hadley's town hall, operating out of that combined facility from approximately 1913 until 1956.[29] In 1956, the school relocated to its current building at 153 Newton Street. The original building continues to serve as South Hadley's town hall.

Campus

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South Hadley High School is located at 153 Newton Street in South Hadley, Massachusetts. The campus includes the Elliott B. Lyman Library, a football field with artificial turf, and Landers Diamond baseball field.[30]

Student body

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As of the 2024-25 school year, South Hadley High School enrolls approximately 479 students in grades 9 through 12, with a student-to-teacher ratio of approximately 8.5:1, well below the Massachusetts state average of 12:1. Approximately 33.7% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The racial and ethnic composition of the student body is approximately 74.9% White, 18.2% Hispanic, 2.7% African American, 1.5% Asian, and 1.7% multiracial.[31]

Academic performance

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South Hadley High School has a four-year graduation rate of approximately 93%.[32] In state assessments, approximately 52% of students met proficiency standards in mathematics, above the Massachusetts state average of 42%, while approximately 49% met standards in English Language Arts, at par with the state average. Among college-bound students, the average SAT score is 1250 and the average ACT score is 30. Approximately 28% of students are enrolled in Advanced Placement courses.[33]

Rankings

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According to SchoolDigger, South Hadley High School ranks 147th out of 349 Massachusetts public high schools, placing it in the top 58% statewide as of 2025. The school has improved over time, rising from the 47th percentile in 2015 to the 58th percentile in 2025.[34] Niche ranks the school 15th for STEM education among high schools in the Springfield area, and 120th for athletics among Massachusetts high schools.[35]

Notable alumni

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References

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  1. ↑ "School Choice Receiving District Status" (PDF). www.doe.mass.edu. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-04-10.
  2. 1 2 3 "South Hadley High". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved January 4, 2020.
  3. ↑ Cullen, Keven (May 5, 2011). "Actions not taken by peers could have saved young girl's life". Boston.com. Archived from the original on March 6, 2014. Retrieved March 6, 2014.
  4. ↑ "Phoebe Prince's Suicide : Cause of death revealed". Today24News. July 23, 2010. Archived from the original on July 25, 2010. Retrieved July 26, 2010.
  5. ↑ E. Constantine, Sandra (April 10, 2010). "Bullying details outlined". The Republican (Springfield, Massachusetts). Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved June 15, 2016.
  6. ↑ Nate Walsh, Court documents detail bullying of Phoebe Prince "Court documents detail bullying of Phoebe Prince". Archived from the original on 2010-07-26. Retrieved 2010-04-11. Note: additional information appears in the video posted on this news webpage, with glimpses of the actual court documents. The audio commentary for this video is incorrect about Longe throwing a bottle, as the video shot of the court document clearly shows it saying this was an empty can of "Monster Drink"
  7. ↑ Eckholm, Erik; Zezima, Katie (2010-04-09). "Documents Detail a Girl's Final Days of Bullying". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-07-15.
  8. ↑ Cullen, Kevin (January 24, 2010). "The untouchable Mean Girls". The Boston Globe. Boston.com. Archived from the original on April 14, 2010. Retrieved March 30, 2010.
  9. ↑ McCabe, Kathy (January 24, 2010). "Teen's suicide prompts a look at bullying". The Boston Globe. Boston.com. Archived from the original on April 4, 2010. Retrieved March 30, 2010.
  10. ↑ Constantine, Sandra (January 27, 2010). "In wake of Phoebe Prince's apparent suicide, hundreds pack South Hadley meeting to discuss bullying in schools". The Republican. Archived from the original on February 8, 2010. Retrieved March 30, 2010.
  11. ↑ Vaznis, James (January 26, 2010). "Beacon Hill lawmakers see urgent need for antibullying bill". The Boston Globe. Boston.com. Archived from the original on February 1, 2010. Retrieved March 30, 2010.
  12. ↑ "Six teenagers, three juveniles charged in 'unrelenting' bullying of Phoebe Prince". Necn.com. 2010-03-29. Archived from the original on April 16, 2017. Retrieved 2014-03-15.
  13. ↑ Campbell, Matthew (March 29, 2010). "Teens Charged in Bullying Still At School". CBS 3 Springfield. Archived from the original on April 5, 2010.
  14. ↑ Campbell, Matthew. "Teens Charged in Bullying Still At School". CBS 3 Springfield - News and Weather for Western Massachusetts | Local News. CBS 3 Springfield. Archived from the original on April 5, 2010. Retrieved March 30, 2010.
  15. ↑ Stephanie Reitz, 3 girls in Mass. bullying case plead not guilty http://archive.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2010/04/08/3_girls_face_arraignment_in_mass_bullying_case/ Archived April 16, 2017, at the Wayback Machine
  16. ↑ James Vaznis (March 29, 2010). "9 charged in death of South Hadley teen, who took life after bullying". The Boston Globe. Boston.com. Archived from the original on April 1, 2010. Retrieved March 30, 2010.
  17. ↑ "Northwestern D.A. announces indictments issued in bullying death". WGGB News. March 29, 2010. Archived from the original on July 16, 2011. Retrieved March 30, 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  18. ↑ "Prosecutor: 9 teens charged in bullying that led to girl's suicide". CNN.com. March 29, 2010. Archived from the original on April 1, 2010. Retrieved March 30, 2010.
  19. ↑ "Statement from Northwestern D.A. Elizabeth D. Scheibel". Boston Herald. March 30, 2010. Archived from the original on April 1, 2010. Retrieved March 30, 2010.
  20. ↑ Crimaldi, Laura (March 29, 2010). "DA: School knew of brutal bullying of Phoebe Prince -". Boston Herald. Archived from the original on April 1, 2010. Retrieved March 30, 2010.
  21. ↑ Schworm, Peter (2011-05-06). "'Blind eye to bullying' over, DA says". Boston.com. Archived from the original on January 18, 2018. Retrieved 2022-07-15.
  22. ↑ The Trials of Phoebe Prince ABC Documentary January 13, 2012
  23. ↑ "South Hadley paid Phoebe Prince family $225,000 to avoid lawsuit over bullying". boston.com. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved June 21, 2018.
  24. ↑ "About Us". South Hadley Public Schools. Retrieved 2026-09-08.
  25. ↑ "2026 MIAA Girls Basketball State Championships". Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association. Retrieved 2026-09-08.
  26. ↑ "About Us". South Hadley Public Schools. Retrieved 2026-09-08.
  27. ↑ "Clubs and Activities". South Hadley Public Schools. Retrieved 2026-09-08.
  28. ↑ "South Hadley High School Profile". Public School Review. Retrieved 2026-09-08.
  29. ↑ "Remembering South Hadley High School". Mount Holyoke College. Retrieved 2026-09-08.
  30. ↑ "About Us". South Hadley Public Schools. Retrieved 2026-09-08.
  31. ↑ "South Hadley High School". SchoolDigger. Retrieved 2026-09-08.
  32. ↑ "South Hadley High School". SchoolDigger. Retrieved 2026-09-08.
  33. ↑ "South Hadley High School". Niche. Retrieved 2026-09-08.
  34. ↑ "South Hadley High School". SchoolDigger. Retrieved 2026-09-08.
  35. ↑ "South Hadley High School". Niche. Retrieved 2026-09-08.
  36. ↑ "Arthur Easterbrook Whittemore". Mass.gov. Retrieved 2019-12-26.
  37. ↑ "South Hadley alum Don Abbey offers more than just moral support for Tigers". masslive.com. 26 November 2010. Retrieved February 3, 2018.
  38. ↑ "A. Bartlett Giamatti". Society for American Baseball Research (SABR). Retrieved 2026-09-08.
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