Redding

Welcome to Redding

Education

Redding Elementary School

Redding Elementary School (tel. 203-938-2519), with eight classrooms, was completed in 1948. In 1957, a new wing doubled its capacity. The School serves grades K-4.

John Read Middle School

In the mid-1960s, the Town began planning for another school. John Read Middle School (tel. 203-938-2533) opened in 1966, housing students in grades 5 through 8. In 1980, the fifth grade moved to the Elementary School. As an echo baby boom caused the school population to grow, a new wing was added to the Middle School in 1999, and the fifth grade moved back.

Joel Barlow High School

In 1957, Redding and Easton referenda approved the formation of a regional school district, and a 35-acre site was purchased from a farm on Black Rock Turnpike for a high school designed to serve 650 students. Joel Barlow High School, originally serving grades 7 through 12, opened for classes in the fall of 1959. The school now serves grades 9 through 12.

In 1971, a major addition doubled the size of the building and increased its capacity to 1,000 students. In 1974, the Town purchased 78 more acres to build athletic fields. An addition and two portable classrooms were built in 1984, and the school was renovated in 1994. Further renovations and an expansion were completed in 2008 to bring the facilities into compliance with new educational standards, including requirements for science labs and new athletic fields and a population expected to increase to over 1000 students. In 2013, a renovation of the athletic stadium facility was approved by voters and completed in the spring of 2014. The project included new ADA compliant stands, lights and a turf field.

Local Parks

Redding has a number of parks to enjoy—Saugatuck Falls Natural Area offers 5+ miles of trails. Topstone Park is a forested 280 acre park with a picturesque lake used for swimming & kayaking, plus nature trails. Collis P. Huntington State Park is a 1,017 acre park with hiking, pond fishing, horseback riding, archery-only deer hunting & more. Putnam Memorial State Park is the site of a 1778 war camp atop a bluff, with artifacts & structures, museum, visitor center & views.

Senior Information

Heritage Center

The mission of Heritage Center is to provide Redding seniors with a place to come together in a friendly environment where they may participate in a range of cultural and social activities, or to seek advice and recommendations as to support services available.

Commuting

Commuters to Manhattan, 62 miles southwest, can catch the Danbury spur of Metro-North Railroad’s New Haven line at either the West Redding station or, about five miles south, the Branchville station, just across Redding’s western border, in Ridgefield. Four direct rush-hour trains run to and from Grand Central Terminal; travel ranges from 93 to 111 minutes. At other times, commuters must transfer in South Norwalk or Stamford. Monthly fare from both stations is $388.