The History of Harry B. Flood Middle School
By: Chanel & Brittney Noblin

Harry B. Flood Middle School is named in honor of a notable Stratford resident and community leader, Harry Barlow Flood. Flood was born in Bridgeport, CT in 1894. He was educated in Stratford where he attended Center Elementary School and Stratford High School. As an adult, Flood was dedicated to his family and his country. A captain in the officer Reserve Corps, he served in WWI.

On March 2, 1945, Flood became the Town Manager of Stratford and served until September 6, 1963. As Town Manager, he attended many of the youth sports events in Stratford. Flood was also vital in the establishment of Boothe and Longbrook parks and the construction of Bunnell High School and several other Stratford schools. Certainly, Flood recognized the importance of providing Stratford’s students the best educational opportunities.

Harry B. Flood Junior High School was opened on February 28, 1972. It was dedicated on Sunday June 11, 1972 at 2:30 P.M. Flood Junior High School was equipped with an industrial-sized kitchen, a home economics room, a cafeteria, a mechanical drawing and drafting classroom, a large lobby, a science lecture hall, a modern shop for wood working skills, and an auditorium with fixed seating for 860 pupils. The building also included a science laboratory, a greenhouse, teacher study areas, two gyms, and a pool. Flood Junior High School also had numerous athletic fields and courts. Up until the 1980’s, the school held 7th, 8th, and 9th grade in its 56 classrooms. The principal at the time was E. Dunham Haley.

Eventually, Flood Junior High School was converted to FloodIntermediate School which held only 7th and 8th grade. Nowadays, the building is known as Flood Middle School. Like the metamorphosis of the school’s name, there have been changes made to the building itself. The interior walls of Flood Middle School are decorated with murals designed and painted by students past and present. In addition to utilizing the pool and science labs, students now spend time researching, drafting, and editing in modern computer labs. The library has grown to house more than 11,500 volumes, and students exercise and refine their technological skills in classes like Project Lead the Way, an introduction to engineering technology. Guidance services have also expanded. Flood students benefit from developmental guidance services that include transition programs for parents and students.

Over 600 of Stratford’s middle school students are engaged in numerous educational activities within Flood Middle School. Harry B. Flood would likely be proud of the tradition of educational excellence of Stratford’s Flood Middle School.