Howell Cheney Technical High School, or Cheney Tech, is a technical high school in Manchester, Connecticut. It was established in 1915 by Howell Cheney as a textile school, in order to provide training for those wishing to work at the local silk mills. It receives students from many nearby towns. Cheney Tech is part of the Connecticut Technical High School System.HistoryHowell Cheney established a textile school on Hartford Road in 1912 in order to train prospective employees of the local Cheney Silk Mills.In 1915, the school moved into the nearby Franklin Building. With the extra room gained, several subjects were added to the curriculum, including carpentry and mechanical drafting. The State Department of Education also encompassed the school in this year, causing it to be renamed the Manchester Trade School.The school changed its name again in 1943 to Howell Cheney Regional Vocational-Technical School, in honor of the founder. In 1946 it introduced a new education system, as well as merging with Manchester High School. The merger was designed to incorporate the entire curriculum between the two schools, allowing their students a wider education. The program lasted only eight years, as Cheney Tech later offered the entire curriculum of both schools.After World War II, student enrollment increased, bringing the construction of a new school. The West Middle Turnpike campus was opened in 1962, offering a new program of trades such as automotive technology, tool and die making, and industrial electronics. In 1982 the second floor, now known as the academic wing, was added for more classroom space, and an extra wing was added to the shops.
