Chappaqua Central School District
Encyclopedia
The Chappaqua Central School District is a K-12 public school district in the U.S. State
of New York
. It is currently ranked as one of the top school districts in the United States. The interim Superintendent of Schools is John Chambers, following the 2010 resignation of Dr. David Fleishman. Replacing Mr. Chambers in July 2011 will be Dr. Lyn McKay, who currently serves as Deputy Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction.
adopted: July 7, 2010
Announced candidates for the seats currently occupied by Janet Benton and Gregg Bresner are Vicki Tipp and Karen Visser. New Castle Coalition For Educational Excellence member Arthur Fried also expressed intentions to run, but withdrew on May 6. Neither Benton or Bresner will be seeking reelection.
Roaring Brook Elementary School
Westorchard Elementary School
Seven Bridges Middle School
All of these schools with the exception of the King Street School operated from 1931-1951 were one-room schoolhouses that were merged.
al law, merged to what was then known as Chappaqua School District No. 4 completely by 1927. In need of larger facilities, construction on Horace Greeley School, named for Horace Greeley
, a prominent statesman and news publisher that lived in town, began that same year. The building was designed and built by John Borup, as evidenced by a plaque outside the entrance by the Auditorium. Construction finished in 1928, and the school opened that September as a grade 1-12 school. It contained a library, four floors each with about thirty classrooms, and a marble entranceway. In 1937, the Public Works Administration
, which would become the WPA
, completed an addition including a new gymnasium, and designed by the firm of Tooker & Marsh and built by Wintour J. Hackett & Co. The district principal at the time was Dr. Robert E. Bell, for whom Bell Middle School is now named. Douglas G. Grafflin, for whom an elementary school was named, was also the district principal at one point.
In 1951, Roaring Brook Elementary School, which, at the time, was a one-room schoolhouse
, was enlarged into its current building in 1951 and became part of the school district. In 1957, Horace Greeley School moved to its current location at 70 Roaring Brook Road, now as Horace Greeley High School, with the district headquarters moved next door to 66 Roaring Brook Road. The former Horace Greeley School was enlarged and turned into Robert E. Bell Middle School. In 1962, Douglas G. Grafflin Elementary School was finished, and opened its doors that September. In 1971, Westorchard Elementary School was built and opened on a parcel near West Orchard Road. The name of the school being "Westorchard" rather than "West Orchard" comes from a spelling error when registering the school. This ended the Chappaqua Central School District's expansion for 32 years.
In the 1950s, kindergarten and fifth grade classes for the district's only elementary school at the time, Roaring Brook, was housed in J Building at Horace Greeley High School, which prompted an addition to be built onto the new school. For a brief period in the 1970s, there was no room at Roaring Brook Elementary School for kindergarten or fifth grade classes. This was partially alleviated with the construction of Westorchard. In 1974, a hasty addition was added to Westorchard, which resulted in the school being the least energy efficient in the district. In 1973, the district rented the St. John & St. Mary Parish School, which had closed a year earlier, and the building housed fifth grade classes, as well as J Building at Greeley. Around 1976, "temporary" portable trailers were erected at Roaring Brook Elementary School which housed Roaring Brook's kindergarten classes until 2002.
In 2001, ground was broken on Seven Bridges Middle School, which was built in order to alleviate overcrowding at the town's only middle school, Robert E. Bell Middle School. The district had been fined several times for breaching occupancy requirements at the aging facility.
In 2002 in response to uproar from parents in the district, an addition of a new wing for the kindergarten classes was added to Roaring Brook, and the rapidly decaying portables were demolished. In June 2003, Seven Bridges was finished, dedicated in August, and opened its doors to its first students that September. The fifth grade students were then moved to the middle school to help overcrowding at the district's three elementary schools.
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. It is currently ranked as one of the top school districts in the United States. The interim Superintendent of Schools is John Chambers, following the 2010 resignation of Dr. David Fleishman. Replacing Mr. Chambers in July 2011 will be Dr. Lyn McKay, who currently serves as Deputy Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction.
Superintendent and Cabinet
John Chambers is the interim superintendent.- Lyn McKay-Deputy Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction
- John Chow-Assistant Superintendent for Business
- Thomas Cardellechio-Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources
- Heidi McCarthy-Director of Special Education and Related Services
- Darleen Nicolosi-Director of Technology
Board of Education
- Janet Benton, President
- (term expires June 30, 2011)
- Audit Committee
- Policy Committee
- Wellness Committee - liaison
- (term expires June 30, 2011)
- Gregg Bresner, Vice President
- (term expires June 30, 2011)
- Audit Committee, Chair
- Westchester Putnam School Boards - liaison
- Green Committee - liaison
- (term expires June 30, 2011)
- Randall Katchis
- (term expires June 30, 2013)
- Audit Committee
- Communication Committee
- Facilities Committee
- Finance Committee
- New Castle C.A.R.E.S. - liaison
- (term expires June 30, 2013)
- Alyson Kiesel
- (term expires June 30, 2012)
- Audit Committee
- Communication Committee
- Policy Committee
- Chappaqua School Foundation - liaison
- (term expires June 30, 2012)
- Jeffrey Mester
- (term expires June 30, 2013)
- Audit Committee, Vice Chair
- Facilities Committee
- Finance Committee
- Horace Greeley Scholarship Fund - liaison
- Green Committee - liaison
- (term expires June 30, 2013)
adopted: July 7, 2010
Announced candidates for the seats currently occupied by Janet Benton and Gregg Bresner are Vicki Tipp and Karen Visser. New Castle Coalition For Educational Excellence member Arthur Fried also expressed intentions to run, but withdrew on May 6. Neither Benton or Bresner will be seeking reelection.
Schools
The Schools in the Chappaqua School District are listed in columns ranging from Elementary to Secondary.Elementary
Douglas G. Grafflin Elementary School- Michael Kirsch, Principal
- Debra Alspach, Assistant Principal
Roaring Brook Elementary School
- Eric Byrne, Principal
- Amy Fishkin, Assistant Principal
Westorchard Elementary School
- James Skoog, Principal
- Tammy Ghirardi, Assistant Principal
Middle schools
Robert E. Bell Middle School- Martin Fitzgerald, Principal
- Tim Doyle, Assistant Principal
Seven Bridges Middle School
- Ms Martha Zornow, Principal
- Mr. Gregory Stiefel, Assistant Principal
High school
Horace Greeley High SchoolHorace Greeley High School
Horace Greeley High School is a public, four-year secondary school serving students in grades 9–12 in Chappaqua, New York. It is part of the Chappaqua Central School District....
- Andrew Selesnick, Principal
- Mark Bayer, Assistant Principal
- Michael Taylor, Assistant Principal
- Michelle Glenn, Assistant Principal
Former Schools
- King Street School (18??-1930, 1931-1951)
- Rural District School 1 (Closed 1928)
- Rural District School 2 (Closed 1928)
- Rural District School 3 (Closed 1928)
- Rural District School 4 (Closed 1928)
- Rural District School 5 (Closed 1928)
- Rural District School 6 (Closed 1928)
- Rural District School 7 (Closed 1928)
- Roaring Brook Schoolhouse (1914-1951)
- Note that the schoolhouse was replaced by the new Roaring Brook School, which is still used today. The schoolhouse itself was rented to Boy Scout Troop 1 for 40 years before being condemned and razed.
All of these schools with the exception of the King Street School operated from 1931-1951 were one-room schoolhouses that were merged.
History
Before the school district was officially chartered, one-room schoolhouses devoid of windows were prevalent. The school districts began merging into what was then known as Rural School District No. 4 of the Towns of New Castle & Mount Pleasant which became the Chappaqua Central School District. The Chappaqua Central School District, as per New York State EducationEducation in New York
The University of the State of New York , its policy-setting Board of Regents, and its administrative arm, the New York State Education Department, oversee all public primary, middle-level, and secondary education in the state...
al law, merged to what was then known as Chappaqua School District No. 4 completely by 1927. In need of larger facilities, construction on Horace Greeley School, named for Horace Greeley
Horace Greeley
Horace Greeley was an American newspaper editor, a founder of the Liberal Republican Party, a reformer, a politician, and an outspoken opponent of slavery...
, a prominent statesman and news publisher that lived in town, began that same year. The building was designed and built by John Borup, as evidenced by a plaque outside the entrance by the Auditorium. Construction finished in 1928, and the school opened that September as a grade 1-12 school. It contained a library, four floors each with about thirty classrooms, and a marble entranceway. In 1937, the Public Works Administration
Public Works Administration
The Public Works Administration , part of the New Deal of 1933, was a large-scale public works construction agency in the United States headed by Secretary of the Interior Harold L. Ickes. It was created by the National Industrial Recovery Act in June 1933 in response to the Great Depression...
, which would become the WPA
Works Progress Administration
The Works Progress Administration was the largest and most ambitious New Deal agency, employing millions of unskilled workers to carry out public works projects, including the construction of public buildings and roads, and operated large arts, drama, media, and literacy projects...
, completed an addition including a new gymnasium, and designed by the firm of Tooker & Marsh and built by Wintour J. Hackett & Co. The district principal at the time was Dr. Robert E. Bell, for whom Bell Middle School is now named. Douglas G. Grafflin, for whom an elementary school was named, was also the district principal at one point.
In 1951, Roaring Brook Elementary School, which, at the time, was a one-room schoolhouse
One-room school
One-room schools were commonplace throughout rural portions of various countries including the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Ireland and Spain in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In most rural and small town schools, all of the students met in a single room...
, was enlarged into its current building in 1951 and became part of the school district. In 1957, Horace Greeley School moved to its current location at 70 Roaring Brook Road, now as Horace Greeley High School, with the district headquarters moved next door to 66 Roaring Brook Road. The former Horace Greeley School was enlarged and turned into Robert E. Bell Middle School. In 1962, Douglas G. Grafflin Elementary School was finished, and opened its doors that September. In 1971, Westorchard Elementary School was built and opened on a parcel near West Orchard Road. The name of the school being "Westorchard" rather than "West Orchard" comes from a spelling error when registering the school. This ended the Chappaqua Central School District's expansion for 32 years.
In the 1950s, kindergarten and fifth grade classes for the district's only elementary school at the time, Roaring Brook, was housed in J Building at Horace Greeley High School, which prompted an addition to be built onto the new school. For a brief period in the 1970s, there was no room at Roaring Brook Elementary School for kindergarten or fifth grade classes. This was partially alleviated with the construction of Westorchard. In 1974, a hasty addition was added to Westorchard, which resulted in the school being the least energy efficient in the district. In 1973, the district rented the St. John & St. Mary Parish School, which had closed a year earlier, and the building housed fifth grade classes, as well as J Building at Greeley. Around 1976, "temporary" portable trailers were erected at Roaring Brook Elementary School which housed Roaring Brook's kindergarten classes until 2002.
In 2001, ground was broken on Seven Bridges Middle School, which was built in order to alleviate overcrowding at the town's only middle school, Robert E. Bell Middle School. The district had been fined several times for breaching occupancy requirements at the aging facility.
In 2002 in response to uproar from parents in the district, an addition of a new wing for the kindergarten classes was added to Roaring Brook, and the rapidly decaying portables were demolished. In June 2003, Seven Bridges was finished, dedicated in August, and opened its doors to its first students that September. The fifth grade students were then moved to the middle school to help overcrowding at the district's three elementary schools.