Cornwall Central School District
Encyclopedia
The Cornwall Central School District
is based in Cornwall on Hudson, New York, and provides public education
to the children of that village, the Town of Cornwall
and portions of the neighboring towns of New Windsor
and Woodbury
. It operates three elementary school
s, a middle school
, high school
and a small main office building in downtown Cornwall on Hudson.
It was created from the merger of the Cornwall on Hudson and Cornwall school districts in the mid-1950s. The buildings used by both districts are still in use today. The others have been built since then. It is governed by a seven-member elected school board and is financed by property tax
es levied within the district.
through fourth grade
. The former Cornwall on Hudson main school building, on NY 218
in the center of the village, is now Cornwall-on-Hudson Elementary School. Cornwall's school, located on Willow Avenue outside downtown Cornwall near the hamlet of Firthcliffe
, is now Willow Avenue Elementary School after educating sixth
and seventh grade
rs for the later 20th century. A third school, known formally as Cornwall Elementary School, is referred to within the district as Lee Road Elementary School for the street it is located on. It was built in 1968 due west of what is now Cornwall Central Middle School, located along Main Street just south of Route 218 outside the village.
That building was built in 1957 as the high school to handle the district's merger. During that time, it held grades 8
through 12
. By the end of the century, growing population due to increased development in the district and larger families led to overcrowding, and after much contention a new Cornwall Central High School
was built in the western section of the district, along NY 94
. It won some architectural awards when it opened in 2003. The roofline of the "gym, pool and auditorium mimics the shape of distant hills" and the corridors include a "train track" rhythm to mimic the nostalgia for railways in the region. With its opening, the district reorganized the grades so that fifth grade
rs and eighth graders attend the middle school.
School district
School districts are a form of special-purpose district which serves to operate the local public primary and secondary schools.-United States:...
is based in Cornwall on Hudson, New York, and provides public education
Public education
State schools, also known in the United States and Canada as public schools,In much of the Commonwealth, including Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United Kingdom, the terms 'public education', 'public school' and 'independent school' are used for private schools, that is, schools...
to the children of that village, the Town of Cornwall
Cornwall, New York
Cornwall is a town in Orange County, New York, USA. It is located about 50 miles north of New York City on the western shore of the Hudson River. The estimated population in 2007 was 12,827....
and portions of the neighboring towns of New Windsor
New Windsor, New York
New Windsor is a town in Orange County, New York, United States. The population was estimated at 25,244 in 2010 by the US Census.The Town of New Windsor is in the eastern part of the county, bordering the Town of Newburgh and the City of Newburgh....
and Woodbury
Woodbury, Orange County, New York
Woodbury is a town and village in Orange County, New York, United States. The town population was 9,460 at the 2000 census. The village was incorporated in 2006 and comprises all of the town that is not part of the village of Harriman. The region was once called Woodbury Clove...
. It operates three elementary school
Elementary school
An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
s, a middle school
Middle school
Middle School and Junior High School are levels of schooling between elementary and high schools. Most school systems use one term or the other, not both. The terms are not interchangeable...
, high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
and a small main office building in downtown Cornwall on Hudson.
Property tax
A property tax is an ad valorem levy on the value of property that the owner is required to pay. The tax is levied by the governing authority of the jurisdiction in which the property is located; it may be paid to a national government, a federated state or a municipality...
es levied within the district.
Schools
Cornwall has three elementary schools, all educating students from kindergartenKindergarten
A kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...
through fourth grade
Fourth grade
Fourth grade is a year of education in the United States and many other nations. The fourth grade is the fourth school year after kindergarten. Students are usually 9 or 10 years old, depending on their birthday. It is a part of elementary school. In some parts of the United States, fourth grade...
. The former Cornwall on Hudson main school building, on NY 218
New York State Route 218
New York State Route 218 is a state highway located within Orange County, New York, in the United States. It loops off U.S. Route 9W to run closer to the Hudson River between Highland Falls and Cornwall-on-Hudson. North of Highland Falls, it is briefly concurrent with...
in the center of the village, is now Cornwall-on-Hudson Elementary School. Cornwall's school, located on Willow Avenue outside downtown Cornwall near the hamlet of Firthcliffe
Firthcliffe, New York
Firthcliffe is a hamlet in Orange County, New York USA. The population was 4,970 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Poughkeepsie–Newburgh–Middletown, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area as well as the larger New York–Newark–Bridgeport, NY-NJ-CT-PA Combined Statistical...
, is now Willow Avenue Elementary School after educating sixth
Sixth grade
Sixth grade is a year of education in the United States and some other nations. The sixth grade is the sixth school year after kindergarten. Students are usually 11 – 12 years old...
and seventh grade
Seventh grade
Seventh grade is a year of education in the United States and many other nations. The seventh grade is the seventh school year after kindergarten. Students are usually 12–13 years old. Traditionally, seventh grade was the next-to-last year of elementary school...
rs for the later 20th century. A third school, known formally as Cornwall Elementary School, is referred to within the district as Lee Road Elementary School for the street it is located on. It was built in 1968 due west of what is now Cornwall Central Middle School, located along Main Street just south of Route 218 outside the village.
Eighth grade
Eighth grade is a year of education in the United States, Canada, Australia and other nations. Students are usually 13 - 14 years old. The eighth grade is typically the final grade before high school, and the ninth grade of public and private education, following kindergarten and subsequent grades...
through 12
Twelfth grade
Twelfth grade or Senior year, or Grade Twelve, are the North American names for the final year of secondary school. In most countries students then graduate at age 17 or 18. In some countries, there is a thirteenth grade, while other countries do not have a 12th grade/year at all...
. By the end of the century, growing population due to increased development in the district and larger families led to overcrowding, and after much contention a new Cornwall Central High School
Cornwall Central High School
Cornwall Central High School is the high school serving the Cornwall Central School District in Orange County, New York. It draws students from portions of three towns: Cornwall, New Windsor, and Woodbury, as well as the village of Cornwall-on-Hudson...
was built in the western section of the district, along NY 94
New York State Route 94
New York State Route 94 is a state highway entirely within Orange County in southern New York. The western terminus is at the New York-New Jersey state line, where it continues as NJ 94 for another to Columbia, New Jersey. Its eastern terminus is located at U.S. Route 9W in New Windsor....
. It won some architectural awards when it opened in 2003. The roofline of the "gym, pool and auditorium mimics the shape of distant hills" and the corridors include a "train track" rhythm to mimic the nostalgia for railways in the region. With its opening, the district reorganized the grades so that fifth grade
Fifth grade
Fifth grade is a year of education in the United States and many other nations. The fifth grade is the fifth school year after kindergarten. Students are usually 10 – 11 years old, and are preteens...
rs and eighth graders attend the middle school.