Chappaqua Central School District

Last updated
Chappaqua Central School District
Address
66 Roaring Brook Road
, New York , 10514
United States
District information
Type Public
Grades K12
Established1928;95 years ago (1928)
SuperintendentDr. Christine Ackerman
Budget$133,963,411(2022 - 2023)
NCES District ID 3606990 [1]
Students and staff
Enrollment3,563 (2019–2020) [1]
Teachers328.65 [1]
Student–teacher ratio10.84 [1]
Other information
Website www.chappaquaschools.org

The Chappaqua Central School District is a K-12 public school district serving students in Chappaqua, New York, Millwood, as well as parts of Pleasantville, and Mount Kisco. The current superintendent of schools is Dr. Christine Ackerman. [2] Chappaqua Central School District is ranked 53rd Best School District in the United States by Niche. [3]

Contents

Schools and Administrators

Superintendent and Cabinet Positions

PositionName
Superintendent of SchoolsChristine Ackerman, Ph.D.
Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and InstructionAdam Pease
Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources and Leadership DevelopmentAndrew Corsilia
Assistant Superintendent for BusinessJoshua Culwell-Block [4]

Former: Andrew Lennon (September 2021 to April 2023) - Now at Scarsdale School District

Board of education

July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024 [5]

Schools

High school

Middle schools

  • Robert E. Bell Middle School, Geoff Curtis principal [7]
  • Seven Bridges Middle School: On August 8, 2023, Ackerman announced that effective on August 14, 2023, Lyn Stewart will be the acting principal of Seven Bridges until a new principal is hired. She was previously an assistant principal and gym teacher at Horace Greeley High School. Joe Mazza was the principal from November 2018 until he resigned in August 2023. [8]

Elementary schools

  • Douglas G. Grafflin Elementary School, Debbie Alspach principal [9]
  • Roaring Brook Elementary School, Tonya Wilson, principal [10]
  • Westorchard Elementary School, James Skoog, principal [11]

Former Schools

All of these schools with the exception of the King Street School operated from 1931-1951 were one-room schoolhouses that were merged into Rural School District Number 4, which became known as Chappaqua Central School District Number 4, and then the Chappaqua Central School District.

Real Estate

According to the New York Times, homes in the district had a mean sale price of $966,000 in 2014; which was a significant increase from $892,000 in 2013 and $844,000 in 2010. Homes mostly vary from $525,000-$25,000,000 and the district's mean sale price was at its highest in 2007 at $1,278,000 - just before the housing market crashed. The lowest recorded mean sale price was in 2008 at $822,000. [12]

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, pursuant to Education 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 indicated on a plaque outside the entrance by the Auditorium. Construction finished in 1928, and the school opened that September as a grade 1-12 school. In 1937, the Public Works Administration 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 the Grafflin School was named, was Bell's successor as district principal.

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. This ended the Chappaqua Central School District's expansion for 32 years.

For a period in the late 1950s, kindergarten and fifth grade classes for the district were housed in J Building at Horace Greeley High School due to overcrowding, which prompted an addition at Roaring Brook and the construction of Douglas Grafflin Elementary School in 1962. 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 Elementary School in 1971. In 1974, an addition was hastily erected at Westorchard. 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. J Building at Greeley also housed classes. In 1975, "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.

In 2002, to address overcrowding, 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. Fifth grade students were then moved to the middle school to help overcrowding at the district's three elementary schools.

Controversy

In 2015, Horace Greeley High School drama teacher Christopher Schraufnagel resigned [13] and was charged with the sexual abuse and child endangerment of three 15-year-old students. [14] All crimes were alleged to have occurred between 2011 and 2015 on campus. The parents of several students (some not involved in the criminal case) subsequently filed a lawsuit against the school district. [15] In 2016, Superintendent Lyn Mckay resigned amid growing public pressure due to the handling of this event. [16]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chappaqua, New York</span> Hamlet and census-designated place in New Castle, New York, US

Chappaqua is a hamlet and census-designated place in the town of New Castle, in northern Westchester County, New York. It is approximately 30 miles (50 km) north of New York City. The hamlet is served by the Chappaqua station of the Metro-North Railroad's Harlem Line. In the New York State Legislature it is within the New York State Assembly's 93rd district and the New York Senate's 40th district. In Congress the village is in New York's 17th District.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Castle, New York</span> Town in New York, United States

New Castle is a town in Westchester County, New York, United States. The population was 18,311 in the 2020 United States census, an increase over 17,569 at the 2010 census. It includes the hamlets of Chappaqua and Millwood.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Millwood, New York</span> Hamlet & CDP in New York, United States

Millwood is a hamlet and census-designated place located in the town of New Castle, New York, United States in Westchester County. It was originally settled as Sarlesville. The area now known as Millwood appears on 19th century maps as Merritt's Corners and Rockdale Mills. As of the 2000 census, the community had a population of 1,210.

Horace Greeley High School is a public, four-year secondary school serving students in grades 9–12 in Chappaqua, New York, United States. It is part of the Chappaqua Central School District.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beverly Hills Unified School District</span> School district of Beverly Hills, California

The Beverly Hills Unified School District, abbreviated BHUSD, is a school district based in Beverly Hills, California. It was unified into an elementary and high school district in 1936. Serving the city of Beverly Hills, it consists of one middle school, three elementary schools, and one high school - Beverly Hills High School.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leon County Schools</span> School district in Leon County, Florida

Leon County Schools (LCS) is a school district headquartered in the LCS Admin Complex in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is the sole school district of Leon County.

The Hopewell Valley Regional School District is a comprehensive regional public school district serving students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade from three communities in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States. The municipalities that are part of this district are Hopewell Borough, Hopewell Township and Pennington Borough.

The Scotch Plains-Fanwood Regional School District is a regional public school district serving students from two communities in Union County, New Jersey, United States. The district serves students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade, who come from the Township of Scotch Plains and the Borough of Fanwood. The district has five elementary schools, two middle schools and a comprehensive high school.

East Brunswick Public Schools is a comprehensive community public school district serving students from pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade in East Brunswick, in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States.

The North Arlington School District is a comprehensive community public school district that serves students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade from North Arlington in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parkland School District</span> School district in Pennsylvania

Parkland School District is a large public school district located in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania. It serves North Whitehall Township, South Whitehall Township, Upper Macungie Township, and a part of western Allentown. The district also includes the South Whitehall villages of Cetronia, Dorneyville, Orefield, Scherersville, Walbert, and others.

The Pitman School District is a comprehensive community public school district that serves students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade from Pitman, in Gloucester County, New Jersey, United States.

The Holmdel Township Public Schools is a comprehensive community public school district that serves students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade from Holmdel Township, in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States.

The Park Ridge Public Schools is a comprehensive community public school district that serves students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade from Park Ridge, in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.

The Union Public School District is a comprehensive community public school district that serves students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade from Union Township, in Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.

The Bound Brook School District is a comprehensive community public school district that serves students in pre-Kindergarten through twelfth grade from Bound Brook, in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States.

The North Brunswick Township Public Schools is a comprehensive community public school district that serve students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade from North Brunswick, in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States.

Dysart Schools is a school district in Maricopa County, Arizona. It has 24,000 pre-kindergarten through 12th grade students in the Northwest Phoenix Metropolitan area. The district encompasses 140 square miles (360 km2), serving parts of El Mirage, Glendale, Surprise, Youngtown, and Maricopa County. The district is home to twenty K-8 schools, four comprehensive high schools, and one alternative program. The district has AdvancED Accreditation, the NCA Model School District Award, NSBA Technology Spotlight Award, and is home to a national elementary school principal of the year and two Arizona teachers of the year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Millennium High School (New York City)</span> Public secondary school in New York, New York, United States

Millennium High School is a selective public high school for grades 9 through 12 in Manhattan. It is operated by the New York City Department of Education in Region 9 and is ranked 15th within New York State and 152nd nationwide by the U.S. News. The Phoenix is the school's mascot, meant to symbolize the school rising from the ashes of the World Trade Center following the September 11 attacks. In 2016, the school received more than 6,000 applications for 170 seats, yielding an acceptance rate of less than 3%. Admission to MHS is based on selective criteria including a middle school GPA of 90 or above, attendance, and state test scores in reading and math.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Community Consolidated School District 62 (Illinois)</span> School district in Illinois, United States

Community Consolidated School District 62 (CCSD62) operates 11 schools and one early learning center in the city of Des Plaines, Illinois. Locally known as Des Plaines, School District 62 serves the communities in Des Plaines and Rosemont.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Search for Public School Districts – District Detail for CHAPPAQUA CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT". National Center for Education Statistics . Institute of Education Sciences.
  2. http://www.chappaqua.k12.ny.us/files/filesystem/Contract_Superintendent_Ackerman_2017-07-06-2020-07-05.pdf%5B%5D
  3. "2022 Best School Districts in America".
  4. "Chappaqua Central School District". 2023-04-11. Archived from the original on 2023-04-11. Retrieved 2023-04-11.
  5. "Members - Chappaqua Central School District". www.chappaquaschools.org. Retrieved 2022-06-06.
  6. "Administration - Chappaqua Central School District". www.chappaquaschools.org. Retrieved 2023-04-25.
  7. "Administration - Chappaqua Central School District". www.chappaquaschools.org. Retrieved 2023-04-25.
  8. "Administration - Chappaqua Central School District". www.chappaquaschools.org. Retrieved 2023-08-13.
  9. "Administration - Chappaqua Central School District". www.chappaquaschools.org. Retrieved 2023-08-13.
  10. "Administration - Chappaqua Central School District". www.chappaquaschools.org. Retrieved 2023-04-25.
  11. "Administration - Chappaqua Central School District". www.chappaquaschools.org. Retrieved 2023-04-25.
  12. Brenner, Elsa (3 September 2014). "Chappaqua, N.Y.: A Hamlet in a Woodsy Setting". The New York Times.
  13. Kramer, Peter (5 September 2015). "Greeley drama teacher resigns amid police probe". lohud.com. Retrieved 13 July 2016.
  14. Kramer, Peter; Bandler, Jonathan (28 October 2015). "Former Greeley teacher Christopher Schraufnagel charged with sex abuse". lohud.com. Retrieved 13 July 2016.
  15. Fitz-Gibbon, Jorge (20 May 2016). "Chappaqua ex teacher named in sex-drugs lawsuit". lohud.com. Retrieved 13 July 2016.
  16. "Chappaqua schools Superintendent McKay resigns". lohud.com. Retrieved 2017-08-03.