Red Hook Central School District

Red Hook Central School District The Red Hook Central School District serves grades PK-12 across three public schools in New York.

It spans portions of the towns of Red Hook, Rhinebeck, Milan, Clermont and Livingston in Dutchess and Columbia counties.

High School sports preseason is underway and, for the first time since 2005, the Raiders are entering fall with a new di...
08/25/2026

High School sports preseason is underway and, for the first time since 2005, the Raiders are entering fall with a new director of athletics.
Quintin Johnson was appointed Red Hook’s Director of Physical Education, Health and Athletics at the end of last school year. Tom Cassata, after leading the athletics department for 21 years, officially retired Aug. 14.
Under Cassata, Red Hook has perennially been a New York State Public High School Athletic Association Scholar-Athlete School of Excellence, with athletes excelling in a wide variety of sports. Last September, he was presented the Dr. William F. Moran Service Award, given by Section 9 each year to “an educator … universally recognized as representing the highest educational standards. The athletic director was also a driving force in renovating the high school’s gymnasium and the ongoing field renovation projects.
Johnson worked together with Cassata to prepare for this preseason and to hit the ground running in his first year since returning to the Red Hook district, where he previously taught at Mill Road elementary. With practices for all fall teams now underway, the new athletic director penned a message to students, families and the Red Hook community:

Dear Red Hook Central School District Community,

It is both an honor and a privilege to introduce myself as the new Director of Physical Education, Health, and Athletics for the Red Hook Central School District. I previously worked as a physical education teacher in the Red Hook Central School District from 2011-17.
I am excited to rejoin the district whose mission and vision emphasize personal growth, caring for others and empowering every individual to embrace today while navigating the possibilities of tomorrow. My goal is to support and represent these values in every aspect of our physical education, health, and athletics programs.
I strongly believe that education-based athletics are an extension of the classroom. This allows for some of the best experiences we can offer our students. Through sports and physical activity, students learn lessons that last a lifetime, including teamwork, perseverance, leadership, resilience and character. These experiences provide meaningful opportunities for personal growth and help prepare students for success both in school and later in life.
I look forward to working alongside our students, families, staff, coaches and community members to create positive experiences that support all our children and help build upon the deep tradition of Red Hook Raiders Athletics.

Sincerely,
Quintin D. Johnson
Director of Physical Education, Health and Athletics

Red Hook High School is rated the top high school in the region, which spans Dutchess and Orange counties, according to ...
08/19/2026

Red Hook High School is rated the top high school in the region, which spans Dutchess and Orange counties, according to the U.S. News & World Report 2026-27 Best High Schools ranking.
Overall, the West Market Street school was ranked 37th among public high schools in New York and was in the top 13% of all 27,000 public high schools examined nationally.
“This recognition is a reflection of the incredible work happening every day at Red Hook High School,” Principal Dr. Kyle Roddey said. “None of this happens without the dedication of our teachers and staff, the support of our families and, most importantly, the hard work of our students. Being recognized as the top high school in the region is something our entire school community should be proud of.”
Red Hook has been honored in U.S. News & World Report’s annual list each year in recent memory. The organization ranks schools with a methodology that factors in data from the U.S. Department of Education, state assessments, College Board (Advanced Placement) and International Baccalaureate. The College Readiness Index and College Curriculum Breadth Index, two measurements of student participation and proficiency on Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate exams, accounted for 40% of a school’s score. Other factors included proficiency and performance on state math, science and reading assessments (40%); learning outcomes for “underserved” students, including a school’s Black, Hispanic and low-income populations; and a school’s graduation rate.
The data used incorporates a three-year average from the 2022-23, 2023-24 and 2024-25 school years.
Red Hook during the 2024-25 year had a 95% graduation rate, among the highest in the region. However, the continued growth of participation in IB classes was the largest factor in the ranking. This past June, 34 members of the Class of 2026 graduated with a full IB diploma, the most in school history. U.S. News & World Report showed 36% of all students during the timeframe factored into the ranking took at least one IB exam and 35% passed at least one exam.
The school is continuing to expand its IB English for All initiative, with two new IB classes in the coming year that incorporate theatre instruction into the literature curriculum already offered to students. New career training courses in welding and cybersecurity, and the unique Winner Circle Program, have also been added.
“We are especially proud that more of our students than ever are challenging themselves through rigorous IB coursework and demonstrating that high expectations and expanded opportunities can go hand in hand,” Roddey said. “At the same time, we continue to grow career and technical pathways that give students meaningful options for their futures.”
Previously, Linden Avenue Middle School in November was included in the U.S. News & World Report 2026 Best Middle Schools list for New York.
“In every choice we make as a district, we take an intentional, future-focused approach to preparing students for post-graduate success,” Superintendent of Schools Dr. Janet Warden said. “We offer rigorous courses that encourage students to build transferable skills, and our students are thriving as a result. We are pleased this focus on career preparation has been recognized.”

Members of the Board of Education and Superintendent of Schools Dr. Janet Warden engaged in a Board Retreat and workshop...
08/18/2026

Members of the Board of Education and Superintendent of Schools Dr. Janet Warden engaged in a Board Retreat and workshop session Monday, in which the members worked to increase collaboration, build a greater understanding of their responsibilities and identify goals and priorities for the coming school year.
John Perricone, a teacher, inspirational speaker and author of “Zen and the Art of Public School Teaching,” acted as facilitator for the session. Perricone discussed with the group topics centered on educational identity and motivations, providing a lens through which the board can focus its efforts.
Vice President Erin Misasi called the retreat “an energizing and thought-provoking experience.” She praised Perricone’s energy throughout the nearly two-hour session.
“He posed questions that encouraged us to reflect on our inspirations, our philosophical identities and what motivates us to serve in our roles,” she said. “Most importantly, he pushed us to think deeply about who we are as leaders and how we can make a meaningful impact on our students, staff and community.”
Perricone introduced the idea of shoshin, or “fresh mind,” a Buddhist concept of approaching each meeting, event or task with the same eager enthusiasm and open curiosity as a beginner.
“It was a great reminder to lead with positive energy, gratitude and an open mind, never losing sight of the privilege it is to serve our students, schools and community,” President Kelly Borrelle said.
While Perricone has been a professional speaker for nearly a quarter-century, engaging with countless rooms filled with educators, Monday marked his first Board of Education retreat.
“I was struck by what motivates someone to take on a role like this,” he said afterward, noting the commitment needed to do the volunteer job. “We often talk about the ‘power’ of leadership, but sitting with this board reminded me that power is also responsibility. The decisions they make have the potential to shape the experiences, opportunities and futures of thousands of students, families, educators and an entire community.”
“What an extraordinary responsibility to carry — and what a privilege it was to spend time with people who have chosen to carry it,” he said.
After the session with Perricone, the board members discussed their meeting schedule for the upcoming year and the topics they would like to address at each, as well as the responsibilities each would serve on board committees. They also reviewed their strategic goals.
The retreat each summer is an important opportunity for the board members, including those newly elected to the group, to hone their priorities and roles within the school district, which, Borrelle said, were sharpened by their facilitator’s message.
“John Perricone reminded us as Board of Education trustees why we chose to take on this role in the first place,” she said. “It’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day responsibilities and challenges and lose sight of the purpose.”

Architects and engineers were at Red Hook High School Monday to look at the technology classrooms as we formulate a desi...
08/17/2026

Architects and engineers were at Red Hook High School Monday to look at the technology classrooms as we formulate a design for adding the electrical and ventilation upgrades approved by residents last spring, which will facilitate new and expanded career training programs.
The school this fall is launching a welding career and technical education pathway. The project is being supported by classroom upgrades approved in a ballot proposition in May.
The upgrades, for which up to $1.16 million was approved in the proposition, includes splitting metal/automotive and woodworking instruction into two dedicated spaces rather than sharing one classroom. Tech classrooms 183 and 185 will receive expanded electrical capacity and outlets, and the necessary ventilation and ductwork to maintain safe conditions.
Though the welding pathway is beginning before the upgrades, they will be needed to properly implement the entire five-class program, which will allow students to not only earn a graduation requirement but also obtain an American Welding Society certification.
Once the design for the upgrades is complete it will be submitted to the state Education Department for approval in order for construction to begin.

With temperatures below 70 degrees and with ground still wet from early morning rain, Monday morning at Red Hook High Sc...
08/17/2026

With temperatures below 70 degrees and with ground still wet from early morning rain, Monday morning at Red Hook High School felt more like a fall day than a summer morning.
It was the perfect way to open the football season.
The Red Hook Raiders got an early jump on the first official practice day for Section 9 football teams, holding a morning workout behind the school, not far from where their new grass football field is under construction.
“We have to break some of that summer rust, fellas!” head coach Tom Giorgio called out as three groups executed different drills, not long before a water break.
Section 9 football teams got started Monday, a week ahead of the first day of workouts for all other sports Monday, Aug. 24; the girls swimming team will begin Aug. 25.
Around two dozen members of the Red Hook football team Monday morning worked through agility, receiving and tackling form drills. The Raiders are 12 days away from a multi-team scrimmage day, and will open the season on the road against Rondout Valley Sept. 4. With the school’s main competition field unavailable until next season, Red Hook will play all its home games at Dietz Stadium in Kingston, the first of which coming Sept. 26 against Liberty.
Learn more about Red Hook athletics at https://redhookcentralschools.org/raiders and the athletic field construction at https://www.redhookcentralschools.org/field-renovations

Mill Road Elementary students have one more reason why to look forward to the start of a new school year: a new piece of...
08/13/2026

Mill Road Elementary students have one more reason why to look forward to the start of a new school year: a new piece of playground equipment.

The addition expands on a bank of swings on the grades 3-5 side, giving students another option for exercising at recess before returning inside to exercise their minds.

Our track and field renovation project has seen exciting updates in the last couple weeks.In addition to continued progr...
08/11/2026

Our track and field renovation project has seen exciting updates in the last couple weeks.
In addition to continued progress toward installing the new grass and track surfaces, and irrigation and drainage systems, crews have recently installed the five roughly eight-foot bases for the LED field lighting poles and new stonework at the athletic complex’s southwest corner, and the jumping and landing pit area at the northeast corner is coming along.
Four LED light banks would be used for the main field and track area and the fifth is devoted to the jumping pit area. The light fixtures that will be installed are DarkSky compliant. That means it meet international standards as a lighting product that gives the same high priority to environmental protection and nuisance avoidance as it does to lighting for its intended function.
Learn more about the field renovation projects at https://redhookcentralschools.org/field-renovations and check back here for more updates in the future.

Martha Strever, Linden Avenue Middle School’s math teacher of 65 years, was presented with the American Federation of Te...
08/03/2026

Martha Strever, Linden Avenue Middle School’s math teacher of 65 years, was presented with the American Federation of Teachers Lifetime Achievement Award at its annual convention in Washington D.C. last month.
“It’s a wonderful honor,” said Strever, the longest-serving active teacher in New York and the longest active member of New York State United Teachers. “To be recognized at the nationwide level? Unbelievable. It could put me in tears just thinking, ‘Why me?’”
Strever was honored on July 17 as part of the four-day conference held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. Jaime Ciffone, the executive vice president of NYSUT, introduced Strever as someone who has “managed to fit more than two careers into one remarkable lifetime of service.”
The teacher then spoke to the thousands of educators in attendance in a brief acceptance speech, before hugging Ciffone and AFT president Randi Weingarten.
“There are so many fantastic teachers in front of me right now,” she said, “and – how can I be the person standing in front of you being honored like this? It's just unbelievable. Thinking of when I started teaching, would I ever think of being here today?
“I thank every one of you, and especially the people in NYSUT,” she said.
LAMS Principal Dr. Stacie Fenn Smith accompanied Strever – her former teacher as a student at the school – to the convention.
“It was just an honor to be part of it,” the principal said. “It was really special. After her award was announced, everywhere we went people were recognizing her and congratulating her and wanting a photo. … It was really like being with a celebrity.”
Red Hook Faculty Association President April Montgomery and First Vice President Kyle Pogemiller-Kermani, both LAMS teachers, were also in attendance celebrating the award with their colleague.
To read more about the honor and see a video from the presentation, visit https://www.redhookcentralschools.org/index.php?pageID=smartSiteFeed&psqFeed=true&articleID=83415649
Photos from the event are courtesy the AFT and photographers Suzannah Hoover and Pamela Wolfe.

What do mini lamps, animal recovery habitats, and self-propelled boats have in common?The students taking part in Mill R...
07/31/2026

What do mini lamps, animal recovery habitats, and self-propelled boats have in common?
The students taking part in Mill Road Elementary School’s second-annual STEAM Camp this week created one of each, in addition to other projects encouraging scientific and engineering exploration.
More than 20 students entering the third through fifth grades attended the camp, which is taught by Principal Dr. Brian Boyd, Assistant Principal Kristen Strothmann, STEAM teacher Sybil Bell and others. After a pilot camp last year, space in this summer’s addition filled with twice as many participants within two days of opening.
"With STEAM,” Boyd said, “when you're talking about science, technology and the arts all together, it gets kids excited about learning."
Students each day in the school’s 3-5 Innovation Center were given a challenge to solve and a wide range of materials to allow their imaginations free reign to explore solutions. At the beginning of the week, the students filled out an interest survey for teachers to know what branches of STEAM they were most interested in and were given a journal for recording progress.
Each hands-on activity began with teachers reviewing with the students scientific vocabulary that applied to the assignment and, at the end, they reviewed what was learned using that terminology. Many of those words were repeated during the week.
Monday, students were allowed to pick from four animals, each with a different malady, and were asked to create a habitat out of in-classroom and outside materials that would not only provide shelter but also aid in its recovery.
“You had to make a sanctuary out of cardboard; you could grab stuff from outside … and you could paint it,” said Claire Lozano, a rising fifth grader, who opted to make an owl habitat. Though, she noted, her favorite activity came Tuesday, when the students explored circuitry, not only through pre-boxed kits available in the Innovation Center, but also by building mini lamps powered by double-A batteries.
“I just really like playing with circuits,” she said with a smile.
Wednesday, students needed to engineer paper ramps for ping pong balls, which not only needed to include a certain amount of turns but also keep rolling at least 20 seconds before landing safely in a cup. And Thursday, students were asked to become “nautical engineers” by making boats out of empty soda bottles or storage containers that would float through a 10-foot regatta-style pool using the tension from rubber bands and a propeller.
“We’re going to let you design this thing any way you want,” Dr. Boyd told them. “You have the materials you need. … We’re going to see if anybody can make it go the entire 10 feet.”
Though tongue depressors were the initial propeller of choice, there was a mad dash for plastic spoons once one boat – created by the principal himself – proved successful using the material. After more than roughly 40 minutes of experimenting, seven boats could complete the feat.
Friday, parents were invited into the classroom to see all that was accomplished in the week and students were allowed to bring their projects home.
The challenges were rarely simple. But successes weren’t the only thing the class celebrated; the teachers encouraged each to take pride when improvements to a design brought them closer to a goal, and innovative approaches were lauded loudly, sometimes even before being tested. Persistence, through hypothesis, testing and revisions, was the priority and the main lesson.
“Do engineers get their final design the first time?” Strothmann asked the students. “Not even close.”

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Red Hook, NY

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Monday 8am - 4pm
Tuesday 8am - 4pm
Wednesday 8am - 4pm
Thursday 8am - 4pm
Friday 8am - 4pm

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+18457582241

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