Poughkeepsie Day School is an

independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independ ...

, progressive,

coeducational Mixed-sex education, also known as mixed-gender education, co-education, or coeducation (abbreviated to co-ed or coed), is a system of education where males and females are educated together. Whereas single-sex education was more common up to t ...

school in the mid-

Hudson Valley The Hudson Valley (also known as the Hudson River Valley) comprises the valley of the Hudson River and its adjacent communities in the U.S. state of New York. The region stretches from the Capital District including Albany and Troy south to ...

serving students from a broad region of

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

and

Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...

from

pre-kindergarten Pre-kindergarten (also called Pre-K or PK) is a voluntary classroom-based preschool program for children below the age of five in the United States, Canada, Turkey and Greece (when kindergarten starts). It may be delivered through a preschool ...

through

12th grade Twelfth grade, 12th grade, senior year, or grade 12 is the final year of secondary school in most of North America. In other regions, it may also be referred to as class 12 or Year 13. In most countries, students are usually between the ages of 17 ...

History

Founded in 1934, it was originally located at Hooker and South Grand Avenues in the city of

Poughkeepsie Poughkeepsie ( ), officially the City of Poughkeepsie, separate from the Town of Poughkeepsie around it) is a city in the U.S. state of New York. It is the county seat of Dutchess County, with a 2020 census population of 31,577. Poughkeepsi ...

, where it began with 35 students and three faculty members. The school outgrew that facility, and in 1963 it moved to custom built premises on the

Vassar College Vassar College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Poughkeepsie, New York, United States. Founded in 1861 by Matthew Vassar, it was the second degree-granting institution of higher education for women in the United States, closely follo ...

campus at 39 New Hackensack Road, Poughkeepsie. The school outgrew that facility as well, and acquired two buildings from IBM in the 1990s that form its current 35 acre campus on Boardman Road. The theater is named for actor

James Earl Jones James Earl Jones (born January 17, 1931) is an American actor. He has been described as "one of America's most distinguished and versatile" actors for his performances in film, television, and theater, and "one of the greatest actors in America ...

, who funded construction and whose child attended the school.

Pete Seeger Peter Seeger (May 3, 1919 – January 27, 2014) was an American folk singer and social activist. A fixture on nationwide radio in the 1940s, Seeger also had a string of hit records during the early 1950s as a member of the Weavers, notably ...

David Strathairn David Russell Strathairn (; born January 26, 1949) is an American actor. Known for his leading roles on stage and screen, he has often portrayed historical figures such as Edward R. Murrow, J. Robert Oppenheimer, William H. Seward, and John Dos ...

Graham Parker Graham Thomas Parker (born 18 November 1950) is an English singer-songwriter, who is best known as the lead singer of the British band Graham Parker & the Rumour. Life and career Early career (1960s–1976) Parker was born in Hackney, East L ...

, William Sadler and

Jack DeJohnette Jack DeJohnette (born August 9, 1942) is an American jazz drummer, pianist, and composer. Known for his extensive work as leader and sideman for musicians including Charles Lloyd, Freddie Hubbard, Keith Jarrett, Bill Evans, John Abercrombie, ...

also had children or grandchildren who attended the school. In April 2020, the school announced that it would close in June after the completion of the current school year, due to financial concerns related to shrinking revenue. The announcement sparked an outpouring of support from alumni, parents, current and former teachers, and other committed stakeholders. A coalition of parents, teachers, and alumni came together to keep the school open and find a more sustainable path forward. In February 2021, the school announced it would reopen for the 2021–22 school year with lower tuition and a smaller enrollment. The school did reopen its doors at Boardman Road in September 2021 and remains open as of November 2022. However a plan is also in place for the Town of Poughkeepsie to purchase the school's current property on Boardman Road.

School mission

According to its official website, "Poughkeepsie Day School creates transformative learning experiences that inspire intellectual curiosity, critical thinking, creativity, and compassion. We believe that education is a pathway to a more just society and sustainable planet. Through discovery, analysis, and reflection, our intentional learning community brings each child to a greater understanding of self, society, and the universe."

Accreditation

Poughkeepsie Day School is accredited by the

New York State Association of Independent Schools The New York State Association of Independent Schools (NYSAIS) is an association of 201 independent schools and organizations, ranging from nurseries to high schools, in New York (state), New York State. Founded in 1947, NYSAIS is the second la ...

(NYSAIS), and is a member of the

National Association of Independent Schools The National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) is a U.S.-based membership organization for private, nonprofit, K-12 schools. Founded in 1962, NAIS represents independent schools and associations in the United States, including day, boar ...

(NAIS) and the Independent Curriculum Group (ICG).

Notable alumni and attendees

* Molly Baz *

Ivan Cash Ivan Cash is an interactive artist, filmmaker, and speaker. His work celebrates human connection and explores themes of belonging in the 21st century. In 2016, Cash was named a Forbes 30 under 30 Artist, and in 2018 was appointed a member of the ...

* Celeste Dupuy-Spencer *

Douglas Elmendorf Douglas William Elmendorf (born April 16, 1962) is an American economist who is the dean and Don K. Price Professor of Public Policy at the John F. Kennedy School of Government. He previously served as the Director of the Congressional Budget Off ...

Tom Finkelpearl Tom Finkelpearl (born February 1, 1956) is an American arts promoter, former museum director, and former Commissioner of the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs. He was appointed in 2014 by the New York City mayor, Bill de Blasio, and ser ...

* Lauren Holmes *

Jonathan Keltz Jonathan Lippert Keltz (born January 17, 1988) is an American actor known for his role as Jake Steinberg in the HBO series ''Entourage'', and his work in the films ''Prom'' (2011) and '' 21 & Over'' (2013). He starred as Leith Bayard in The CW' ...

Swati Khurana Swati Khurana is a writer and contemporary artist of Indian-American origin. She was born in New Delhi, India in 1975. She emigrated to New York in 1977, where she lives and works. She graduated from Poughkeepsie Day School in 1993. She holds a B. ...

* Lucy Knisley *

Gavrik Losey Gavrik Losey (born 1938) is an American-born participant in various aspects of filmmaking including producer and production manager. Gavrik was born in New York, the son of film director Joseph Losey and fashion designer Elizabeth Hawes. He atte ...

Noah Lyon Noah Lyon (born September 11, 1979) is a multidisciplinary artist based in New York City. A graduate of the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, Noah Lyon works in drawing, painting, artist's books, sound art, and installation ...

Jeh Johnson Jeh Charles Johnson ( "Jay"; born September 11, 1957) is an American lawyer and former government official. He was United States Secretary of Homeland Security from 2013 to 2017. From 2009 to 2012, Johnson was the general counsel of the Departm ...

* Lee Miringoff, founder of the Marist College Institute for Public Opinion *

Molly Ostertag Molly Knox Ostertag (born October 28, 1991) is an American cartoonist and writer. Her work includes the animated series ''The Owl House'', webcomic '' Strong Female Protagonist'', the middle grade graphic novel series (''The Witch Boy'', ''The ...

John R. Ross John Robert "Haj" Ross (born May 7, 1938) is an American poet and linguist. He played a part in the development of generative semantics (as opposed to interpretive semantics) along with George Lakoff, James D. McCawley, and Paul Postal. He wa ...

Jonathan Russell Jonathan Russell (February 27, 1771 – February 17, 1832) was a United States representative from Massachusetts and diplomat. He served the 11th congressional district from 1821 to 1823 and was the first chair of the House Committee on Foreig ...

* Jonah Sachs * Ingeborg von Zadow

Notable faculty and staff

* Sally Luther *

Eric Person Eric Person (born May 2, 1963 in St. Louis, Missouri, St. Louis, Missouri) is an American alto saxophone, alto and soprano saxophone player and leader of Meta-Four and Metamorphosis. Since coming to New York City in 1982, Person has performed an ...

References

External links

Official website

About
1934 establishments in New York (state) Education in Poughkeepsie, New York Educational institutions established in 1934 Private elementary schools in New York (state) Private high schools in Dutchess County, New York Private middle schools in New York (state) {{NewYork-school-stub