| Arlington High School | |
|---|---|
| Established | 1924 |
| Type | Public High School |
| Affiliation | Arlington Central School District |
| Principal | Brendan Lyons |
| Students | 3,449[1] |
| Grades | 9–12 |
| Location | LaGrangeville, New York, USA |
| Campus | Suburban |
| Colors | Maroon and gold |
| Athletics | Admirals |
| Newspaper | The Arlingtonian |
| Website | Arlington High School |
Arlington High School is a high school in the Arlington Central School District located in Lagrangeville, New York, United States, on Route 55.
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The school, although not the current building, has its origins in the early years of the Arlington Union Free School District Number 7, the district's name from 1900 to 1961. When the district was formed, there were only two school buildings. In 1900, only one year of high school work was offered. In 1922, it was expanded to two years; and in 1924, three years were offered. In 1926, Arlington High School was granted a charter as a six-year high school. Its first commencement was held in that year, with only nine students graduating.[2]
The Arlingtonian is the official school newspaper. The paper is entirely student-run, although it is faculty-advised. It was funded by the school district until 2008, when it was cut off due to the poor economy. Although the paper focuses on school events and news, it also includes local news and information regarding fund-raising events. The Arlingtonian publishes bi-monthly while school is in session. The newspaper is distributed free to all students, as well as local stores. A home delivery option is also available.
Arlington offers senior students the option to fulfill their high-school graduation requirements while simultaneously completing a full year of college at Marist College in Poughkeepsie. The program permits the student to earn up to 15 credits while fulfilling the basic Regents Prep courses in history and mathematics[3]
The Arlington Admiral Marching Band is a nationally competitive organization that competes in NYSFBC, Bands of America, and USSBA events throughout the east coast. The band has been ranked in the top 3 overall in New York State for the past six years. They were awarded the state championship in 2004 and were runners-up in New York in 2001, 2003, 2005, 2006, and 2011. The band also won the Musical Arts Conference championship in the 2003 and 2004 seasons.
The Arlington band has competed in regional and national events through Bands of America, most notably being ranked 23rd in the nation at the 2004 Grand National Championships in Indianapolis. The band also placed second at the 2004 BOA Eastern Regional, winning the award for outstanding visual performance in both prelims and finals. The marching band has a long tradition of excellence that dates back over 30 years. Formed by band director William Sweeney, the band has been a top performer in the state as well as the Northeast for many years. Originally having only 25 members, the band has participated in formal competitions since the 1970s.
Every year, the band holds the Arlington Invitational, where bands from across the state and region come to compete on the football field behind the school. This event has become a fall tradition for some local families and is so popular that it is usually standing room only. The band has had several directors over the band's existence, each bringing his own style to the band. William Sweeney, Alix Janove, Joseph Szabo, and Rich Guillen have all been past directors of the band. The current director is Darrell Keech, assisted by his wife, Lynda Keech. The band has now been recognized as one of the top bands on the East Coast over the past decade.
Recent shows include: Bernstein's "The Mass" (2001), Rhythms of a Continent (2002), Elements (2003), Generation NeXt (2004), Carpe Diem (2005), Winter Solstice (2006), Color Series (2007), Glass (2008), Currents (2009), Images of India (2010), and Torn (2011).
The original building constructed specifically to house Arlington High School was built on Raymond Avenue in Poughkeepsie, and today serves as the Arthur S. May Elementary School. The second high school was built in 1933 and now serves as Arlington Middle School. The current building, originally constructed in 1961, has been significantly expanded several times, and is currently under construction again, during the summer of 2009. The newly expanded high school consists of a the main lobby, where the "Bubble" is located. Adjacent to the main lobby are the main office, the "Main Annex" and a New York State Police office. Attached to this are two long hallways running in opposite directions, which house more offices and classrooms. At the end of one of the hallways are the Gyms (Gyms 5, 6, 7), as well as the Athletic Department office. At the end of the other hallway, on the opposite end of the school, is the Large Group Instruction Room, Cafeterias C and D, and the Admiral Cafe, a student-run restaurant that operates during school hours. The original facility was built on a 100-acre (0.40 km2) site by UW Marx to support a maximum of 4,000 students. The school has a net building area of 533,000 sq ft (49,500 m2). and a cost of $64,229,000.[4]
The current Arlington High School campus was first constructed in 1961, when the former high school, a 1930s-era WPA building in the Arlington area of Poughkeepsie, was converted into a middle school. In 1967, the first of several renovations took place, adding dozens of new classrooms to the building and raising building capacity to 1,500 students. In 1979, the current high school became "North Campus" for juniors, seniors and a portion of the sophomore class, while the former LaGrange Junior High School, located a short distance away on Stringham Road in Lagrangeville, was re-designated "South Campus" and housed freshman and the rest of the sophomore class. Some sophomore students split their days between the two campuses, and school buses came in both a "first wave" and a "second wave" to serve both campuses. Another renovation was completed at the high school in the autumn of 1998 that nearly tripled its size, enabling all four grades to be moved back to what had been the North Campus. With the reconsolidation of the high school onto one campus, the Stringham Road building became LaGrange Middle School.
Because the 1998 expansion was meant to address the district's requirements for only 10 years, discussion began in 2005 on an additional, large expansion of the building. Debate over the expansion was tense, due to the perception of already lofty school-tax rates and the looming energy crisis. Nevertheless, district voters approved the measure, though with several budget-trimming alterations. As a result, the school will be expanded again, with the new renovation completed by the year 2009. When completed, it will be large enough to hold more than 4,000 students.
Perhaps one of the most well known features of the building is the North Hallway. It is the only direct route from one side of the school to the other and is mistakenly believed to be a quarter mile long. During inclement weather, track sprinters may use the hallway as a practice area.
In 2006, voters in the district approved a plan to expand the campus further. The expansion is to include 40 new classrooms, a K-12 education center, a new TV studio, a radio station as well as new science labs, a new auditorium, and a cafeteria for seniors. The expansion will be added onto the school's south end of the 1100s and will encompass the previous senior parking lot. New parking lots on the east side of the building will offset the loss of parking arising from the expansion. As of December 2010, the old music office has been transformed into a senior lounge, although rather bare. The William J. Sweeney Performance Hall has opened and was first used for the Admiral Players' production The Wedding Singer and the 2010 Winter Concert Series.
In 2006, the school began "The House Plan". This plan gives each grade its own office, with four guidance counselors, two administrators and advisors. The 9th Grade House is located near the West Satellite; the 10th Grade is in the East Satellite; the 11th Grade is near the Main Annex; and 12th Grade is in the South House Guidance. In these houses are held many contests, parties, and small social functions.