Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District is the central high school district of the Long Island hamlets of Bellmore, North Bellmore, Merrick, and North Merrick, New York. More than 5000 students, grades 7-12, attend the Bellmore-Merrick secondary schools. There are three high schools (grades 9-12) and two (previously four) middle schools (grades 7-8) in the district.
Contents |
The district was officially established November 1, 1934 by the State Commissioner of Education. Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District was known as C.H.S.D. 3 until May, 1973 when is adopted the name reflecting its geographic location. This change was required of all districts by the state education department. 150 freshman students entering high school in September 1935, studied with five faculty members in a renovated six-room school house on Bedford Avenue. The principal was Sanford H. Calhoun. Wellington C. Mepham High School opened in 1937 with 741 students. Jerusalem Avenue Junior High School and Merrick Avenue Junior High School were opened in 1954. In 1958, the Sanford H. Calhoun High School and the Grand Avenue Junior High School were opened. In 1963, an addition was placed on the Mepham High School. Brookside Junior High School opened in September 1964. The John F. Kennedy High School opened in September 1966. By then, there were over 10,900 students in the district. Today, there are approximately 6,100 students in the district.
The following junior high schools were closed in a consolidation effort in 1986:
The rental of Jerusalem Avenue to Nassau BOCES, and the rental of space in Brookside that the district doesn't use generates additional income for the district. In addition, the schools' sports programs require the use of more than one gym for practice, as there are usually two sports requiring a gym in a given season. Therefore, students from Grand Avenue will sometimes practice at Jerusalem Avenue and students at Merrick Avenue will sometime practice at Brookside.