Poughkeepsie High School

Coordinates: 41°41′42″N 73°54′49″W / 41.694882°N 73.91371°W / 41.694882; -73.91371

Poughkeepsie High School is the public high school (grades 9-12) in the city of Poughkeepsie, NY. (Not to be confused with Poughkeepsie Day School, which is a nearby K-12 private school.) It is categorized as an inner city school district as a result of the high percentage of students living in low-income households. In the 2011-2012 school year, 73% of students were eligible for free or reduced-price lunch.^[1] PHS did not meet the Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) specified by the No Child Left Behind Act in 2011-12.^[2]

The school offers AP courses in the following subjects: Biology, Calculus AB, English Literature, French Language, Spanish Language, English Composition, European History, and United States History.^[3]

Poughkeepsie High School will host the Air Force JROTC program beginning July 2014.

In 2011-12, there were 1,176 students enrolled in the High School, with an average class size of 17. ^[4] The student:teacher ratio was approximately 13:1. ^[5] The attendance rate in the 2010-2011 school year was 88%, and the suspension rate in that same year was 15%.^[6] 26% of teachers have their Masters Degree plus 30 Hours or Doctorate.^[7]

History

Poughkeepsie High School opened in 1857 on the second floor of an elementary school; the first graduating class was 1863. Classes were not held in 1865, but resumed in 1866 in rented space. A new building was opened in 1872.

Yet another new building was built in 1914 to accommodate 1,200 pupils. By the early Fifties, the population was outgrowing this building as well, and another location was sought. The building and property were later sold to the Catholic Archdiocese of New York, which renovated it and operated it as Our Lady of Lourdes High School.

The current school opened for classes in 1956. Additions to the building were approved in 2002 as part of $27 million approved by voters for additions to buildings in the district that year.^[8]

Demographics (2011-12)

64% Black
15% White
20% Hispanic
1% Asian or Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander^[9]

51% Male
49% Female^[10]

America's Choice School

Under former superintendent Dr. Laval S. Wilson, the High School began to operate as an America's Choice School. The America's Choice program aims to improve the standings of schools deemed to be at-risk. The program utilizes specific teaching methods as well as intensive teacher training regimens in order to attempt to improve student achievement, test scores, and graduation rates, as well as to reduce the number of discipline problems.^[11]

Athletics

Poughkeepsie High School's mascot is the Pioneer, and the school colors are blue and white.

Extracurricular activities

There are many extracurricular activities accessible to students who attend the school. Student clubs include:

Concert Band
Gay/Straight Alliance
Jazz Ensemble
Latinos Unidos
Math Team
Mock Trial
Multicultural Coalition
National Honor Society
Orchestra
Pioneer Post School Newspaper
Science Olympiad
Sister2Sister
Brother2Brother
Student Association
Wind Ensemble
Yearbook
^[12]

Other Information

Ancestry.com, which requires a paid subscription, has digitized copies of the PHOIS yearbook for 1921, 1922 and 1962.

Other High Schools in Poughkeepsie

Arlington High School (LaGrange, New York), Our Lady of Lourdes High School, Poughkeepsie Day School, Spackenkill High School

Relationship with Vassar College

As of 2008, Poughkeepsie High School graduates who are accepted to Vassar College receive a special financial aid package. This Program eliminates loans for the PHS graduates attending Vassar and replaces them with scholarship funding.^[13]