Poughkeepsie City School District

Poughkeepsie City School District We are champions of children who inspire and nurture the whole child by providing innovative, high-quality educational opportunities.

Poughkeepsie City School District is located in Dutchess County, New York State. Approximately 75 miles north of New York City, the school district is situated on the banks of the Hudson River in an area known as the Mid Hudson Valley. This section of the Mid Hudson Valley is both residential and agricultural, with beautiful views of the majestic Hudson River that have inspired landscape painters

for generations. The district is one of three school districts in New York state that are coterminous with the boundaries of the city in which they are located. The district is approximately 4.8 square miles in size, and is composed of an Early Learning Center for pre-kindergarten and kindergarten, four elementary schools, one middle school, one high school, and one administration building. The district provides educational programs for nearly 5,000 students. The school population is a diverse mix of African American, Latino, Asian and Caucasian students. There are around 660 professional and support staff employed by the district, of which more than 360 are teaching staff. The district operates with a budget of more than $80,000,000. Taxes and other local revenues account for approximately 40% of the budget, with the remaining 60% generated through State Formula Aid and Small City Aid. The Board of Education consists of five members of the community; each elected at large to a three-year term of office by city residents to carry out functions mandated by the State Constitution, Legislature and State Education Department. The Board is responsible for establishing school district philosophy, policy, budget and goals.

A little rain couldn't spoil Krieger Elementary School's party.With a gymnasium filled with eager students and families,...
09/02/2026

A little rain couldn't spoil Krieger Elementary School's party.

With a gymnasium filled with eager students and families, the Welcome to Krieger Bash on Monday served as an energetic start to the new year.

The entertainment included a DJ, floor games, a photo booth corner and an inflatable obstacle course, with food that ranged from Domino's pizza and fresh cotton candy to lollipops and crackers from community partners.

The award-winning Krieger PTA was on hand to share with parents how they can become involved with school functions and fundraisers this year, and a representative from the information technology department assisted parents in getting into important resources like Infinite Campus and ParentSquare. Other informational tables ranged from in-school partners like AmeriCorps, BusRight and Dutchess BOCES, to outside agencies that provide community support and services.

For students entering school for the first time, an additional session in the cafetorium gave them a chance to meet with their new teachers for the year. And, Principal Yolanda Wright walked families through the various systems and services they can expect at Krieger.

Monday was an opportunity for incoming Truth Elementary families to get to know their new school, classrooms and teacher...
09/01/2026

Monday was an opportunity for incoming Truth Elementary families to get to know their new school, classrooms and teachers, while learning more about services available around the community.

Truth held its Back to School Bash, in which all school families were welcome to enjoy a free Stewart's ice cream station, as well as inflatable attractions, a photo book and a book giveaway in front of the school. Families could also visit with representatives from community partners like BusRight to learn more about bus service, as well as the Poughkeepsie Children's Cabinet, The Children's Home of Poughkeepsie, and others. The district's informational technology department operated a table to ensure all families could log in to critical programs like Infinite Campus and ParentSquare.

Principal Alicia O'Connell led an informational session before the fun kicked into high gear in which the school's programs and opportunities for students were reviewed. The leadership team also discussed how Title I funding will aid students.

Then, the families were free to find their new teachers and explore their new classrooms, before joining in the fun outside the school.

Part orientation event, part block party, Clinton Elementary welcomed the coming school year with a memorable celebratio...
09/01/2026

Part orientation event, part block party, Clinton Elementary welcomed the coming school year with a memorable celebration Monday.

The day was an opportunity for new and returning families to meet with staff and gather key information not only on how the school day will operate but also from community partner organizations.

Giveaways ranged from lunch off the grill -- courtesy of Principal Dr. David Scott's son -- and snacks like cotton candy, to school supplies. Entertainment included a DJ, a bounce house, two inflatable obstacle courses, two inflatable throwing games and use of the playground outside Christ Episcopal Church, which had most walking around with a smile.

And while the students were enjoying the sunny skies, music and inflated fun, many adults joined Scott for a session discussion what to expect from the year, how Title I funding will help students, what the goals of the school will be, how the new aligned HMH curriculum will aid in those goals.

"It's really designed for us to catch our children where they are," he said. "Right now, we have some kids that come in that are few grade levels below and we need to get them up."

08/29/2026

Today's Back to the Basics Community Schools back to school celebration was an amazing way to get ready for the school year.

Thank you to the hundreds of students and families who attended, as well as the many community partners who made it so special. Together, we were able to connect students with free school supplies, backpacks, food and invaluable information on services and programs available within the district and the larger community.

Of course, it's only the first of many opportunities this school year in which families and the community will come together to support student excellence and stay tuned soon to see more photos and video from the event.

The Dutchess County Department of Community and Family Services is holding a valuable event at Bowdoin Park next month. ...
08/28/2026

The Dutchess County Department of Community and Family Services is holding a valuable event at Bowdoin Park next month. Read the flyer to learn more about the planned Fathers Helping Fathers Retreat, and scan the QR code.

Dozens of new Warring Elementary families got to know their new school Thursday evening.The school held its new student ...
08/27/2026

Dozens of new Warring Elementary families got to know their new school Thursday evening.
The school held its new student orientation, creating a fun and informative experience despite being limited by rain.
Principal Nicole Penn and new Assistant Principal Dr. Dawn Essig welcomed families into the gymnasium for an informational session in which Penn introduced the building staff, from their teachers to the service staff, shared school policies and detailed programs resulting from Title I funding. Penn insisted no family leave the orientation before visiting an informational table where representatives of the Community Schools and Information Technology departments showed everyone how to log in to the Infinite Campus and ParentSquare systems for receiving critical information through the course of the year.
Community organizations, including AmeriCorps, Hudson River Housing and Neighborhood Vitality Corp were on hand with tables for disseminating helpful information, and families were able to pick up school supplies that included notebooks, books, socks and other items. Meanwhile, families enjoyed a photo booth, a DJ and snack tables with sandwiches, chips, McDonald’s items and snow cones.
Though the bouncy house had to be moved indoors, Warring still enjoyed a fun kickoff to the 2026-27 year.

The Poughkeepsie High School football team has been hard at work since preseason practices began Aug. 17, preparing for ...
08/26/2026

The Poughkeepsie High School football team has been hard at work since preseason practices began Aug. 17, preparing for its first year in Section 9 competition.
The season begins with what promises to be a memorable night Sept. 4, when the Pioneers host Hyde Park and the school honors one of the best players ever to wear Poughkeepsie blue, former NFL player Charles Spencer Jr.
The Pioneers on Saturday took part in Section 9 Football Media Day at Monroe-Woodbury High School. You can watch a Mid-Hudson News video interview with Coach Jayquan Floyd, junior lineman Jayden Cruz and sophomore running back Jahmarley Baxter at https://youtu.be/qABd4gYJm94?si=ZXILhYl7fswgksxg
“With all the players on our team and the chemistry that we have in practice,” Baxter told Mid-Hudson News reporter Justin Rodriguez, “I feel like we’ll really do something great this year. We’re really going to win.”
Check out the Pioneers’ varsity schedule at https://www.gobound.com/ny/nysphsaa/fbnysphs/2026-27/poughkeepsie/v

08/26/2026

Graduating high school is among the most meaningful achievements in a young person’s life.
The timing of that accomplishment, Board of Education President Jamar Cummings impressed upon the graduating class Wednesday, is far less meaningful.
“So, somebody else may have walked across the stage in June, but your journey took you to August.” he said. “So, what?
“You know what your diploma is going to say?” he continued. “It’s going to say that you graduated.”
Eighteen Poughkeepsie High School students earned their diplomas by completing the last of their requirements this summer. Fifteen of them were in attendance Wednesday at the school’s newly renovated auditorium, each wearing the same blue cap-and-gown as those who walked across a stage in June.
In all, more than 200 Poughkeepsie students earned their diplomas in the last two months.
Visit https://poughkeepsiecsd5.smartsiteshost.com/summer-commencement-2026 to read more about the ceremony and see a photo gallery.

08/25/2026

The Poughkeepsie City School District will have a new curriculum system for the 2026-27 school year.
The Board of Education during a special meeting Monday evening approved an agreement to implement Houghton Mifflin Harcourt curriculum, or HMH, which will be aligned through all instructional areas, K-8. The program replaces the district’s previous curriculum, which was pieced together from several providers. It features personalized academic intervention tools, while offering broad access for students and parents to directly interact with progress to take more ownership over performance.
“Before, we definitely had different components of different pieces in our curriculum. Now we’re getting one set curriculum, one set company, one stop shop, where parents can access all the information for our students,” Deputy Superintendent of Schools Da’Ron Wilson said.
The district plans to adopt the curriculum in over the next two academic years, with the high school presumably adopting the system in 2027-28. In addition to the curriculum itself, HMH will be providing administrators and teachers roughly 100 days of professional development this school year to assist in its implementation and maximize use of the system.
Board President Jamar Cummings Monday expressed excitement at how aligning curriculum through HMH will aid students.
“We know that we are a transient community. Sometimes you can live on the north side and end up living on a different area on the south side and end up at different schools,” he said. “We want to make sure that no matter what school you’re attending … you’ll be receiving the same curriculum and the same courses throughout the district.”
We’ll be sharing much more about how the HMH curriculum will support student achievement as that training gets underway and the school year begins. For now, watch Wilson discuss the program here, following an introductory session between district administrators and HMH representatives Monday.

Members of the Poughkeepsie City School District’s administrative team, including all building leaders, are convening at...
08/24/2026

Members of the Poughkeepsie City School District’s administrative team, including all building leaders, are convening at the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum in Hyde Park this week to prepare for the 2026-27 school year.
The three-day retreat, in advance of a session with teaching staff on Thursday, is meant to strengthen collaboration and effectiveness within the district, introduce new programs and initiatives, and review data from last school year.
Monday’s opening sessions were highlighted by deep dives into the anticipated implementation of a new curriculum system and programs and requirements tied to Title I funding. Other topics this week will include Title IX training, a review of Community Schools programs and evaluation of grant funding, restorative practices and suspension alternatives, and others.

Address

18 South Perry Street
Poughkeepsie, NY
12601

Opening Hours

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

Telephone

+18454514900

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Poughkeepsie City School District posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Organization

Send a message to Poughkeepsie City School District:

Shortcuts

Share

Category