Red Hook Central School District

Red Hook Central School District The Red Hook Central School District serves grades PK-12 across three public schools in New York.

It spans portions of the towns of Red Hook, Rhinebeck, Milan, Clermont and Livingston in Dutchess and Columbia counties.

06/01/2026

While crews continued the process of remediating Red Hook High School Monday, teachers and staff prepared for the school’s students to begin virtual learning Tuesday.
District and building leadership continue to evaluate if virtual learning will be extended beyond Wednesday. While much of the building has been cleaned of soot resulting from Friday’s fire, some classrooms and lockers on the second floor still need to be remediated. An air quality test of different parts of the building is scheduled for Tuesday.
As cleaning crews enter each space, they are carefully evaluating personal items belonging to students and staff. So far, we have been able to return essential items like laptops, phones, keys, IDs and medical supplies to those who have requested it. However, due to the nature and severity of the smoke that spread throughout much of the building, some personal items may not be salvageable. The district is working with the cleaners to evaluate these items and will provide more information in a future communication.
Other updates:
-- The districtwide Jazz Festival scheduled for Tuesday at the high school’s Performing Arts Center has been postponed. The music department is seeking a reschedule date and it will be communicated when it is solidified.
-- Bus service for all students engaging in Dutchess BOCES programs will run as scheduled on days in which we are in virtual learning.
-- Food distribution began today at Mill Road Elementary. All high school students can pick up school lunches at the school’s PK-2 parking area from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. each day we are in virtual learning.
-- Counselors are stationed at Linden Avenue Middle School for any student in need of support. Students should message their counselor on Teams to set up a time to visit; students can also stop by without an appointment and see a counselor at their earliest availability.
High school leadership and teachers met virtually Monday morning to discuss how students will engage in virtual learning beginning Tuesday. The school will follow its regular bell schedule and students will log in to their classes at the beginning of each period. Teachers will be accessible during their normal class times and students can message teachers directly.
A dedicated space is also set up at Linden Avenue Middle School for students who are without reliable internet access or simply prefer to learn in a school environment.

05/31/2026

Red Hook High School will engage in virtual learning Tuesday and Wednesday as the building continues to be thoroughly remediated following Friday’s fire.
Classes will remain cancelled Monday, as previously announced, and the building remains closed as a third-party company continues a thorough cleaning process that began immediately Friday evening, made necessary by the spread of smoke.
The company is utilizing roughly 50 HEPA air scrubber machines with a staff of roughly 50 people each day to clean all surfaces, items, lockers, vents and other areas. While much has already been done – as of Sunday morning, roughly 75% of all classrooms had been remediated – more cleaning, inspection and testing is needed before the building can be reopened.
The Red Hook Police Department this morning posted an update regarding the investigation of the fire. You can read the post on its page. We thank the department for its support of our district, its swift response to this incident and the steps it has taken that led to the arrest Saturday afternoon.
This is an unfortunate situation and we will be enforcing our Code of Conduct in regard to student behavior.
We want to extend our gratitude to a number of parties:
• We again thank the Red Hook police and fire departments, as well as the fire departments from Tivoli, Germantown and Rhinebeck for their invaluable assistance.
• We want to thank Village Pizza for feeding firefighters, police officers and our staff Friday by donating 25 pizzas.
• We thank our families and students for their understanding and flexibility as we navigate this situation.
Friday was a day of unexpected challenges, and our staff at the high school and beyond, as well as our students, met the moment. Our evacuation of the high school was swift and orderly, and we thank students for approaching the process appropriately. Many staff members played important roles in ensuring student safety while clearing the way for emergency responders to serve their roles. We want to extend a special thank you acknowledging their efforts, and for their work in the coming days making sure this week will go as smooth as possible.
While the high school is closed, school lunches will continue to be made available to families and transportation to Dutchess BOCES will be made available for students who regularly attend its programs on Tuesday and Wednesday. Space will also be designated for students who do not have internet access in their homes. Details of these programs are being communicated to families directly.

Red Hook High School will be closed Monday as the building is extensively cleaned following Friday’s fire.The district h...
05/29/2026

Red Hook High School will be closed Monday as the building is extensively cleaned following Friday’s fire.
The district has contracted with a company to clean most surfaces and items within the school, which were impacted by smoke that circulated throughout most of the building. Updates regarding when the building may be reopened and the status of Monday's planned Senior Awards ceremony will be provided in the coming days.
Families and faculty have been sent instructions for how essential items can be retrieved during a designated window from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Friday.
The fire remains under investigation. It started in the first-floor boys bathroom off the school’s main hallway across from the library.
The fire alarm went off in the building at 10:22 a.m., triggering an evacuation of all personnel and students. An on-site Red Hook Police Department School Resource Officer responded immediately. First responder agencies arrived on the scene by 10:30, encountering smoke just beyond the main lobby. The fire was ruled under control by 10:45 a.m., though crews remained at the school ventilating smoke and evaluating the building until roughly 1 p.m.
The structural damage caused by the fire was contained to the bathroom’s two stalls and ceiling above the stalls. However, smoke circulated throughout the hallway and through the ventilation system to the second floor, necessitating the remediation of surfaces and items.
We thank the Red Hook, Tivoli, Germantown and Rhinebeck fire departments, as well as the Red Hook Police Department, for responding to the school and for their assistance.
After leaving the building, students went to Linden Avenue Middle School, from which they were dismissed at 11:15 a.m. Staff was allowed to return to the building to collect belongings shortly after 1 p.m., but the building remains closed.
We thank families and staff at both the high and middle schools for their patience and flexibility as we address this situation. We will continue to communicate updates and details as they become available.

05/29/2026

There was a fire at Red Hook High School this morning necessitating an early dismissal of all students.
All students were safely evacuated to Linden Avenue Middle School and were dismissed for the day at 11:15 a.m.
The fire alarm first went off at 10:22 a.m., triggering the evacuation. Families were notified soon after. An on-site Red Hook Police Department School Resource Officer responded immediately. First responder agencies arrived within eight minutes. The fire was brought under control by 10:45 a.m., though crews remained on the scene to assist with ventilating smoke and evaluate the building.
We thank the Red Hook, Tivoli, Germantown and Rhinebeck fire departments, as well as the Red Hook Police Department for responding to the school.
The fire began in a bathroom on the first floor's main hallway. The cause of the fire is under investigation and damage to the building is being assessed. The district will send communication to families as to when they may be able to enter the building this weekend to pick up any belongings that may be needed.
The school day has proceeded on schedule for LAMS and Mill Road Elementary students.
Further details will be released as they are available.

The work of roughly 40 Red Hook High School students was on display Thursday afternoon during the annual Senior Art Show...
05/29/2026

The work of roughly 40 Red Hook High School students was on display Thursday afternoon during the annual Senior Art Show at the Performing Arts Center atrium.
The artwork created by 21 senior students will remain on display for several days in the atrium, including for the Senior Awards ceremony to be held in the PAC 6 p.m. Monday.
In addition to the artwork, several students played live music to liven the event and, inside the PAC, International Baccalaureate film students showed their creations off on the big screen.
For the art show, all seniors are invited to participate, not just IB students, and there is no minimum for how many pieces a student needs to display. The seniors can choose to display any artwork from throughout their educational journey and display it however they choose.
Art Department Coordinator Julia Shultis called the event “a rite of passage” for the seniors. She noted while IB art students are required to show the ability to curate and display an art collection, their evaluation was last month.
“They don’t do this for a grade. They do this purely for doing the satisfaction of putting their work up and getting to show off what they’ve done,” she said. “There’s a lot thought put into how they arrange it.”
Many friends and family members came through to see the students’ work Thursday. There was also refreshments, including sour cream and cheddar potato chips served inside one student’s bowl.
Shultis and fellow art teacher Kristin Larson moved around the room throughout, talking with attendees, assisting their students and enjoying the displays, themselves.
Shultis noted, they provide suggestions for curating the collections if they are asked, “but for the most part all the decisions of how many pieces and how they arrange it is completely up to them, which is pretty neat. We stand back and say ‘Wow.’ It makes us very proud to see it all come together.”

The demolition of our main competition field between Red Hook High School and Linden Avenue Middle School got underway T...
05/29/2026

The demolition of our main competition field between Red Hook High School and Linden Avenue Middle School got underway Thursday, a couple of days ahead of schedule.
The entire track surface was removed to make way for an entirely new surface, as part of a complete renovation of the space using grass and incorporating new fencing and LED lighting.
Take a look at the full plans at https://www.redhookcentralschools.org/field-renovations
The field is, of course, closed to visitors, but we'll provide updates on its progress throughout the spring, summer and fall.

The annual Red Hook High School Senior Art Show is just two days away.Visit the school's Performing Arts Center atrium T...
05/26/2026

The annual Red Hook High School Senior Art Show is just two days away.
Visit the school's Performing Arts Center atrium Thursday from 4-6 p.m. for the official show, which features displays of student portfolios, refreshments and live music performed by students. The show is free and all are welcome.
“As a senior, this is a culmination of many years built up,” said Julia Shultis, Art Department Coordinator. “It’s a thrilling ending to the story, basically. It’s like a rite of passage.”
Each participating senior was in charge of arranging their own display and choosing the pieces they want to display, which could come from any time throughout their educational journey at Red Hook. Shultis said she is willing to offer advice in that process, but mostly she steps back and lets the student show what they can do.
Many had already started putting their display together last week, while others are doing so this week. The flier for the show, itself, is a work of student art each year; the flier for this show was made by Michael Safuto.
“It’s a nice time for people to walk through, see what everyone is doing and talk to the seniors about what they did and why they did it,” Shultis said. “People get to see what I see all year long, and in some cases four years.”

Outside Red Hook High School Thursday, hundreds of students laughed, competed and relaxed as DJ Andrew Makebish's music ...
05/21/2026

Outside Red Hook High School Thursday, hundreds of students laughed, competed and relaxed as DJ Andrew Makebish's music kept the energy up.
Inside on the school’s Performing Arts Center stage, a circle of students slowly moved through a series of yoga poses under pale purple light in an otherwise dark and serene room.
Elsewhere in various classrooms, students delighted in board games, drawing and various crafts, moving at their own pace.
The school’s annual Spring into Wellness event offered recreation to meet every taste as the school prepared to shut down for a long Memorial Day weekend.
The event was broken into four sessions spanning the last two hours of the day and students were allowed to pick one activity to do per session; most were offered throughout the event, giving students the chance to mix up the fun.
On the back lawn, students enjoyed games that included co****le, Kan Jam, Spikeball, volleyball and soccer, among others, and teachers led mindfulness and nature walks. Students could also decorate rocks at picnic tables or visit with Lou the therapy dog. The back lawn is also where popcorn and drinks were available.
Inside, jigsaw puzzles and a variety of board games were in a classroom and the senior lounge, and students could utilize the art room or make bracelets. In the cafeteria, staff led an instructional session on smoothie making -- that included a tasting. In addition to the yoga in the PAC, the library was where students could go to practice breathing exercises.
Not only is the annual event an opportunity for students to unwind and destress before the final few weeks of the school year, but it’s held in recognition of Mental Health Awareness month, with activities to support mental wellness, school counselor Nicole Schmidt pointed out.

Mill Road Elementary School students had a chance to taste a new roll produced in the Hudson Valley by local farmers, st...
05/21/2026

Mill Road Elementary School students had a chance to taste a new roll produced in the Hudson Valley by local farmers, straight from the baker himself.
The students during their lunch periods Thursday were treated to a taste testing organized by district food supply partner Community Food Works.
The 100% whole wheat roll – which is not yet a part of Red Hook’s lunch menus but could be added based on student reaction – incorporates ingredients from several local farms with a recipe from baker Aaron Quint of Kingston Bread + Bar, who was on hand Thursday to serve the students.
Community Food Works already supplies several items and ingredients used on Red Hook’s menus, including tortillas and flour. The Kingston-based organization buys crops from farms across the region before processing them into flour, tortilla, bread and other prepared foods, and distributing them to, among other place, local schools and food pantries.
The tasting was in line with the Red Hook Central School District’s emphasis on locally sourced food and Food Services Director Sam Pride’s focus on educating students regarding healthy foods and knowing where it comes from.
The bread was available both buttered and plain, as were a deep selection of stickers which were, to the youngest students, equally desirable. As they handed out the bread, Quint and Community Food Works’ Celeste Yglesia engaged with the students by asking about what they know about where their food is produced, emphasizing the rolls were grown and created close to home.
Overwhelmingly, the students gave their approval of the bread by posting a star or happy face sticker on a rating board posted next to the table.
But, don’t worry – there were more stickers for the kids to take home.

Address

Red Hook, NY

Opening Hours

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

Telephone

+18457582241

Website

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